Ulisses Nunes da Rocha

Dr. Ulisses Nunes da Rocha is a Junior Group Leader at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Germany, specializing in Environmental Microbiology and Computational Biology. He holds a guest professorship at the Institute of Mathematics and Computer Sciences (ICMC), University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, since 2019.

• PhD in Microbial Ecology (2010), University of Groningen
• MSc in Agricultural Microbiology (2005), Federal University of Viçosa
• BSc in Life Sciences (2002), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

His research focuses on microbial community dynamics in diverse ecosystems, integrating machine learning and multi-omics data to model community function prediction. Key collaborations include institutions in Brazil, Portugal, and the Netherlands, with special emphasis on human microbiome dysbiosis and marine microbial interactions.

His team has developed major resources like the TerrestrialMetagenomeDB and HumanMetagenomeDB databases. Recent publications highlight innovative approaches to bioindicator detection and metagenome-assembled genomes across multiple environmental contexts.

The group integrates bioremediation, ecotoxicology, and microplastics research through international partnerships. Funding includes the Helmholtz Young Investigator Grant (€1.8M) and dual degree programs between UFZ and Brazilian universities.