Gerusa is a Brazilian pharmacologist, with a Ph.D in Molecular Pharmacology from Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG, Brasil ) and master's degree in Toxicological Biochemistry from Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM, Brazil).
With a strong background in preclinical research, Gerusa has joined projects searching for natural and synthetic products with analgesic and neuroprotective proprieties since her bachelor’s degree in pharmacy at Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM, Brazil). During her Ph.D, she researched on analgesic properties of natural peptide toxins. After obtained her Ph.D, she continued engaged in pharmacological research of peptide toxins and calcium channel blockers in pain circuits, as post doc researcher in Juliano Ferreira's lab (LabNeuro, Federal University of Florianopolis, Brazil) and in Anthony Dickensons's Lab, at University College London (House of Pain, UCL, London), where she gained experience in in-vivo electrophysiology. After a career break, she joined Nicola Tirelle's team at IIT, in 2024.
At Polbiom, her ultimate goal is to characterize the pharmacokinetic profile of nanoparticles, as therapeutic carriers. She also investigates the efficacy of nanoparticles together with known anticancer drugs in the therapy-resistance in neuroglioblastoma cells.