May 2024

I was really pleased to give a talk titled "Ecology in Health" for the Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolution at the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ). First off, it was great to show the connections between Ecology and what we understand as health, which are often overlooked or even ignored during our training as ecologists. Plus, I demonstrated how methodologies widely used in Ecology are applied in Health, like using differential equation models in population dynamics, which are also used in epidemiology (like S-I-R models and their variations). Second, it was special because the Ecology Department is where I earned my doctorate degree and worked for 9 years. It was nostalgic and heartwarming to personally reconnect with people I shared so many ideas, projects, coffees, laughs, and stories (especially at fieldwork) with over those years. It was a truly gratifying experience!