Awarded Projects from the Inaugural Brasillinois Grant
The University of Illinois System and the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) are pleased to announce the results of the inaugural Brasillinois Research Grant Program. This new initiative supports collaborative projects that bring together faculty from institutions in the State of São Paulo and the University of Illinois System to advance cutting-edge research across disciplines.
Thirteen projects have been selected for funding in this first call, representing a wide range of fields—from public health, engineering, and climate science to quantum physics, plant biology, and the social sciences. Each project embodies the program’s mission: to foster innovative scholarship while strengthening academic ties between Brazil and Illinois.
These collaborations, supported in part by the Lemann Center for Brazilian Studies and in partnership with FAPESP, mark an important milestone in the Brasillinois initiative. The awarded projects not only promise significant academic contributions but also set the stage for long-term institutional partnerships and opportunities for student and faculty engagement.
The full list of awarded projects is provided below.
Lemann Center for Brazilian Studies Supported Projects
1. Social Reproduction and Migrant Labor: Dependency, Value-Extraction, and the Politics of Urban Space Across the Americas
José Gilberto de Souza (UNESP Rio Claro, Instituto de Geociências e Ciências Exatas), and Nikolai Alvarado (UIUC, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Department of Geography & GIS).
This project expands Marxist Dependency Theory to examine how value extraction occurs not only through labor displacement but also through the migration of social reproduction systems. The research will analyze how migrant networks (from childcare to community kitchens) become sites of value extraction in destination countries.
2. Machine Learning Solutions to Identify and Correct Underdiagnosis of Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases in Brazil
Alexandre Dias Porto Chiavegatto Filho (USP, Faculdade de Saúde Pública), and Bruno Pereira Nunes (UIUC, College of Applied Health Sciences, Department of Health and Kinesiology.
The project develops machine learning models to detect underdiagnosed cases of diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia in Brazil. Drawing on national health data, it aims to improve chronic disease detection and address disparities in access to screening.
3. The Effects of Plastic Contamination on Reproductive Health
Wellerson Rodrigo Scarano (UNESP Botucatu, Instituto de Biociências), and Jodi Flaws (UIUC, College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Comparative Biosciences).
This study investigates how perinatal exposure to plastics (micro/nanoparticles and phthalates) impacts reproductive development. Researchers will test effects on both tests and ovaries to understand long-term risks of plastic contamination.
University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Projects
4. Mapping the Evolution of Urban Spatial Structures in Brazilian and U.S. Metropolitan Areas
Ciro Biderman (FGV-SP, EAESP, Escola de Administração de Empresas), and Matthew Wilson (UIC, College of Urban Planning & Public Affairs, Great Cities Institute).
This project establishes the Brazil–U.S. Urban Spatial Structure Collaborative to map and compare how metropolitan areas evolve in both countries. It examines the shift in the U.S. from monocentric to polycentric urban forms and contrasts this with the distinct socio-economic and policy-driven trajectories shaping Brazilian cities.
5. Harnessing the Insect Microbiome to Discover the Next Generation of Antibiotics for Bacterial Pathogens
Mônica Tallarico Pupo (USP Ribeirão Preto, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas), and Brian Murphy (UIC, College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences).
The project explores insect-associated microbiomes as sources of new antibiotics. Using advanced mass spectrometry, it seeks to discover natural products that can address the global challenge of drug-resistant pathogens.
6. Hydrogels and DMP1 Delivery: A Strategy to Improve Bone Reconstruction Procedures
Roberta Okamoto (UNESP Araçatuba, Faculdade de Odontologia), and Anne George (UIC, College of Dentistry, Department of Oral Biology).
This study investigates hydrogels delivering DMP1 protein to improve bone repair in osteoporotic rats. It seeks innovative biomaterial strategies for patients with compromised bone health.
7. SPILAB: Creating Pathways for Community-Centered Mobility in Illinois and São Paulo
Roberto Marcondes Cesar Junior (USP, Instituto de Matemática e Estatística), and Fabio Miranda (UIC, College of Engineering, Department of Computer Science).
The São Paulo & Illinois Living Accessibility & Mobility Lab (SPILAB) will develop computational solutions for urban accessibility. It focuses on climate resilience, public health, and equitable mobility in both regions.
8. Bridging Clinical and Basic Research in Schistosomiasis-Associated Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Rudolf Krawczenko Feitoza de Oliveira (UNIFESP, Escola Paulista de Medicina), and Suellen Darc dos Santos Oliveira (UIC, College of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology).
This project studies how gut microbiome dysbiosis and microbial metabolites contribute to Schistosomiasis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (Sch-PAH). It aims to identify biomarkers and pathways for neglected disease treatments.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Projects
9. A Collaborative Project to Untangle the Biology of Desiccation-Tolerant Plants
Danilo da Cruz Centeno (UFABC, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas da Universidade Federal do ABC), and Rose A. Marks (UIUC, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Department of Plant Biology).
The project examines molecular and ecological mechanisms of desiccation tolerance in Brazilian plants. Using surveys and multi-omic profiling, it will shed light on adaptations to extreme dryness.
10. Biofuel Policies and Sustainable Global Trade: Building a Framework for an Equitable Energy Transition
Nicole Renno Castro (USP, ESALQ-SP, Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”), and Diego Soares Cardoso (UIUC, College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences, Department of Agricultural & Consumer Economics).
This study analyzes the economic impacts of biofuel policies in Brazil and the U.S. Using computational models, it explores how policy coordination can support a more equitable energy transition.
11. Advancing Sustainable Pavements through Biomaterial Innovations (BIO-PAVE)
Kamilla Vasconcelos Savasini (USP, Escola Politécnica), and Ramez Hajj (UIUC, Grainger College of Engineering, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering).
BIO-PAVE evaluates renewable bio-based materials for road construction. The research addresses durability, performance, and the potential of biomaterials to reduce petroleum dependence on paving.
12. Effects of Deforestation on the Hydroclimate of South America
Marta Pereira Llopart (UNESP Bauru, Faculdade de Ciências), and Francina Dominguez (UIUC, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Department of Climate, Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences).
This project uses high-resolution climate models to study how land use and deforestation affect South American hydroclimates. It builds on prior Amazon-focused work to expand continental insight.
13. Light-Matter Interaction in Quantum Materials
Thais Victa Trevisan (USP São Carlos, Instituto de Física), and Rafael Monteiro Fernandes (UIUC, Grainger College of Engineering, Department of Physics).
The project explores how light interacts with quantum materials, advancing theoretical models of emergent states. It leverages bicircular light excitation and multidimensional spectroscopy to characterize novel phenomena.
