I am a mineralogist and researcher at the Oceanographic Institute of the University of São Paulo (IO-USP), Brazil, currently supported by a FAPESP Young Investigator Fellowship. My research focuses on the interactions between geological, chemical, and biological processes that shape marine mineral deposits. I am particularly interested in deep-sea ferromanganese deposits, including nodules and crusts, and in understanding how critical elements such as lithium and rare earth elements (REEs) are incorporated and enriched in these deposits.My research combines field-based studies with mineralogical, spectroscopic, and microanalytical approaches to investigate mineral formation and transformation across different spatial scales. I use techniques including Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, SEM-EDS, TEM, FTIR, XANES, and synchrotron-based micro-X-ray fluorescence to characterize minerals and investigate the redox and biogeochemical processes recorded in natural samples.My broader interests include oceanic biogeochemistry, biologically mediated mineralization, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, and elemental cycling in marine systems. I am particularly interested in interdisciplinary research connecting mineralogy, geochemistry, microbiology, and oceanography to understand the interactions between the deep ocean, the seafloor, and life.Through my research, I aim to better understand marine mineral systems and the processes that control their formation, composition, and evolution, contributing to our understanding of the deep ocean and the environmental changes recorded in its mineral deposits through geological time.
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