“Diving into the Depths: Kamilla Souza Studies the Brains of Beached Whales”

Neuroscientist Kamilla Souza, the founder and scientific director of the Brazilian Neurobiodiversity Network, recently made headlines for her groundbreaking work studying the brains of marine mammals. A year and a half ago, Souza received a call about a baby humpback whale that had washed ashore off the coast of southeastern Brazil. Despite the whale’s unfortunate demise, Souza saw an opportunity to further her research on the brains of these majestic creatures.

With a team from the Instituto Baleia Jubarte, Souza embarked on a mission to extract the whale’s brain. The challenge was immense as the whale had washed ashore on a tiny island, making it difficult to access. Undeterred, Souza swam to shore with her tools and successfully extracted the fresh, intact brain from the whale. This marked the first extraction of a whale brain in Brazil and added to Souza’s impressive collection of whale and dolphin brains, making it the largest in all of Latin America.

However, time is of the essence in Souza’s work. The heat in the region accelerates decomposition, requiring her to act quickly to extract the brain from freshly deceased animals. Despite the challenges, Souza’s dedication and passion for her research shine through. Her work has not only expanded scientific knowledge about marine mammals but has also inspired others in the field.

One of Souza’s Ph.D. students, Heitor Mynssen, is developing a computer tool to model cetacean brains in 3D, furthering the research in the field. João Marcelo Ramos Nogueira, the executive director of the Orca Institute, where Souza conducts her research, praises her contributions and the impact she has had on their research capabilities.

As Souza reflects on her journey and the impact of her work, she expresses her happiness and fulfillment in pursuing her passion for marine mammal research in Brazil. She hopes to inspire others in her country to pursue scientific endeavors and make significant contributions to the field. With her dedication and groundbreaking research, Kamilla Souza is paving the way for a new era of marine mammal neuroscience in Brazil.