Appointment of Professor Denise Pires de Carvalho as UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences
On 1 October 2026, Dr. Khaled El-Enany, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), appointed Professor Denise Pires de Carvalho, a Brazilian university professor and researcher, as UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences.
Professor de Carvalho is a prominent Brazilian academic and scientist whose work spans physiology, higher education management and science policy. She has been a full professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro since 2011 and has published approximately 190 scientific papers.
Among her most significant executive positions was her tenure as President of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro from 2019 to 2023, making her the first woman to be elected to this position. Her other academic and managerial roles include serving as Deputy Minister of Higher Education of Brazil from 2023 to 2024; President of Brazil’s Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES) since February 2024; and President of the Scientific Council of France’s National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) since July 2025.
Professor de Carvalho completed her university studies at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, earning a medical degree, a Master’s degree in Biological Sciences with a specialization in Biophysics, and a Doctorate in Science with a specialization in Physiology and Pathophysiology. Her research has focused primarily on thyroid physiology and pathophysiology and the mechanisms regulating endocrine function. She has also been active in international scientific associations and networks, as well as research cooperation programs.
