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Published 30 January 2025 by Gustavo Rosa Gameiro

Connecting People and Ideas

Gustavo presenting his research at a conference – All Photos/Credits: in courtesy of Gustavo Rosa Gameiro

On the occasion of the G20 Rio mid-term Summit in July 2024, #LINO23 Alumnus Gustavo Rosa Gameiro organized a side event on topics related to health and science together with international science institutions and other scientists. Here, he reflects on the development of his commitment to science diplomacy for which his participation in the 72nd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting laid the foundation.

Gustavo Rosa Gameiro and Sir Richard Roberts in Rio
Nobel Laureate Sir Richard Roberts attended the event in Rio organized by Gustavo Rosa Gameiro, both had met in Lindau during #LINO23

During the Lindau Meeting, we – the participants from Brazil – gathered from the start to get to know each other’s stories. Talking about our careers, we realized that only one of us was still living in Brazil. Our hotel also hosted several other representatives from Latin America. In Lindau, I had the opportunity to dine with Sir Richard Roberts, Nobel Laureate in Physiology/Medicine 1993, on two occasions and to continue with several conversations during the social events. That inspired us to write an open letter to the Brazilian society advocating for science. This letter was supported and encouraged by Sir Richard Roberts from New England Biolabs and Johann Deisenhofer from UTSW.

Gustavo and other Young Scientists having breakfast at MS Sonnenkönigin on the way to Mainau Island
In Lindau, Gustavo met many Young Scientists from the whole world with whom he is still in contact

Sir Richard and I became close, and he was kind enough to share more about a system he developed for facilitating letters and petitions with other Laureates, which is inspiring. After Lindau, we remained in contact. Later, I asked if he would support my idea of proposing an event to the G20 summit, and he said yes! His agreement gave me the confidence to pursue the idea, even though it seemed improbable. Sir Richard’s support undoubtedly paved the way for future conversations I had with the government and other organizations.

Group picture at BRICS
Gustavo travelled to South Africa to represent Brazil at the BRICS Young Scientist Forum

In addition to #LINO23, I was chosen by the Brazilian Academy of Sciences as the youngest delegate to represent Brazil at the BRICS Young Scientist Forum (YSF) in South Africa. At those events, I made friends and met other young scientists passionate about their work, all of whom are conducting brilliant and inspiring projects. I believe that scientists often forego the option to collaborate simply because they lack opportunities to learn about what is being developed at other institutions throughout the world.

An Idea Took Shape

Presentation during the BRICS YSF

Brazil held the G20 presidency during 2024. That has inspired the idea that we could use this geopolitical context to draw attention to the need for investment in science. Moreover, it stimulated collaboration which provides young researchers with a platform, amplifying their voices and putting them in the spotlight. I reached out to my contacts via email, social media, and telephone to share the plan of organizing an event together. One of the calls was to Ashwin Parchani, an Alumnus from India, for instance, working across different time zones, to brainstorm ideas. The G20 summit had been held in India in 2023.

The idea of linking the event to the G20 summit helped, given the economic group’s significance. The youth panel was the easiest to compose. We tried to include representatives from different nationalities and topics to showcase the diversity of our work: using AI for tuberculosis screening, volunteering, and improving access to technology in underserved areas.

The real challenge was convincing government and stakeholders to bring this idea to life. It took many emails and conversations with organizations like WORLD.MINDS, the Council for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, the IAP Partnership, and others, both in Brazil and abroad. Engaging with the media took significant effort, but having a Nobel Laureate on our side made a difference.

The Window of Opportunity

Gustavo with Himla Soodyall, Academy of Science of South Africa, and Sir Richard Roberts

Incredibly, I was contacted via Instagram by a friend from my hometown Londrina, who had been following my journey in science. He had been appointed as the G20 coordinator for the city of Rio de Janeiro, which had been chosen as the summit’s capital.

He invited me to attend a meeting of the G20 engagement groups in November 2023. It all happened very quickly – a window of opportunity. During this meeting, I spoke with various authorities.

I realized that the civil society engagement groups, while supportive of the idea, had tight schedules and limited resources to accommodate an additional event. I then turned to the National Academy of Medicine, where I am a young physician leader, to ask for help. This request was warmly received by the Academy’s leadership and the Young Leaders Committee. We also received crucial support from the “Instituto Coalizão Saúde” (ICOS) in organizing and funding the event. Once the event agenda was finalized, the official endorsement came from the G20 committee, thanks to the contacts I had made the previous year.

The Key Topics

G20 summit side event
Gustavo on the panel of the G20 summit side event in summer 2024

From the beginning, I wanted the side event to be created by young people for young people. In one of our meetings, Sir Richard suggested a few books about women in science, and we agreed that this would form the basis of the second major session of the event. These two points were clear from the start: the event would focus on youth, and we would have a segment about women in science.

As the event evolved and more organizations joined, additional themes emerged. This required significant diplomatic effort to align expectations and topics. For several weeks, I had almost daily conversations with Professor Maurício Magalhães, who guided me through this process.

Viewing health as both a clinical and economic topic made a lot of sense, and this was thoughtfully crafted into the third part of the event. Sir Richard Roberts’s keynote lecture was placed as the final activity to conclude the meeting.

Focus on Solutions

In today’s noisy world, it is easy to focus only on problems. However, I believe the emphasis should be on solutions. We need to highlight initiatives that, even if nascent, have potential and are already impacting society and local communities.

Gustavo Rosa Gameiro in front of the
Gustavo is working at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology

This experience taught me an invaluable lesson in diplomacy, which is the importance of aligning topics and agendas. We must avoid prioritizing personal agendas or influencing games over collective goals. Hierarchies exist and aren’t inherently bad, but they can sometimes hinder innovation. Including a topic in the programme often means leaving out others, and it is a significant responsibility to ensure the event delivers its intended message and reaches the target audience.

I believe the most important outcomes are the connections established among young researchers, the increased awareness within civil society, and at least part of the Brazilian government’s acknowledgment of this initiative. The event was a move in the right direction. We brought a Nobel laureate to Brazil, which is unprecedented for an event focused on young people. This speaks volumes about Sir Richard’s commitment and humility.

In January 2025, Gustavo defended his PhD thesis

Additionally, it is clear that teamwork is essential for achieving the greatest impact. It is important to note that many scientific agendas proceed independently of the prevailing political climate. Despite geopolitical challenges, the scientific agenda tends to continue, and must continue.

Our goal was to spark a movement, perhaps even initiate a session that could persist in future G20 editions.

In Brazil, we will host the BRICS meeting and COP30 in 2025. I am in contact with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation to continue developing initiatives and creating opportunities for the next generation.

Learn More

Gustavo Rosa Gameiro

As a curious person, Gustavo Gameiro from Brazil has always been interested in science. During medical school, he participated in a research fellowship in the United States at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, the world’s premier eye care center. Returning to Brazil, he was committed to other projects as a researcher. Some of the topics included medical education, anesthesiology, neurology, and ophthalmology. He pursued a PhD investigating histological, pathological, and molecular changes in a specific ophthalmological condition: hemifacial spasm. Thanks to a scholarship from the Lemann Foundation in partnership with IPEPO Vision Institute, he returned to Miami in 2023 to be involved in research on artificial intelligence and data science focused on glaucoma. Clinically, he has been working in the ocular oncology service. Beside his career, he is committed to science diplomacy, resulting in a G20 side event held in Rio de Janeiro 2024.