Juliana C Ferreira, MD, PhD, ATSF
Associate Professor, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil
ATS MECOR Latin America Director

Three statements about you – two true, one false.

• I am a big fan of scuba diving.
• I went to Japan to play soccer as a member of the medical school team.
• I hiked the Grand Canyon carrying my camping gear in a huge backpack.
  
  

Give us your ‘elevator pitch’ biography. 

I am a physician-scientist in pulmonary and critical care in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and I am passionate about mechanical ventilation and medical education.

I trained at the University of Sao Paulo Medical School, where I went to medical school and completed my residency and pulmonary and critical care fellowship. After the fellowship, I received a scholarship to complete my PhD project at the Massachusetts General Hospital, where I was a research fellow for 18 months.

In 2003, I was a student in the ATS MECOR program and that experience has shaped my trajectory as a researcher, inspiring me to pursue higher standards in research and teaching. I progressed from student to faculty and now serve as program director in Latin America.

I have been actively involved in the ATS since my fellowship and have served in the MECOR steering committee, the ATS Global Critical Care Working Group, and - in more recent years - as a member of the International Health Committee, as well as the Health Equality and Diversity Committee. In the past few years, I have also become involved with the Section of Medical Education, where I co-chaired the International Medical Education Working Group and served as associate editor at ATS Scholar.

As an associate professor at the University of Sao Paulo, I strive to leverage my expertise to help improve research, education and patient care at my institution and in my country. I am passionate about teaching research methods and mechanical ventilation, and I am fortunate to lead a group of very enthusiastic PhD students. As co-director of the fellowship program in pulmonary and critical care in one of the largest programs in the country, I have been devoted to developing high quality curricula to train the next generation of young pulmonologists.


What would you tell yourself as an Early Career Professional?

I would tell myself to find mentors that are role models to you, and who help you develop different skills and expertise. Foster a network of collaborators who will grow with you.

I would also tell myself to stay true to myself and my mission as a physician-scientist. Sometimes, we might feel like we have lost track of who we are and where we are going; reminding ourselves of our beliefs and our mission is helpful at these moments.

 
If you weren’t in medicine, and were in a different industry altogether, what would you be?

I was sure I was going to be a biologist/scientist since high school. I love being a physician; it allows me to be a scientist, a teacher, and to care for people. I guess I would have been a happy biologist, too. If not the sciences, I might have been in law. My mother always said I should be a lawyer because I had an argument for everything. One of my sisters is a lawyer and we are very alike. I think I could have been a good lawyer.


What is your favorite way to spend a day off?