About

        Maria Karolina Ramos, known as Karol, is a Brazilian chemist from Ponta Grossa, Paraná. Her passion for chemistry began at the age of 14. She was drawn by its technical beauty in being able to describe the natural world but also curious by the intricate challenges that were waiting to be discovered with her new found knowledge. After school, she earned her Chemistry degree from the State University of Ponta Grossa (UEPG) (2013–2017), and she conducted research as an undergraduate student in the Modified Electrodes Development Group (GDEM) under Prof. Christiana Pessoa.

      In 2018, Karol moved to Curitiba for her graduate studies at the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), joining the Materials Chemistry Group (GQM) under Prof. Aldo Zarbin. She completed her Master’s (2018–2020) and Ph.D. (2020–2024), focusing on nanomaterial synthesis, characterization, and applications. As part of her Ph.D., she spent eight months at Penn State University (2023) under Prof. Mauricio Terrones, working on two-dimensional materials. This experience deepened her appreciation for Brazilian research despite financial challenges.
      Karol has actively participated in scientific conferences, including SBQ, SBQ-Sul, BR-MRS, BMIC, INCT-NanoCarbono, INCT-NanoVida, and LatinXChem. In November 2023, she delivered her first invited lecture at a workshop at the Federal University of Piauí.
     Currently she is a postdoctoral researcher at GQM (UFPR) under Prof. Aldo Zarbin. Aside from leading research efforts in her group, Karol is also passionate about science communication. In 2022, she created GQM’s Instagram page, which has grown to nearly 3,000 followers, with videos reaching over 22,000 views.