Gabriela Procópio Camacho

The main goal of my research program is to understand the processes that generated the extraordinary diversity and morphological and ecological characteristics seen in insects, with a focus on ants. As an indispensable part of understanding biological diversity and its patterns, my research is grounded in the discovery and description of new species and taxonomic revisions. My initial research experience has provided me with a broad set of skills that allow me to conduct a line of research focused on taxonomy and evolution of insects, using different approaches, from morphology and alpha taxonomy to phylogenomics, biogeography and community ecology. All my research approaches, however, are supported by the same pillars: entomological collections, which house data of incalculable importance, and fieldwork, which provides new discoveries. For this reason, the goal of each project culminates in curating and expanding the collections. The overall goals of my research program are to understand the historical and contemporary evolutionary processes and patterns that have shaped insect diversity and distribution. In my research I strive to advance insect systematics through integrative approaches that use morphological, genomic and ecological data. As a curator at MZUSP, I work to actively expand knowledge about insect distribution through field research throughout Brazil, maintaining a collection-based research program at the Museum of Zoology.

I have a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from the Federal University of Uberlândia, a Master’s degree in Entomology from the Federal University of Viçosa and a PhD in Entomology from the Federal University of Paraná. I have experience as a pre-doctoral research fellow at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution (Washington, D.C., USA). I worked as a postdoctoral researcher at North Carolina State University and the California Academy of Sciences, in the United States, and at the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin, Germany. I am currently a research associate at the Smithsonian Institution, the California Academy of Sciences and the Museum für Naturkunde. I serve as associate editor of Check List and Antcat.org.