She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Biological Sciences from the University of São Paulo (1995) and PhD in Sciences (Biology of Host-Pathogen Relationship) from the University of São Paulo (2000). She is currently an affiliate member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, a researcher at the Research Centre Gonçalo Moniz/FIOCRUZ, a permanent teacher of Graduate Programs in Pathology and Health Sciences and Assistant Professor of the Bahia Foundation for the Development of Science. She has experience in the field of Parasitology, with an emphasis in Protozoology Parasite and Leishmaniasis. Recently, she has been devoted to studies of interaction between Leishmania and the vertebrate host. Researcher 1D at CNPq.