HUG-CELL in the Media

Innovatons and Ideas - Research Leader: Mayana Zatz

Genomic Psychiatry | February 21, 2024

Mayana Zatz: Two critical questions take center stage – Which variants mitigate the impact of lethal mutations in severe conditions with mild phenotype? What factors contribute to the health and longevity of centenarians? 

Mayana Zatz has been a Professor of Genetics at the Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil, since 1982. She became an assistant professor after a postdoc at the University of São Paulo and a second postdoc at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her current research is focused on neuromuscular disorders, aging, genomics, and, more recently, xenotransplantation and the use of the Zika virus as an oncolytic therapy against brain tumors. Functional studies are done in genetically engineered mouse and cell models. She is particularly interested in investigating protective mechanisms in rare patients with Duchenne dystrophy and a milder clinical course, as well as in centenarians' health determinants. Mayana Zatz is also involved in ethical aspects of genomic studies and government political decisions related to science. Professor Zatz is pleased to offer our readers insights into her personaL and professional experiences. 

Part 1: Mayana Zatz — Life and Career

Could you give us a glimpse into your personal history, emphasizing the pivotal moments that first kindled your passion for science?

I have been fascinated with science for as long as I can remember, and I loved reading the biographies of famous scientists such as Madame Curie or Pasteur. In high school, I fell in love with genetics. It was in the pre-molecular era, but I was intrigued by how genetic traits were transmitted across generations. I decided to pursue these studies in my adult life. 

We would like to know more about your career trajectory leading up to your most relevant leadership role. What defining moments channeled you toward that leadership responsibility?

When I started to study genetics, I did not imagine I would be a leader. My ambition was to pursue a career as a geneticist at the University of Sao Paulo, which was and still is the best Brazilian University. After returning from my postdoc at the University of California, Los Angeles, I submitted a small grant to FAPESP (Sao Paulo Research Foundation, in Portuguese: Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo), our leading research funding agency, to continue my research on muscular dystrophies. DNA technology was unavailable; therefore, my studies used serum enzymes to investigate different forms of muscular dystrophy. I started forming a group of young students, primarily undergraduates, interested in this subject. One day, I was invited to a meeting at FAPESP, and I learned that only scientific leaders had been invited. That was when I realized that I was considered a leader and that I had a greater responsibility.

Read the full interview: http://gp.genomicpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/GP0016-Zatz-2024.pdf 

 

Mayana Zatz and Laura, a 104-year-old swimming champion