Meet our team

Dr. Sérgio Teixeira Ferreira is a renowned scientist and leader in Alzheimer's disease research. He is a full professor at the UFRJ Institutes of Biophysics and Medical Biochemistry and a member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and the National Order of Scientific Merit. He has held fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trust Latin American Program in the Biomedical Sciences. He was a Howard Hughes Medical Institute International Investigator and Chairman of the Pan-American Association for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. With a degree in chemistry, an M.S. and Ph.D. in biophysics, and a postdoctoral fellowship in physics, Dr. Ferreira's multidisciplinary research program spans biochemistry, physical chemistry, cell biology, and—for the past 25 years— neuroscience. He has primarily focused on understanding the mechanisms of memory loss in Alzheimer's disease, a field in which he is a pioneer in Brazil and Latin America. He currently chairs the Scientific Committee of the Alzheimer's Association International Conference.

Rosana Coelho holds a bachelor’s degree in Portuguese and English literature from UFRJ, where she also did volunteer work as a researcher in sociolinguistics. Her experience includes teaching Portuguese and English, culminating in a role as pedagogical coordinator in 2005. In 2010, she expanded her skills with a degree in executive secretarial studies and transitioned to a career as an executive assistant within multinational companies in the oil and gas, chemical, and marine sectors. At Pioneer Science, Rosana uses her skills and experience to support the organization's mission of advancing scientific discovery for the benefit of humanity.

Ádila Mossri brings over 20 years of experience supporting senior executives in various sectors, including private banking, healthcare, industry and commerce, and oil and gas. Her background, which includes a bachelor’s degree in social work and executive secretary courses and training in Portuguese, time management, and emotional intelligence, provides a strong foundation for her work. Ádila is motivated to apply her deep understanding of human dynamics to philanthropy.

Victor Hugo holds a degree in Business Administration and Health from Faculdade São Camilo, and is currently pursuing a postgraduate degree in Financial Management at PUCPR. Throughout his professional career, he has built solid experience in corporate finance, with a focus on Accounts Payable and Receivable processes. For the past two years, he has been part of the Dor Group, where he applies his skills in managing and executing strategic initiatives. Recently, he joined the Pioneer Science and Philanthropy team. 

Livia Bolognani holds a degree in Social Communication – Advertising from PUC-Rio and has professional experience in marketing and communication across companies from various sectors. Her career combines planning and content production in an integrated way, aiming to turn strategies into experiences that enhance brand awareness and engage audiences. Throughout her career, she has deepened her knowledge in branding, digital marketing, and consumer behavior, developing solutions that connect people, goals, and ideas.

Priscilla Penna holds a bachelor's degree in business administration (IBMR) and a graduate degree in administration (FGV) and is currently pursuing an MBA in project management at UFRJ. Her career has focused on research and innovation projects, with experience working with various funding agencies. Priscilla has played a key role in implementing project offices, applying Project Management
Body of Knowledge (PMBoK) methodologies, and conducting process mapping to optimize operations. She strongly advocates education and research as drivers of development in Brazil.

Michele is a biologist with both a bachelor’s degree and a teaching degree in Biological Sciences, and she has experience in molecular biology and neuroscience. She completed a direct PhD program and postdoctoral fellowships funded by Brazilian research foundations (FAPs), conducting research on neurodegenerative and neurological diseases such as stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and post-traumatic epilepsy, with a focus on injury mechanisms and neural plasticity, as well as neuroprotection, neurogenesis, serum biomarkers, and oxidative stress. Currently, Michele contributes to the implementation of new laboratory infrastructure, supports biotechnology and neuroscience projects, and helps integrate cutting-edge technologies in a translational environment at Ciência Pioneira’s laboratory in São Paulo.

Sofia Costa holds a bachelor's degree in Social Communication – Journalism from UERJ and has over 10 years of experience in strategic communication and marketing. She has worked in international organizations, corporations, and startups, developing branding strategies, engagement initiatives, and integrated campaigns. She led the communications for Swissnex in Brazil, where she connected Swiss innovations with the Brazilian landscape in science, education, and research. Sofia also has expertise in digital marketing and community engagement, with a strong focus on results and impact. She believes in the transformative power of science and education and strives to strengthen this connection to generate social impact.

Rosiane Chanquini holds a bachelor's degree in advertising, marketing and communications from Mackenzie University, a master's degree in administration and marketing from ESPM, and a graduate degree in frontiers of neuroscience from Albert Einstein. Rosiane spent over 25 years of her career at IBM Brazil, where she led integrated communications campaigns, provided business consulting, forged strategic alliances and managed multidisciplinary projects. Passionate about social change, Rosiane believes in the power of education to transform society and she is driven to help break the cycle of poverty. She is active at the NGO Casa José Coltro, where she has volunteered for over three years.

Marcelo Moura holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry with technological attributions, a master's degree, and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from UFRJ. His professional experience includes positions at ISI Biosynthetics and Fibers and SENAI CETIQT, where he focused on biotechnology research and development, collaborating with various industries and research centers. He also led the biotechnology team at the SENAI Institute for Innovation in Biosynthetics and Fibers, overseeing the acquisition and execution of research and development projects.

Leandro Ferreira is a financial professional with over 24 years of experience in the field. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from UniverCidade in Rio de Janeiro, an MBA in Finance and Controllership from Candido Mendes University, and an Executive MBA in Management specializing in Financial Management from the Getúlio Vargas Foundation. His managerial career has taken him to various organizations, including financial institutions such as Banco Bradesco and large corporations such as Huawei, Ericsson, and Gavillon. Leandro has strong skills in treasury, risk analysis, cost control, macroeconomic analysis, consulting on expansion projects, and budgeting. For the past year and a half, he has used his financial expertise to support philanthropic and scientific endeavors.

Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences (specialization in Genetics) from UFRJ and the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia (2015). Master's degree in Biochemistry from the Graduate Program in Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ - 2017). Currently a PhD candidate in Innovation Management at the Technology Center of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. She worked as a Lead Researcher in Biotechnology at the SENAI Institute of Innovation in Biosynthetics and Fibers. She has experience in Project Management, business development, Molecular Biology, Sequencing, Fermentation, and Bioinformatics. 

Ana Cassanti is an environmental engineer with a bachelor’s degree from UNESP (Brazil) and a master’s degree in energy and environmental sciences from the University of Groningen (The Netherlands), where she also obtained a university teaching qualification from the Vrije Universiteit. Her experience spans the non-profit and private sectors as well as primary, secondary, and higher education in Brazil and abroad. Before joining Pioneer Science, she worked at the Global Center on Adaptation, focusing on the critical intersection of science, education, and youth engagement. A strong advocate for social change, she co-founded the Associação Brasileira de Incentivo à Ciência, driven by her belief in the power of education, science, and equity to transform society.