CAPES Brazil Chair 2023

The largest Brazilian funding agency CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior) has published the selected researchers for the CAPES Brazil Chair 2023. Two professors from different universities in Brazil were selected: Prof. Dr José Carlos Vaz from the University of São Paulo (USP) in the field of politics, and Prof. Dr Elaine Maria de Souza Fagundes from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) in the field of biology research, will soon fill the two Brazil Chairs at Münster University.

Prof. Dr José Carlos Vaz was the successful candidate on the topic "Smart Cities and Political Online Participation". "During my stay in Münster, I would like to further my research on social participation in smart cities", says Prof. Dr Vaz, which will have Prof. Dr Norbert Kersting as host in Münster. “I am very honoured for this opportunity. I am certain that this period of intense collaboration will be a privilege for me”.

To work alongside Prof. Dr Johannes Eble, will arrive in Münster Prof. Dr Elaine Maria de Souza Fagundes, who was selected to research the theme "Studying host and immune responses to breast cancer or to highly virulent viral and bacterial pathogens". "I am convinced that my research stay at the renowned University of Münster will be a milestone in my life and that of my students and that this collaboration will provide us with both scientific and cultural knowledge".

Both researchers are firmly convinced of the positive effects of cooperation for their respective research areas. "The interaction with the network of research laboratories and specialists with expertise from the University of Münster will allow the mutual exchange of ideas and skills, contributing to the improvement of international collaboration between research groups from Brazil and Germany", said Prof. Fagundes. Facilitating collaboration and the exchange of knowledge is, of course, one of the core activities of the Brazil Centre. "I believe that bringing a Brazilian perspective on the subject will be an excellent opportunity to share knowledge with university researchers", commented Prof. Dr. Vaz.

The aim of the CAPES Brazil Chair at Münster University is to strengthen scientific and academic cooperation between the WWU and various Brazilian universities and research institutions. In addition, the Brazil Chair is intended to create greater visibility for the achievements of outstanding Brazilian academics not only at Münster University, but also in Germany as a whole.

Prof. Dr. José Carlos Vaz

Professor Dr Vaz is Professor of Public Policy Management at the University of São Paulo (Faculty of Arts, Sciences and Humanities) and Vice-President of the Board of Directors of the Polis Institute. Moreover, he is Coordinator of GETIP - Group for Studies in Technology and Innovation in Public Administration.

Prof. Dr Vaz holds a degree in Administration from the University of São Paulo (1986), a Masters in Public Administration from the Fundação Getúlio Vargas SP (1995) and a Doctorate in Business Administration - Information Systems from the Getúlio Vargas SP Foundation (2003).

He also has experience in the field of public administration, working mainly in the following areas: social and political aspects of the use of information technology (digital participation, open government data, social control of governments, e-government, technological public policy), public management (capacity of state and government, innovations in public administration, logistics, strategic planning) and urban and municipal issues (urban processes and dynamics, urban mobility, municipal management, local development).

Prof. Dr. Elaine Maria de Souza Fagundes

Prof. Dr Fagundes is Associate Professor at the Federal University of Minas Gerais in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics and she has experience in immunology and cellular and molecular pharmacology.

Prof. Fagundes has a degree in Pharmacy from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (1991), a Masters in Virology (1992), in Biological Sciences (Microbiology) - Department of Microbiology/ICB/UFMG (1996) - and in Biotechnology - CETEC/MG (1998), as well as a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (2002). She has a Postdoctorate in Cytotoxic and Immunomodulatory Natural Products (2005) at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and one in anticancer drug discovery at Vanderbilt University/USA (2012). She also received a fellowship for research at the University of Konstanz in Germany, from the ALEXANDER Von HUMBOLDT / CAPES Foundation (2015) - Experienced Researcher.

Her research focus is on pharmaceutical innovation and development of in vitro bioassays (both biochemical and cell-based assays) to predict antitumour and pro-apoptotic, immunomodulatory, cytotoxic, neurotoxic and antiparasitic effects, with emphasis on neglected diseases such as leishmaniasis and Chagas disease, cancer and Parkinson's disease.