Watch the full interview here.
Dr. Tatiana Moro is working as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center in the School of Analytical Services and Training at the University of Georgia. As a postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Moro studies carbohydrates and their impact on the human body; for example, how certain carbohydrates can affect the growth of brain cancer cells. She specializes in isolating compounds and, through her position at UGA, analyzes samples from all over the world to improve her research.
Moro was born and raised in Brazil, where she first developed a passion for chemistry and for foreign languages. Today, she speaks four languages, and she holds a PHD in biochemistry from the Federal University of Paraná in Brazil and a PHD in Molecular Pharmacology from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.
At UGA, she uses her pharmaceutical background to study the biological effects of compounds and their industry applications. “I have applied [compounds] against brain cancer cells, to see if they could kill or modulate cells.” Other applications of her research include the enhancement of microphages on the immune system.
“I chose UGA’s program because it is a service lab, which means we receive samples from all over the U.S. and internationally. It’s a big expansion from where I was working,” she said, “it’s been an amazing experience for me.” Her lab services non-profit organizations, academic organizations, industry organizations, and individuals.
Reflecting on her time at UGA, she noticed the link between business and scientific research, something that she said is not common at her university. She hopes to bring this sense of innovation back to Brazil where she hopes to become a professor.
“I want to apply everything I’ve learned directly to my students,” she said regarding her plans after she finishes her research at UGA. “I want to teach them real cases, so that they can learn how to use storytelling in their research.”