Grant Propels Postdoc Research to National Stage

Professional headshot of Thiago Pasin

The University of Florida College of Dentistry is kicking off National Postdoc Appreciation Week by celebrating a national feature that highlights the success of its own investment in postdoctoral talent.

Thiago Pasin, Ph.D., a postdoctoral associate in Jeannine Brady’s Lab, was spotlighted in The Scientist magazine’s “Postdoc Portrait” series on September 12.

This national recognition builds on success Pasin has already had within the college. Earlier this year, he was awarded a UFCD Post-Doc Seed Grant for his research into the structural biology of Streptococcus mutans, the primary bacterium responsible for tooth decay.

An announcement for January/February 2025 featuring a photo of Dr. Thiago Machado Pasin speaking at a podium. The text describes his project, "Structural insights into KH domain RNA-binding proteins and Ribonuclease P from Streptococcus mutans," for which he received a $5,000 UFCD Post-Doc Seed Grant with Dr. Linda Brady as his mentor.

His work, as detailed in the feature, focuses on decoding the protein machinery of S. mutans to identify new antimicrobial strategies. “This project excites me because it combines fundamental and translational potential,” Pasin said in the Q&A.

Pasin’s feature is a powerful reminder of the innovative research our postdoctoral associates contribute. Please join us in congratulating him on this latest achievement and celebrating all of our postdocs this week.

Read the full feature on The Scientist’s website here.

Pasin’s scientific journey began with fungi like Aspergillus, shown here under a microscope. His foundational work extracting enzymes from these organisms in Brazil sparked his career in protein biochemistry.