“I found my place on the map,” Clariana Vitoria Ramos de Oliveira said when she spent nearly two weeks working with families in a rural county in Tanzania. 

Ramos was a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health when she and a group of researchers visited Africa an initiative that focused on educating and supporting parents to enhance child development. The experience overturned one assumption she had about nursing for vulnerable populations.

Ramos graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a master’s in epidemiology from the Federal University of Rio Grande in Brazil. She earned her doctoral degree at the University of São Paulo with a scholarship to study for one year as a visiting graduate student at Harvard University. Her research examines maternal mental health and its impact on child development, particularly with vulnerable families. 

What was your first big research project that fueled your interest?

I had this dream to travel the world, and people mentioned exchange programs to study abroad in a different country. I started looking for Ph.D. programs in England and volunteer opportunities. I found a program with an opportunity to volunteer on a project to develop a hospital in the Middle East. They needed a nurse to build the hospital, which was meant to support refugee moms and children in need. I thought, “Sign me in!”

At the same time, I was eagerly searching for research groups around the world focused on families affected by war. That’s when I came across an incredible project at Harvard University called "Strengthening Families," which was working with families in Rwanda. In 2017, I had the amazing opportunity to join Harvard, where I not only contributed to that project but also had the chance to study global health. I had the opportunity to study on a global scale and engage in maternal and child health initiatives in Pakistan and Tanzania.

It was wonderful because I felt like I really found my place on the map. I didn't have the opportunity to go to the Middle East and develop the hospital, but at the same time, I had the opportunity to find other places to help people in different countries.

What was it like working in those countries?

It was an incredible experience. We worked alongside community health workers, helping educate families about parenting and child development to better support parents. In Tanzania, the people were incredibly warm, gentle, and friendly. They were in a very rural area and it took about four to six hours to get there, but so many moms came all the way to have us check on their babies.

But, we imagine that we are going there to help because they are exposed to so many vulnerabilities, lack resources, and are doing the best with what they have. For me, it was the opposite. They helped me to see the other side of parenthood and how vulnerability can create community as well. They didn't have much, but they were sharing a lot and supporting each other. 

It changed my life. When I came back, I already wanted to go back and stay there. 

What inspired you to become a nurse?

I grew up in Brazil, raised by a single mom who was a teacher. She often told me that the one thing she could give me and leave for me was an education. From a young age, she encouraged me to dedicate my time to my studies and think about going to university. She was always there to support me. 

When I was about 7 or 8 years old, my grandfather had cancer. We would have nurses in our house, and I would see them doing some procedures on my grandfather. So, I decided, OK, I want to go to nursing school. I want to work as a nurse. 

Outside of your research, what else are you passionate about?

Dance. I may not look like a ballerina anymore, but I once taught ballet to children as a volunteer in Brazil.

What is your favorite place on campus?

I love libraries, and I love our library here. I also love Xan Goodman, our Health Sciences librarian. The library was the second place I visited when I first came to UNLV. It’s an inspiring place. Books, reading, and studying – I would say that saved my life. My mom encouraged me to study and read. So for me, it's a place that is liberating and creates new opportunities. It's a way to find your freedom and your passion.

What advice would you give your younger self?

I would say, believe in yourself. Sometimes when you're young, you start thinking and look at your neighbor's progress and think that people are so far away from you, and you don't concentrate on your own skills. And so, I would say to the young Clariana, believe in yourself. My mom believed in me a lot, but sometimes I didn't and I would doubt my skills and in myself.

What advice would you give to your students?

Look for opportunities. The opportunities are there, but you need to find them. My mentor told me something that stuck, “Out of out of sight, out of mind.” If you show up, if you speak up, people will remember you. We are observing all the time as faculty, so be present.