Marcia Barbosa

Márcia Cristina Bernardes Barbosa
Born	Template:Birth year and age Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Occupation(s)	Physicist, professor, rector
Known for	Research on water anomalies; advocacy for women in physics

Márcia Cristina Bernardes Barbosa—whose name is frequently presented without the acute accent in international contexts—is a distinguished Brazilian physicist known for her investigations into the characteristics of water and her commitment to promoting women’s participation in academia. She holds the position of professor and rector at UFRGS and is a member of the board of directors at the Brazilian Academy of Sciences.

Biography

Originating from Rio de Janeiro, Barbosa completed her secondary education at Colégio Marechal Rondon in Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul. She pursued both her undergraduate and postgraduate studies at UFRGS. Following the completion of her doctoral degree, she undertook postdoctoral research under Michael Fisher at the University of Maryland before returning to UFRGS as a full professor.

Barbosa’s scientific endeavors concentrate on the distinctive anomalies exhibited by water, elucidating phenomena such as the buoyancy of ice on liquid water—a crucial factor for life on Earth—attributed to water’s elevated specific heat capacity and molecular structure. Her findings bear considerable significance for fields including hydrodynamics and environmental science.

As a prominent researcher affiliated with Brazil’s leading research institution, Barbosa has been an outspoken advocate for gender equity within physics. Encountering obstacles early in her career as one of the minority women in the discipline, she co-established in 1999 the Women’s Working Group in Physics under the auspices of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP). This initiative aims to gather global data on female involvement, identify impediments to career progression, and support policies enhancing women’s representation in physics professions.

Research on water

Barbosa’s lifelong research has been dedicated to deciphering the peculiar behaviors of water, progressing from theoretical frameworks to practical applications in medical and life sciences.

Her investigations clarify why water’s molecular dynamics and its reactions to variations in temperature and pressure markedly differ from those of other liquids. Additionally, she has explored how biological macromolecules such as DNA, proteins, and lipids engage with water within living organisms. Through developing advanced models describing properties of water, she has significantly contributed to understanding water’s role in biological interactions and geological phenomena.

In recognition of her contributions to the study of water anomalies, Barbosa was awarded the L’Oréal-UNESCO Prize for Women in Physical Sciences as well as the Claudia Prize in Science in 2013. She received the Nicholson Medal from the American Physical Society in 2009 for her efforts addressing gender-related challenges. Her accolades further include the Anisio Teixeira Prize (2016), the Commander rank of the Medal of Scientific Merit (2018), and Fapergs’ Silvio Torres Medal (2021). Forbes honored her as one of Brazil’s 20 most influential women in 2020.

Gender Issues

Since 1998, Barbosa has been a leading advocate for gender parity within the field of physics. She chaired the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics Working Group on Women in Physics, which was responsible for organizing several conferences aimed at advancing the role of women in scientific disciplines. In 2008, she took on the roles of vice-president of the Union and director of the Instituto de Física da UFRGS. Her dedication to promoting inclusivity was recognized with the American Physical Society’s Nicholson Medal in 2009.

When honored with the UNESCO Prize, Barbosa emphasized the injustice faced by women in science: “consider how disheartening it would be to exclude half of humanity from experiencing such an extraordinary passion!” Following this achievement, she became a member of the Brazilian Academy of Science. Despite encountering obstacles as a Latina female physicist, she credits her achievements to “my arguments,” highlighting her significant contributions toward fostering diversity and inclusion in scientific communities.

Honors

2013 Laureate of the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards for Latin America.

Recipient of the 2009 Dwight Nicholson Medal for Outreach from the American Physical Society.

References

Barbosa, M. C. (personal communication, May 25, 2018) Currículo Lattes (2022). Márcia Cristina Bernardes Barbosa. Accessed June 17, 2022, from http://buscatextual.cnpq.br/buscatextual/visualizacv.do?id=K4781480T6 Forbes. (2021, December 10). Mulheres Mais poderosas do Brasil em 2020. Forbes Brasil. Retrieved June 18, 2022, from https://forbes.com.br/listas/2020/05/mulheres-mais-poderosas-do-brasil-em-2020/#foto12 IUPAP. (n.d.). IUPAP Working Group on women in physics. Accessed June 18, 2022, from http://wgwip.df.uba.ar/ Santos, B. (2019). Márcia Cristina Bernardes Barbosa (1960~). GPET Física. Retrieved May 22, 2022, from https://www3.unicentro.br/petfisica/2019/10/04/marcia-cristina-bernardes-barbosa-1960/#:~:text=Inicial-,M%C3%A1rcia%20Cristina%20Bernardes%20Barbosa%20(1960~),explica%C3%A7%C3%A3o%20de%20determinados%20fen%C3%B4menos%20f%C3%ADsicos Vasconcelos, Y. (2019). Márcia Cristina Bernardes Barbosa: More space for women. Revista Pesquisa Fapesp. Retrieved May 22, 2022, from https://revistapesquisa.fapesp.br/en/marcia-cristina-bernardes-barbosa-more-sp

Additional reading

Marcos Pivetta, "The bizarre side of water", Revista Fapesp, 2013