Juliana Souza-Kasprzyk, PhD

What’s the work that you do?

I am a Brazilian biologist with a PhD in Biological Sciences. I have been studying the contamination of the polar environment since 2011, having had the opportunity to participate in scientific expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctica. I have been focusing on the anthropogenic impact in these regions, but also trying to understand the role of seabirds in absorbing, eliminating, transporting and mobilizing those contaminants.

What keeps you going?

Since I was a child, I dreamed of being a scientist. I get the pleasure and fulfilment of working with what I love and it makes me want to keep moving forward. This year, my life changed completely when my daughter Cecilia Aurora was born. This is another reason to smile and fight every day for a more diverse, fair, equal, inclusive and equitable society.

What’s your message to the world?

“And your will shall decide your destiny!” When you really want something and try hard, you can achieve everything you want. Just don’t give up on the first adversity. I wish for everyone, but especially for us girls and women, the opportunity to be what we want to be!