Dr. Cintia Akemi Oi
Dr. Cintia Akemi Oi
15/01/2024 – present: Postdoctoral researcher UCL (NERC funding), UK
15/01/2022 – 14/01/2024: Marie Curie fellow Postdoctoral researcher UCL, UK
01/10/2020 – 14/01/2022: Post-doctoral researcher KU Leuven
01/10/2017-31/09/2020: Post-doctoral researcher FWO
11/10/2016-31/09/2017: Post-doctoral researcher PDM KU Leuven
28/08/2012-10/10/2016: PhD in Science (Biology) on the “The chemical crown of social insect wasps”, Laboratory of Socioecology & Social Evolution, Dept. of Biology, KU Leuven, Belgium (CNPq SWB Fellowship)
01/03/2008-26/08/2010: M.Sc. in Genetics and Evolution, Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics of Hymenoptera (LGEH-UFSCAR), Federal University of São Carlos. São Carlos, Brazil (CAPES fellowship).
01/01/2003-31/12/2007: Licentiate in Biology, Federal University of São Carlos. São Carlos, Brazil.
01/01/2003-31/12/2007: B.Sc. in Biology, Federal University of São Carlos. São Carlos, Brazil.
15/01/2024 – present: NERC Postdoctoral researcher UCL, UK
Promoter: Prof. Seirian Sumner
15/01/2022 – 14/01/2024: Marie Curie fellow Postdoctoral researcher UCL, UK
Promoter: Prof. Seirian Sumner
01/10/2020 – 14/01/2022: Post-doctoral researcher KU Leuven, Belgium (Department of Biology)
Promoter: Prof. Tom Wenseleers
01/10/2017-31/09/2020: Post-doctoral researcher KU Leuven, FWO Belgium (Department of Biology)
Promoter: Prof. Tom Wenseleers
Project: “The origin and maintenance of honest communication signals in insect societies”
11/10/2016-31/09/2017: Post-doctoral PDM KU Leuven, Belgium (Department of Biology)
Promoter: Prof. Tom Wenseleers
“Evolution of cuticular hydrocarbon in wasps, the royal chemical mark of insect societies”
28/08/2012-10/10/2016: PhD in Science KU Leuven, Belgium (Department of Biology)
Promoter: Prof. Tom Wenseleers / Co-promoter: Dr. Jelle van Zweden
“The chemical crown of social insect life: the origin and evolution of queen pheromones in social wasps”
2007: Teaching assistant “Systematics of plants”, University of São Carlos (Brazil)
2011-2012: CAPES Fellowship for Tutor activities and e-learning, UAB-UFSCAR (Brazil)
2018: “Social Insects”, professor University of São Paulo (Brazil). Short course for post-graduate students at the Department of Entomology at the University of São Paulo. This course was given together with Prof. Fabio Nascimento (Brazil) and Prof. Christopher Gruter.
2018: Teaching assistant at “Ethology and Behavioral Ecology (G0G32A), KU Leuven (Belgium)
2019: Practical assistant “Advanced Data analysis” (G0F87A), KU Leuven (Belgium)
2019: Teaching assistant at “Behavioral and Advanced Ecology: Field course” (G0W35A), KU Leuven (Belgium)
2022: Lecturer at “Behavioral Ecology in the Antropocene” (BIOL0048) UCL
2023: “Nextflow introduction course for RNAseq” University of São Paulo (Brazil). Short course for post-graduate students at the Department of Entomology at the USP. This course was given together with Prof. Fabio Nascimento (Brazil), Prof. Seirian Sumner and Dr. Chris Wyatt
2023: Lecturer at “Behavioral Ecology in the Antropocene” (BIOL0048) UCL
2024: “Nextflow introduction course for RNAseq” University of São Paulo (Brazil). Short course for post-graduate students at the Department of Entomology at the USP. This course was given together with Prof. Fabio Nascimento (Brazil), and Dr. Chris Wyatt
Bachelor
- Lize van Meerbeeck (17/10/2019-05/03/2020). Chemical cues in mating decision of Polistes dominula. Bachelor Project Biology -KU Leuven
- Karel Bauweleers (17/10/2018-27/04/2019). Did queen pheromones evolve from ancestral fertility signals? A case study in the Brazlian paper wasp Mischocyttarus metathoraxicus Bachelor Project Biology KU Leuven
- Michael Raimondi (17/10/2016- 03/05/2017). Development of the phylogeny of vespine wasps as a basis for comparative analyses. Bachelor Project Biology – KU Leuven
- Laure Desmet (17/10/2014-06/05/2015). Queen pheromone from exocrine glands in the common wasp Vespula vulgaris. Bachelor Project Biology – KU Leuven
- Anne Lauwers (14/10/2013-05/05/2014). Queen egg-marking pheromones in the social wasps Vespula germanica and Dolichovespula saxonica. Bachelor Project Biology – KU Leuven
- Andreas Cecelja (14/10/2012-06/05/2013) Worker reproduction in the European Hornet, Vespa crabro. Bachelor Project Biology – KU Leuven
- Marie Mulier (14/10/2012-06/05/2013). Identification of potential queen pheromones in the wasp Vespa crabro (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). Bachelor Project Biology – KU Leuven
Master
- Karel Bauweleers. (01/07/2020-28/06/2021) The sociogenetic structure of primitively eusocial paper wasp Mischocyttarus cerberus. Master thesis Biology (KU Leuven)
- Clint Vanermen (15/09/2019-16/06/2020). Influence of the juvenile hormone on fertility and fertility signalling in Vespula vulgaris. Master Thesis Biology - KU Leuven
- Ian Stevens (15/09/2018-28/06/2019). Fertility cues in polistine wasps. Master Thesis Biology – KU Leuven
- Andreas Bientsman (01/10/2017-30/01/2019). Fertility and fertility signaling under shared juvenile control in Vespula vulgaris. Master Thesis Biology – KU Leuven
- Jolien Wevers (01/07/2015-26/05/2016). Chemical communication in Vespula germanica and its role in worker policing. Master Thesis Biology – KU Leuven
- Enzo Sanchez (MRES UCL – BIOS0013) (19/12/22-30/05/23). How wasp morphology influences wasp-flower interactions.
- Bhavanarayeni Ramasubramanian (MRES UCL-BIOS0014) (13/04/23-04/10/23). Revealing the anatomy of wasps using microCT scanning.
PhD
- Rafael Carvalho da Silva. (04/10/2018 – 30/11/2023). Looking for the missing link: eggs as alternative sources of communication in social insects. PhD student Entomology (USP Brazil)
- Helena Mendes Ferreira (01/09/2019-13/10/23) PhD in Sciences (Biology) (KU Leuven). Proximate and Ultimate Factors Regulating Reproduction and Division of Labour in Insect Societies.
Student co-supervision:
- David Blahout (8 weeks 2022). NERC DTP undergrad internship (UCL)
- Zann Teo Jiexin (6 months 2022). Nayang Technological University, Singapore. Bachelor of Science. CN Yang Scholars Programme. Overseas FYP Proposal (UCL) – Bachelor thesis
In progress:
- Anneline Mattens (01/08/22-present) PhD student Biology (KU Leuven)
Personal grants:
- 2006: FAPESP Fellowship for undergraduate students (Scientific Initiation) (R$580/month)
- 2007: Teaching Assistant with fellowship, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, UFSCAR, BR (R$300/month)
- 2008-2010: MS, Department of Genetics and Evolution, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, UFSCAR, BR (CAPES fellowship) (R$1300/month)
- 2011-2012: CAPES Fellowship for Tutor activities, UAB-UFSCAR, BR (R$600/month)
2012-2016: PhD in Science (Biology), CNPq fellowship (SWB), KU Leuven, BE (R$ 250k)
- 2016-2017: PDM Postdoctoral grant (KU Leuven) (€90k)
- 2017-2020: FWO Postdoctoral grant (€258k)
- 2022-2024: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowship (£224k)
Visiting grants:
- August 2024: Invited project from Japan International Cultural Exchange Foundation (200,000 JPY)
- Jan 2024 to Mar 2024: Visiting researcher grant from Fapesp (Fundação de Amparo e Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo – Brazil) (2023/12873-0) (R$ 46000)
- Feb 2019 to Mar 2019: Visiting researcher at Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research (MWLR), New Zealand (FWO long term grant) (€1650/month)
- Nov 2017 to May 2018: Visiting professor at USP, Brazil (FWO long term grant) (€1650/month)
- Aug 2016: Conference EU IUSSI Helsinki, Finland (FWO) (costs covered for conference fees and plane tickets)
- Aug 2015: Visiting student at North Carolina State University, USA (FWO short term grant) (€1650/month)
- Feb 2015 – Mar 2015: Visiting student at USP, Brazil (FWO short term grant) (€1650/month)
Project grants:
- 2013 to 2016: “Conflict and cooperation in insect societies” CNPq – Brazil (collaborator R$ 64k/year)
- 2014 to 2017: “The chemical crown of royalty: the origin and evolution of queen pheromones in insect societies”. FWO Research Grant (collaborator €450k)
- 2017 to 2020 - Research grant FWO, ranked as 1st place. (PI €40k)
- 2018 to 2021 - Bilateral FWO-FAPESP together with Prof. Fabio Nascimento – Brazil. G0F8319N. “An Evo-Devo perspective over the reproductive division of labour in wasps” (Co-I €345k to Belgium and R$140k to Brazil)
- 2018 to 2022 - “Evolution of pheromonal chemical communication and neuroethology plasticity in social Hymenoptera”. CNPq – Brazil (collaborator R$160k)
- 2022 to 2025 – Bilateral FWO-FAPESP together with Prof. Fabio Nascimento – Brazil. G0F6622N. “The evolution of caste dimorphism and reproductive plasticity in insect societies” (Co-I €345k to Belgium and R$140k to Brazil)
- 2022 to 2024 – Bilateral NERC-FAPESP together with Prof. Seirian Sumner (UK) and Prof. Fabio Nascimento (Brazil). Secrets to a Successful Hunt: Integrating Genomes, Chemistry and Behaviour in Neotropical Solitary Wasps" (NE/W004437/1) (Co-I £100k to the UK and R$100k to Brazil)
- 2024 to present – NERC together with Prof. Seirian Sumner, Prof. Gavin Broad and Prof. Eyal Privman. Unlocking the sensory secrets of predatory wasps: towards predictive tools for managing wasps' ecosystem services in the Anthropocene (NE/Y001397/1) (named postdoc)
Behavioral Ecology, Plos One, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Sociobiology, Insect Conservation and Diversity, Scientific Reports, Insectes Sociaux, Insectes, Journal of Chemical Ecology, Ethology, The American Naturalist, Evolution, Animal Behaviour, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, Frontiers in Ethology, Trends in Ecology and Evolution, Current Opinion in Insect Science, BMC genomics, Ecological Entomology, Evolution Letters
Symposium 12 “From signaling to sensing: how pheromones modulates social organization” together with Prof. Philip Kolhmeier (Memphis University, USA) at IUSSI 2022 San Diego USA.
Symposium “Chemical Mechanisms Underlying Inter-caste Communication” together with Prof. Ricardo Caliari Oliveira (UAB, Spain) at IUSSI 2018 Guarujá, Brazil.
upcoming:
EuroIussi 2024, Lausanne with Dr. Uli Ernst
ICE Kyoto 2024, Kyoto with Dr. Elaine Françoso & Dr. Natália Araujo