David Majerowicz

Associate Professor I in the Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology. Holds a degree in Biological Sciences – Genetics from the Institute of Biology at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (2007) and a master's and doctorate in Biological Chemistry from the Institute of Medical Biochemistry at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (2009 and 2013). Was a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Medical Biochemistry at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Has been a Young Scientist of Our State at FAPERJ since 2018. Has experience in the area of biochemistry, with an emphasis on molecular biology, mainly working on lipid metabolism.

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Laboratory and research lines
Ongoing guidelines
Recent productions

David Majerowicz is a researcher and advisor at Molecular Targets Laboratory. His current research areas are:

The beetle Tribolium castaneum as a model for obesity and diabetes: a functional genetics approach
Lipid metabolism as a target in vector control. Rhodnius prolixus
Synthesis of the quality of evidence for pharmacological treatments for outcomes of Metabolic Syndrome

Doctoral thesis

Julia Moura da Silva. Role of furins in lipid metabolism in the kissing bug. Rhodnius prolixus. Start date: 2023. PhD in Biosciences – State University of Rio de Janeiro. Scholarship: Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES).
Alessa de Macedo Ciannella Madeira. Functions of LDL receptor family genes in the physiology of the kissing bug. Rhodnius prolixus. Start date: 2024. PhD in Biosciences – State University of Rio de Janeiro. Scholarship: Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES).
Matheus Paiva Santos Tavares. The impact of high-fat diets with different fatty acid compositions and the role of Apolipoprotein D in beetle metabolism. Tribolium castaneum. Start date: 2024. PhD in Biosciences – State University of Rio de Janeiro. Scholarship: Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES).

Master's thesis

Marcelle Pessoa do Nascimento. Role of fat-body lipases in beetle lipid metabolism. Tribolium castaneum. Start date: 2025. Master's degree in Biological Chemistry – Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Scholarship: Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES).

Scientific initiation

Laura Aki Murata Diniz. Role of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 in newly emerged Tribolium castaneum beetles. Start: 2026. Undergraduate student in Pharmacy – Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, National Council for Scientific and Technological Development.
Eduardo Rabello David. Role of the transcription factor NFAT in lipid metabolism in beetles. Triboilum castaneum. Start date: 2025. Undergraduate student in Pharmacy – Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
Igor Avila Ibiapina. Characterization of lipid metabolism in beetles. Tribolium castaneum. Start date: 2025. Undergraduate student in Pharmacy – Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Scholarship: National Council for Scientific and Technological Development.
Gabriel Lima Ribeiro. Role of CTP synthase in lipid metabolism in the kissing bug. Rhodnius prolixus. Start date: 2024. Undergraduate student in Nursing and Obstetrics – Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Scholarship: National Council for Scientific and Technological Development.
Isabel Oliveira Veloso Souza. Role of the CTP synthase enzyme in lipid metabolism in beetles. Tribolium castaneum. Start date: 2024. Undergraduate student in Pharmacy – Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Scholarship: National Council for Scientific and Technological Development.

Gondim KC, Majerowicz D. Lipophorin: The Lipid Shuttle. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2026;1494:97-114. doi: 10.1007/978-3-032-04842-4_806. PMID: 41553684.
Pessoa-Nascimento M, Queiroz LLF, Nascimento PVPD, Almeida-Oliveira F, Majerowicz D. Characterization of Triacylglycerol Dynamics and Lipid Metabolism in the Beetle Tribolium castaneum. Arch Insect Biochem Physiol. 2025 Nov;120(3):e70111. doi: 10.1002/arch.70111. PMID: 41229192.
Macedo-Silva A, Rios T, Ramos I, Majerowicz D. Lipophorin receptor knockdown reduces hatchability of kissing bug Rhodnius prolixus eggs. Insect Biochem Mol Biol. 2025 Jan;176:104221. doi: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2024.104221. Epub 2024 Nov 23. PMID: 39586502.
Oliveira-Cruz A, Macedo-Silva A, Silva-Lima D, Sanchez-Almeida J, Cruz-Coutinho L, Santos Tavares MP, Majerowicz D. Effects of Supplementation with NAD + Precursors on Metabolic Syndrome Parameters: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Horm Metab Res. 2024 Nov;56(11):818-826. doi: 10.1055/a-2382-6829. Epub 2024 Aug 7. PMID: 39111741.
Oliveira INN, Macedo-Silva A, Coutinho-Cruz L, Sanchez-Almeida J, Tavares MPS, Majerowicz D. Effects of vitamin D supplementation on metabolic syndrome parameters in patients with obesity or diabetes in Brazil, Europe, and the United States: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2024 Oct;243:106582. doi: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2024.106582. Epub 2024 Jul 9. PMID: 38992391.

Course Offerings

Genetics and Molecular Biology Applied to Pharmacy (Gd)
Molecular Basis of Metabolic Diseases (Gd)
Lipid Metabolism and Obesity (Gd)
Scientific Reading in Biomedical and Health Sciences (Gd)

Menu: Introduction à Genetics, Flow of information genetic, Regulation yes expression genetic, Mechanisms epigenetics, Methods of analysis molecular of acids nuclei, Biology Molecular of Microorganisms, Biology molecular of plants, Genetics Classic, Genetics of Populations, Genetics Human: Illnesses genetic e Diagnosis
Molecular, Pharmacogenetics.

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Metabolic alterations in cancer, diabetes mellitus, and other metabolic pathologies. Main therapeutic approaches. Molecular basis for these approaches. Research and development of new drugs for the treatment of these pathologies.

Menu: Methods of studying lipids; Regulation of lipid catabolism and anabolism; Digestion and absorption of lipids; Synthesis and metabolism of lipoproteins; Cholesterol metabolism; Lipid metabolism in adipose tissue and liver; Transcriptional regulation of lipid metabolism; Models for studying lipid metabolism; The obesity epidemic and its consequences.

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Training for reading and interpreting scientific articles in English. Introduction to scientific methodology: concepts about the scientific method, the research process, and study methodology. Basic concepts of structuring and organizing scientific articles, with a special focus on original articles. Students will be divided into groups and will receive scientific articles in the field of Pharmaceutical Sciences and will read and interpret the text with the help of monitors (undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers) and the responsible professors. The evaluation will be in the format of a master's selection exam (equivalent to the exams applied in the selections for the Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences at FF, UFRJ), with unpublished articles to be chosen. Students will have monitors available to assist them during the activity.

Community Outreach

Professor David is participating in an outreach activity:

Mobile Tower - Learning Science by Doing Science Communication

Our goal is to teach high school students in Rio de Janeiro how to analyze scientific data and find reliable sources online. To achieve this, we develop activities where students themselves create science communication products for new media. Students are divided into groups, and each group chooses the topic, research sources, and type of final product (text or video). The team, including the coordinator, teachers from the partner school, and undergraduate students from UFRJ, acts as moderators, demonstrating reliable sources, appropriate language for dissemination, and addressing ethical issues such as plagiarism online. The generated products will be disseminated online through the science communication channel "A Porta de Marfim" (aportademarfim.blogspot.com.br) and (youtube.com/aportademarfim).

The Ivory Door:

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