Fátima Ferreira facts for kids

Fátima Ferreira-Briza (born February 16, 1959, in Cachoeira de Goias, Brazil) is a talented scientist from Brazil and Austria. She is a biologist, which means she studies living things, and a biochemist, who studies the chemistry of living things. She is also an educator, teaching others about science. Since 2010, she has been a Professor of Molecular Biology at the University of Salzburg in Austria. In October 2011, she also became the Vice-Rector for Research, helping to guide scientific studies at the university.

About Fátima Ferreira-Briza

Fátima Ferreira was born in Cachoeira de Goiás, a town in central Brazil. She finished her high school studies in Uberlândia in 1977. After high school, she went to the Federal University of Uberlândia. She studied dentistry there and earned her DDS degree in 1981.

Her Journey in Science

Fátima continued her education, earning a PhD degree in biochemical sciences. She completed this at the University of São Paulo in 1987. After her PhD, she worked as a research assistant. She worked at the Federal University of Santa Catarina in 1988. Then, she moved to the University of Toronto in 1990. Later, she worked at the University of Vienna in 1992. While she was in Toronto, she met Peter Briza. He was a genetics professor at the University of Salzburg and later became her husband.

In 1992, Fátima Ferreira became an assistant professor. She worked at the Institute of Genetics and General Biology at the University of Salzburg. During this time, she earned another degree, an MSc, from the University of Vienna. Her research focused on how the body recognizes allergens from birch pollen.

She later became an associate professor at Salzburg University. In 2010, she became a full professor in the Molecular Biology Department. In October 2011, she took on the important role of Vice-Rector for Research. She also led a special lab that studied allergy diagnosis and treatment.

Her Research on Allergies

Fátima Ferreira's main research focuses on understanding pollen allergens. Allergens are substances that can cause allergic reactions. She studies allergens from plants like birch, ragweed, mugwort, Japanese cedar, and cypress. Her work looks at how these allergens interact with our immune system. She also helps develop new ways to diagnose and treat allergies. This includes creating protein-based vaccines to help people with allergic diseases.

Awards and Recognition

In 2008, Fátima Ferreira received a special honor. She was given the Scientist of the Year award. This award came from the Austrian Club of Education and Science Journalists. Because of this award, she was invited to Washington D.C. There, she gave a lecture to share her knowledge about allergies.

See also

In Spanish: Fátima Ferreira para niños