Photo by Mathias M. Pires
Here you find information about our current lab members. After 15 years at USP I was lucky to have the opportunity to work with a special group of people. Information on former lab members is available here. Our lab also host undergraduate and visiting students, please click here.
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Paulo R. Guimarães Jr. (Miúdo)
Full Professor at the Departamento de Ecologia, IB - USP Interests: how ecological networks shape and are shaped by ecological and coevolutionary processes. I explore this problem by integrating data and natural history of ecological interactions, network science, and mathematical modelling. Selected publications: Guimarães, P. R. 2020. The structure of ecological networks across levels of organization. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics 51:433-460. Guimarães, P.R., M. M. Pires, P. Jordano, J. Bascompte, J. N. Thompson. 2017. Indirect effects drive coevolution in mutualistic networks. Nature 550: 511–514. Guimarães, P.R., P. Jordano, J. N. Thompson. 2011. Evolution and coevolution in mutualistic networks. Ecology Letters 14: 877-885 [PDF]. See also the article in Science highlighting this study: [Editors' Choice]. |
Postdocs
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Caroline Dracxler
Postdoc Interests: networks of antagonisms and mutualisms Fellowship: FAPESP Selected publications: Dracxler, C. M. & Kissling, W. D. 2021. The mutualism–antagonism continuum in Neotropical palm–frugivore interactions: from interaction outcomes to ecosystem dynamics. Biological Reviews (early view) Mittelman, P., Dracxler C. M., Santos-Coutinho, P. R. O. & Pires, A. S. 2021. Sowing forests: a synthesis of seed dispersal and predation by agoutis and their influence on plant communities. Biological Reviews 96: 2425-2445. |
Grad Students
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Andrés Rojas
PhD student - Ecology (USP) MBA student - Data Science e Analytics (USP/ESALQ) Interests: networks of competitors Fellowship: CAPES Co-supervisor: Paulinha Assis Publications Rojas, A., D. G. Muniz, D. Solano-Brenes, G. Machado. 2021. Nest-site selection in a neotropical arachnid with exclusive male care: proximate cues and adaptive meaning. Ethology (in press). Rojas, A., D. Solano-Brenes, D. G. Muniz, G. Machado. 2019. Gone with the rain: negative effects of rainfall on male reproductive success in a nest-building arachnid. Behavioral Ecology 30: 1145-1156. 
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Lucas Nascimento (Taio)
PhD student - Ecology (USP) MBA student - Data Science e Analytics (USP/ESALQ) Interests: frugivory and the evolution of color patterns in birds Fellowship: FAPESP Selected publications: Nascimento, L. F., P. R. Guimarães, R. E. Onstein, W. D. Kissling, M. M. Pires. 2020. Associated evolution of fruit size, fruit color and spines in Neotropical palms. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 33: 858-868. |
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Mariana Franciscão Costa
PhD student - Ecology (USP) Co-supervised student - (supervisor Ana Paula A. Assis) Interests: seed dispersal and evolutionary dynamics of birds |
Undergrad Students
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Daniela Gomes
Undergrad student - Biological Sciences (USP) Interests: super-generalists & network dynamics |
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Stefani Pires Caldeira
Undergrad student - Biological Sciences (USP) |
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Augusto Carvalho
Undergrad student - Biological Sciences (USP) Co-supervised student (supervisor: Marcio Martins) |
Technicians
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Daniela Coelho (Dani)
Lab Technician (2023 - FAPESP) PhD in Ecology - USP (2022) Research: Network structure of snake-resource interactions Fellowship: CAPES (PhD) More about her work in our lab Pinto-Coelho, D., M. Martins, and P. R. Guimarães. Network analyses reveal the role of large snakes in connecting feeding guilds in a species-rich Amazonian snake community. Ecology and Evolution (in press). |
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Bruno Melati
Lab Technician (2023 - FAPESP) "Special Guest Grad Student" (2017-2018) Research: Ant-plant interactions |
Special Guest Members
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Alice
Alice joined the lab in 2012. Alice is interested in butterflies, toucans, flowers, hummingbirds, sacis, arts and science (especially Albert Einstein's ideas). She is now testing predictions of entropy-based theories, using her bedroom as studied system. |
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Marina
Marina joined the lab in 2015. Marina is interested in whales, mermaids, perching birds, Dengo's chocolate, turtles, giraffes, and especially sloths (what makes me pround). She is now applying Chaos Theory to the dynamics of toy models. |
