++
For Naomi. Thank you for supporting my dreams and goals—even when they seem unreasonable and unachievable.
++
And to my parents and siblings.
++
Thank you for instilling in me a love of science and discovery.
++
++
++
To my family, my parents and my brothers.
++
And a very special thank you to my mother, Professor Marta Melo, for teaching me the value of academia and instigating my curiosity and for demonstrating that one’s legacy lives forever through their intellectual production.
++
++
++
To my family—my parents, brother, sisters, wife, and children.
++
Thank you for your unconditional love and support throughout the years and across the ocean.
++