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Beatriz Tomé Neto Queirós

Beatriz Tomé Neto Queirós

PhD Student

Details
Position
PhD Student
Member type
Former Members
Degree
MSc
Address
CIBIO-InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal

Until I first heard about genetics and evolution, my interest in biology was quite limited. But since that initial contact my curiosity only grew, and my childhood dream of becoming an astronomer gave way to me enrolling in the Biology course at the University of Porto. Three years passed and those terms and ideas that sparked the initial curiosity, natural selection, adaptation, common ancestor, had become everyday vocabulary. It was (and still is!) fascinating to me how all the biodiversity we observe today has a common origin, how we can walk back in time by studying that link, and how at the same time every branching tells a different story, as the evolutionary process can be influenced by the most varied factors. Logically, to continue my studies, I choose the Master course in Biodiversity, Genetics and Evolution at CIBIO-InBIO. Here, I got to explore parasite-host relations by studying the diversity of apicomplexan parasites (particularly the genus Hepatozoon), first in snakes for my master’s thesis, and later in other reptiles as a technician. I find parasites to be a stimulating model to study evolution as their peculiar mode of life led to the development of a wide variety of strategies, and with their intimate host relation we get to learn a story filled of interactive characters. Now, as a PhD student, I will continue to study parasites of reptiles and discover what exciting new tales they have yet to share!

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