PhD Students of the Graduate Program in Endocrinology!

Applications for “3 Minutes Thesis at UFRJ – Innovation on Stage” are open until August 22, 2025. This initiative is aimed at doctoral students at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and is inspired by the international model Three Minute Thesis (3MT®), developed by the University of Queensland, Australia. The competition challenges PhD candidates to present their theses in just three minutes, in a clear, accessible, and creative way to a non-specialist audience.

Organized by the Forum of Science and Culture (FCC), in partnership with the Office of Graduate Studies and Research (PR-2), the event aims to strengthen the culture of scientific communication within the university and to promote academic excellence. The initiative seeks to transform complex research into impactful presentations, valuing communication skills and expanding the reach of the scientific work developed at UFRJ.

Applications are open until August 22, and more information can be found on the official channels of FCC and PR-2. This is a unique opportunity to make your research more widely known and to show the impact of your work beyond the academic setting.

Access the call for applications HERE
Register HERE!

Source: Forum.UFRJ

Doctoral student Nelyana Oliveira presented the study entitled “Impacts of maternal exposure to bisphenol F (BPF) and AF (BPAF) on thyroid function in Wistar rats: Effects during lactation and adulthood” at the XXXIX Annual Meeting of the Federation of Experimental Biology Societies (FeSBE 2025), promoted by the Brazilian Society of Physiology (SBFis). Supervised by professors Andrea Ferreira and Patricia Lisboa (UERJ), and professor Leandro Miranda-Alves, the study was a finalist for the SBFis - Álvaro Ozório de Almeida Award and received an honorable mention.

The research investigates the effects of maternal exposure to bisphenol A analogs, BPF and BPAF, on thyroid function in Wistar rats, focusing on the periods of lactation and adulthood in the offspring. These compounds, classified as endocrine disruptors, have the potential to interfere with thyroid function and induce metabolic programming when exposure occurs during critical developmental windows. The mothers were exposed to two doses of BPF and BPAF (10 µg and 50 µg) during lactation. Thyroid, oxidative, and hormonal parameters were evaluated in mothers and offspring of both sexes at weaning and in adulthood.

The results show that females exposed to BPF had a significant reduction in DUOX enzyme activity, while males showed an increase in this activity. Mothers treated with the lower dose of BPF exhibited an increase in enzymes involved in hormone synthesis. BPAF, on the other hand, caused changes in the expression of thyroid genes. In adulthood, males exposed to BPAF showed reduced expression of key thyroid genes, increased levels of T4 and TSH, and heightened oxidative stress. Conversely, adult females exposed to BPAF had a reduction in antioxidant enzyme activity, although their thyroid hormone levels remained unchanged.

These findings indicate that early exposure to BPF and BPAF can induce thyroid dysfunctions with sex- and life stage-dependent effects. The persistent effects, even at low doses, combined with oxidative stress and hormonal dysregulation, reinforce the risk of metabolic programming of thyroid function. The results contribute to the ongoing discussion about the safety of BPA substitutes and highlight the need for stricter toxicological assessments regarding their developmental impacts.

The Coordination of the Graduate Program in Medicine (Endocrinology) at the Faculty of Medicine of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (FM/UFRJ) has announced the opening of applications for the selection process of candidates for the Master's and Doctoral programs, with admission in the second semester of 2025.

The registrations will be exclusively conducted remotely on June 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27, 2025. Interested candidates must send the required documentation to the following email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Public Notice No. 486 – Selective admission process for Master's degree candidates

Public Notice No. 487 – Selective admission process for Doctoral degree candidates

During the 22nd Symposium on Neuroendocrinology (SINE 2025) and the 2nd Brazilian Congress of Neuroendocrinology, held from April 4 to 6, 2025, at the Prodigy Hotel Santos Dumont in Rio de Janeiro, PhD student Elisa Lamback received the award for Best Translational Work for her presentation titled "Characterization of large silent corticotroph tumor: a distinct tumor subtype?", co-authored by Elisa Lamback, Renan Lyra Miranda, Rangel de Sousa Costa, Luiz Eduardo Wildemberg, and Mônica R. Gadelha.

Additionally, the award for Best Clinical Work went to PhD student Thiago Guedes Van Erden for his presentation titled "Arginine vasopressin deficiency after surgery for pituitary tumors", co-authored by Thiago Guedes Van Erven, Anna Clara Castro Araujo, Elisa Lamback, Nina Ventura, Leandro Kasuki, and Mônica R. Gadelha.

The PPG in Endocrinology congratulates the PhD students, co-authors, and advisors for the awards received, which reflect the excellence of the work carried out by our research groups!