Meet our Team
Livia Hecke Morais
Principal investigator
I completed my doctoral and postdoctoral training at University College Cork/APC Microbiome Ireland (Ireland) and the California Institute of Technology (USA) under the mentorship of John Cryan and Sarkis Mazmanian. I joined the Federal University of Santa Catarina (Brazil) as a Group Leader and Volunteer Professor in September 2025. My research combines experimental models, human studies, and computational approaches to understand how environmental and host–microorganism interactions shape metabolic, immune, and neural pathways relevant to brain health across the lifespan. A central goal of my work is to reduce the burden of brain disorders through preventive and microbiome-informed therapeutic strategies with relevance to public health. Outside the lab, I enjoy spending time in nature and exploring new places.
Gabriel Vieira Assunção
Undergraduate Student
I am an undergraduate student at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), majoring in Pharmacy. I have always been interested in science, particularly biology and chemistry. After joining the laboratory and working with the research group led by PhD Livia Hecke Morais, I became more deeply involved in neuroscience and microbiome research, which motivated me to further explore this field. Currently, I assist the team with bioinformatics, focusing on the integration of omics approaches such as metabolomics and metagenomics. Outside the lab, I enjoy going to the gym, playing video games, watching movies and TV series, and spending time with family and friends.
Gabriela Heidrich Wachholz
Undergraduate Student
I am an undergraduate student at Federal University of Santa Catarina, majoring in Medicine. My interest in neuroscience comes from my curiosity with neurodegenerative deseases, specially related to geriatric medicine. Being part of PhD Lívia Hecke Morais lab allows me to learn more about the different neurodegenerative deseases and how gut microbiome is correlated to mental deseases. Outside the lab, I enjoy going to the gym, taking care of my plants and spending time with my fiance and family.
Isabeli Bongiolo Casagrande
Undergraduate Student
I am an undergraduate student at Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), majoring in Pharmacy. My interest in neuroscience and the microbiome comes from my curiosity about how the gut–brain axis influences behavior, cognition, and health, and being part of Lívia Hecke Morais’s research team allows me to learn more about the biological mechanisms underlying these interactions. My role in the research team involves conducting in vitro cell culture experiments, including cell maintenance, experimental treatments, and data collection for downstream analysis. Outside the lab, I enjoy going to the beach, hiking, listening to music, reading, playing the ukulele and hanging out with my friends.