Nicholas de Mojana
He/Him
I am gay and I am an oral microbiologist.//
I am a Brazilian scientist who found my calling in the microscopic world. I earned my B.S. in Biological Sciences and M.S. in Molecular Biology at the University of Brasilia (UnB), where my research focused on how filamentous fungi adapt their physiology to survive on various nutrient sources.
I eventually moved to the United States to achieve my PhD in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Florida (UF). During my doctoral studies, I transitioned to oral microbiology to investigate Streptococcus mutans and the virulence factors that allow this cavity-causing bacterium to survive and spread within the mouth.
Currently, I am a postdoctoral researcher at the State University of New York at Albany (SUNY-Albany). I have expanded my focus from single organisms to the analysis of complex bacterial communities. Using advanced imaging, I study the architecture of oral biofilms to understand how microbes physically interact to build complex structures and how these structures affect human health.
I am proud to share my science and my story with the queer STEM community and to serve on the leadership team of the Pride in Microbiology network!