Helena Mello

I am a PhD Candidate at Rutgers University, New Jersey, studying how a tumor herpesvirus can wake up from latency and cause cancer – and hopefully stopping it! I started my scientific journey in Brazil, my home country, where I was part of a few different labs ranging from protein biophysics to immunology research. From tropical Brazil to snowy New Jersey, I took my passion for coffee, travelling, and science communication. I write for the Rutgers iJOBS blog, in which I talk about career development for STEM graduates, and share experiences with my fellow peers on how to transition into a career outside of academia. I have also been a senior editor for the blog for the past two year. You can check out our work here: https://ijobs.rutgers.edu/wordpress