ICTP Associates Seminars are part personal, part scientific, with speakers
haring their career trajectory and experiences, then introducing their
research field and work.

In this seminar, Carolina Brito from Federal University of Rio Grande do
Sul (UFRGS), Brazil, will discuss the challenges of building a scientific
career in Brazil and work on complex systems in her group in Brazil.

Zoom link for registration:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/9hJpULyeTuOKKvck7sqCgg

Abstract

In the first part of this talk, I will share some aspects of my life and
career path, including my experiences abroad and the challenges of
building a scientific career in Brazil. I will also present outreach
initiatives that have become an important part of my work, including
projects aimed at increasing the participation of women in science and
producing science communication content for broad audiences. In the second
part, I will introduce several research topics pursued by my group, all
connected by the study of complex systems.I will briefly discuss wetting
phenomena and their applications to water-oil separation, active matter
systems under environmental stress, and a recent interdisciplinary effort
to study climate-related disasters, motivated by the devastating floods
that affected southern Brazil in 2024.

Bio

Carolina Brito is an Associate Professor of Physics at the Federal
University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil, and a CNPq Research
Fellow. She is currently a Regular Associate of the ICTP. Her research
focuses on complex systems, particularly wetting phenomena and extreme
weather events and disasters. She is actively involved in science outreach
and inclusion, leading the program Meninas na Ciência to encourage women
in STEM, and co-hosts the podcast Fronteiras da Ciência.