Sabrina Gonçalves de Macedo Carvalho joined CINE in September 2019, during her postdoctoral studies at the Brazilian Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPEN), under the supervision of professor Reginaldo Muccillo. A few months later, in January 2020, she began a six-month research internship in Germany, funded by CINE, at the Institute for Energy and Climate Research (IEK) at the Forschungszentrum Jülich – one of the most important interdisciplinary research centers in Europe.

From March onwards, her routine as a researcher changed a lot due to the unexpected Covid-19 pandemic. “Adjustments were necessary so that the work could be carried out safely, but the entire organization and structure of the research center allowed the project to continue”, says Sabrina.

In Germany, the postdoc took advantage of IEK’s expertise and infrastructure to develop techniques for producing porous membranes capable of capturing carbon dioxide (CO2). The work was published in a high-impact scientific journal in the field of membranes research.

At the end of the research internship, the young researcher achieved great professional growth. “Learning new techniques for preparing and analyzing materials and acquiring new skills, all in a new and diverse environment, with a different structure and work culture, was very enriching”, she says.

From a personal point of view, Sabrina realizes that the experience generated important transformations and maturity through interaction with new people, places and culture, all of this away from her family and, mainly, from her daughter, who was 3 years old at the time. “I am very grateful to CINE for the opportunity to have this experience that generated personal and professional development, in addition to enriching my CV”, concludes Sabrina, who is now a postdoctoral fellow at Brazilian Federal University of ABC (UFABC).