Education

M.S. (Zoology): PUC do Rio Grande do Sul (Porto Alegre, Brazil), 2009
B.S. (Biology): Universidade Estadual de Londrina (Londrina, Brazil), 2006

Research Interests

My main research interest involves understanding the evolutionary processes that shaped mammalian diversity in the Neotropical region, with special focus on the Procyonidae. I am also interested in phylogeography, phylogeny, and species delimitation drawing on both morphological and molecular genetics approaches.

Currently, I am a PhD student in the Environmental Science and Public Policy program at George Mason University. The main objective of my PhD project is to undertake a taxonomic review of Procyonidae (Mammalia, Carnivora) using molecular and morphological approaches, or more specifically, to define the number of species/ evolutionary significant units of Procyonidae and delineate patterns of distribution and geographic variation; optimization and development of molecular markers for genetic studies with museum samples, using traditional and next-generation sequencing technologies; integration of the information from this study with geological and paleoclimatic data, and biogeographic patterns identified in other regional groups of plants and animals, in order to construct a more complete picture of the processes influencing mammalian evolution in the Neotropics.

Recent Publication

Schipper, J., Helgen, K.M., Belant, J.L., Gonzalez-Maya, J., Eizirik, E.; Tsuchiya-Jerep, M.T.N. 2009. Small carnivores in the Americas: reflections, future research and conservation priorities. Small Carnivore Conservation, 41: 1-2.

Helgen, K.M., Kays, R., Helgen, L.E., Tsuchiya-Jerep, M.T.N., Pinto, C.M., Koepfli, K.-P., Eizirik, E.; Maldonado, J. E. 2009. Taxonomic boundaries and geographic distributions revealed by an integrative systematic overview of the mountain coatis, Nasuella (Carnivora: Procyonidae). Small Carnivore Conservation, 41(1): 65-74.

Schipper, J., Helgen, K.M., Belant, J.L., Gonzalez-Maya, J.-F., Eizirik, E.; Tsuchiya-Jerep, M.T.N. (eds.) 2009. Special Issue: The Americas. Small Carnivore Conservation, 41.

Molecular Ecology Resources Primer Development Consortium et al. 2009. Permanent Genetic Resources Note: Permanent Genetic Resources added to Molecular Ecology Resources Database 1 May 2009–31 July 2009. Molecular Ecology Resources, 9: 1460–1559.