Graduated in Pharmacy and Biochemistry from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (1976), with a master's in Biological Sciences (Microbiology) from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (1980) and a PhD in Virology - Bayerischen Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg in Germany (1989). She is a Full Professor at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Microbiology. She has experience in ​​Microbiology, emphasizing Virology, working mainly on the following themes: poxviruses, flaviviruses, and neurotropic viruses. She is a member of the editorial board of the journals: Virology Journal (Section Editor) and Frontiers in Microbiology. She was President of the Brazilian Society of Virology from 2000 to 2002 Coordinator of the Postgraduate Program in Microbiology, at UFMG from 2003 to 2007, coordinator of the specialization course in Microbiology from 2005 to 2012, and has been coordinator of the Professional master's degree in microbiology since 2013. She is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences. Member of the National Technical Commission on Biosafety (CTNBio, Brazil) from 2002 to 2005; from 2006 to 2009; 2009 to 2011; and 2020 to date. Coordinator of INCT-POX and the Minas Gerais Antiviral Network (network projects in Brazil). She has published 285 papers, 4 book chapters, and has 21 patents and patent registrations. She has supervised 41 master's and 40 doctoral students.