Jerson Lima
Jerson Lima Silva (born 29 February 1960), usually known as Jerson Lima, is a Brazilian biophysicist. He is known for his pioneering research in the field of structural biology, publishing important studies on protein folding and the relationship between protein aggregates and diseases such as cancer, prion diseases and Parkinson's disease. Personal life The son of a Brazilian navy sergeant and a housewife who sold homemade sweets, Jerson Lima grew up in the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro. He was first introduced to the scientific method during high school, when he studied at the Federal Technical School of Chemistry in Rio de Janeiro (ETFQ-RJ), which has been renamed the Federal Institute of Rio de Janeiro. He is married to UFRJ researcher and professor Debora Foguel. They have four children. Education and scientific career In 1984, Lima graduated from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) with a Doctor of Medicine degree. He began his scientific career while still an undergraduate, joining a laboratory team led by Professor Sergio Verjovski Almeida in the Department of Medical Biochemistry and directed by physician and researcher Leopoldo de Meis. There, he conducted studies on the structure and function of calcium-transporting proteins in the sarcoplasmic reticulum of muscle cells. In 1987, Jerson completed his PhD in biophysics at the Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics at UFRJ, under the advisory of Verjovski Almeida. He focused his research on oligomeric proteins and icosahedral viruses, adopting several different methods of fluorescence spectroscopy in his studies. Due to his experience in adopting fluorescence techniques, Jerson also obtained a postdoctoral position shortly after graduation from UFRJ in Gregorio Weber's laboratory at the University of Illinois, where he stayed from 1985 to 1986. Between 1991 and 1992, he returned to Weber's laboratory, this time as a visiting researcher and fellow at the Guggenheim Foundation. While studying with Weber, he deepened his knowledge of proteins, studying protein plasticity, supramolecular structures, and the physiological effects of proteins. He also perfected techniques for advanced fluorescence and nuclear magnetic resonance of proteins subjected to pressure in collaboration with Professor Jiri Jonas. Scientific contributions Lima has made several scientific contributions to the areas of biochemistry and structural biology as a pioneer in the study of the prion-like and amyloidogenic behavior of the p53 protein and its relationship with different types of cancer. His work has led to advances in the understanding of protein folding, virus assembly, and the mechanisms responsible for the formation of protein aggregates and misfolding. His research specifically showed how these last two are responsible for the pathophysiology of several diseases including different types of cancer, prion diseases (such as the bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as Mad Cow disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease), and Parkinson's disease. Academic management and leadership Throughout his scientific career, Lima has performed in several academic management roles and integrated important scientific associations and institutions. He has been a professor at the Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis (IBqM) at UFRJ since 1988. He has been