DOC Fellowship for Joana Góis Valério
Joana Góis Valério, PhD student at CeMESS, has been awarded a DOC Fellowship by the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW). With this competitive grant, she will explore how microbial newcomers successfully establish themselves in existing bacterial communities – a question central to her doctoral research on root microbiomes.
Joana’s research explores how new bacteria join well-established microbial communities, such as those surrounding plant roots. Using a simplified root microbiome model, she focuses on Variovorax, a beneficial bacterium known for its ability to integrate into diverse communities. By combining microbial genetics with DNA sequencing, Joana investigates the ecological and molecular “rules” that shape these microbial friendships – insights that could one day help design root microbiomes to support sustainable agriculture and healthier crops.
Originally trained as a biological engineer at Instituto Superior Técnico (University of Lisbon), Joana conducted her master's research at the University of Würzburg in Ana Rita Brochado’s group, using high-throughput approaches to study bacterial responses to antibiotic combinations. She later worked as a research assistant in Nuno Mira’s lab in Lisbon, examining the pathogenicity of Candida and its interactions with probiotic Lactobacillus. In February 2024, she joined CeMESS to pursue her PhD in the group of Shaul Pollak, in collaboration with Omri Finkel (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) and Magnus Nordborg (Gregor Mendel Institute).
About the DOC Fellowships
The DOC Fellowship Programme of the Austrian Academy of Sciences supports highly qualified doctoral candidates across all disciplines. Fellows receive funding for two to three years to pursue innovative and independent research at Austrian research institutions.
