I was born and grew up in Brazil, where I received a BSc (Hons 1st class) in Oceanography from the Federal University of Rio Grande (1996), and MSc in Geography from the University of Sao Paulo (2000). In 2007, I finished a PhD in Environmental Science with a focus on Institutional Analysis at the University of Wollongong (Australia).

Since completing my PhD, I have held postdoc/research positions in Brazil (University of Brasilia [2007] and ITA Institute of Technology [2008]) and Australia (ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University [2009-2011] and Sustainability Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast [from 2012]). I am also a fellow with the Earth System Governance Project, a core project of the International Human Dimensions Programme.

My research has primarily focused on the social and institutional dimensions of environmental governance, with special emphasis on collaborative decision-making, and policy and institutional analysis. Read more about my research here.