Flavia Venetucci Gouveia

Scientist, Translational Medicine & Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital For Sick Children

Assistant Professor, Affiliated Scientist, Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto

Dr. Flavia Venetucci Gouveia is a neuroscientist whose work integrates advanced neuroimaging, neuromodulation, and translational models to study paediatric brain disorders. Dr. Gouveia’s research focuses on understanding how neural circuits develop and malfunction in conditions such as autism, anxiety, and other neuropsychiatric disorders. She has contributed to establishing nationally unique platforms for high-field MRI–guided focused ultrasound and precision neuromodulation at the Mouse Imaging Centre. Her work combines structural and functional imaging with molecular analyses to identify circuit-level mechanisms and biomarkers that guide therapeutic development. Dr. Gouveia has led multidisciplinary collaborations across engineering, physics, and neuroscience to translate preclinical discoveries toward clinical impact. Her research has been recognized through national awards and competitive funding, and she remains committed to training the next generation of scientists in translational neuroscience and imaging.

Research

Dr. Gouveia studies how the brain’s communication pathways develop and how they become disrupted in children with neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. Her research uses advanced imaging tools to visualize brain circuits in exceptional detail and identify early signs of dysfunction. Dr. Gouveia also develops non-invasive and minimally invasive neuromodulation techniques, including focused ultrasound and deep brain stimulation, to safely alter activity in specific brain regions involved in behaviours such as anxiety, aggression, and self-injury. By combining imaging with behavioural and cellular analyses, Dr. Gouveia aims to understand why certain circuits malfunction and how they can be repaired. Her work has contributed to the creation of unique platforms at SickKids that allow researchers to study and test new treatments with unprecedented precision. Ultimately, Dr. Gouveia’s goal is to translate these discoveries into targeted therapies that improve the lives of children with the most challenging brain-based conditions.

Education and experience

• 2025–present: Scientist, Translational Medicine Program & Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2025–present: Assistant Professor, Affiliated Scientist, Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2021–2025: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2018–2021: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2018: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Neuroscience, Sirio Libanês Hospital, São Paulo, Brazil
• 2013–2018: Ph.D., Neuroscience, Sirio Libanês Hospital (São Paulo, Brazil) & McGill University (Québec, Canada)
• 2007–2009: Master’s, Neuroscience, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
• 2003–2006: Bachelor’s, Biomedicine, University FMU, São Paulo, Brazil

Achievements

• 2024–present: Associate Editor, Frontiers in Neurosciences – New Insights into Neurodevelopmental Biology and Autism Spectrum Disorders, Frontiers Media SA, Lausanne, Switzerland
• 2024–present: Associate Editor, International Journal of Molecular Sciences – Molecular Research in Aggressive Behaviour, MDPI, Basel, Switzerland
• 2022–present: Associate Editor, Frontiers in Behavioural Neurosciences – The Habenula and Its Role in Neuropsychiatric Symptoms, Frontiers Media SA, Lausanne, Switzerland
• 2022: Rising Star in Autism Research – Shireen and Edna Marcus Excellence Award, Brain Canada Foundation, Montréal, QC, Canada
• 2017: Travel Award, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP), São Paulo, Brazil
• 2015: Travel Award, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP), São Paulo, Brazil
• 2015: Travel Award, International Brain Research Organization (IBRO), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

1. Gouveia FV, Lea-Banks H, Aubert I, Lipsman N, Hynynen K, Hamani C. Anesthetic-loaded nanodroplets with focused ultrasound reduces agitation in Alzheimer's mice. Ann Clin Transl Neurol. 2023 Apr;10(4):507-519. doi: 10.1002/acn3.51737
2. Gouveia FV, Germann J, Elias GJB, Boutet A, Loh A, Lopez Rios AL, Torres Diaz C, Contreras Lopez WO, Martinez RCR, Fonoff ET, Benedetti-Isaac JC, Giacobbe P, Arango Pava PM, Yan H, Ibrahim GM, Lipsman N, Lozano A, Hamani C. Multi-centre analysis of networks and genes modulated by hypothalamic stimulation in patients with aggressive behaviours. Elife. 2023 May 22;12:e84566. doi: 10.7554/eLife.84566
3. Gouveia FV, Diwan M, Martinez RCR, Giacobbe P, Lipsman N, Hamani C. Reduction of aggressive behaviour following hypothalamic deep brain stimulation: Involvement of 5-HT1A and testosterone. Neurobiol Dis. 2023 Jul;183:106179. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106179
4. Zhang KK, Matin R, Gorodetsky C, Ibrahim GM, Gouveia FV. Systematic review of rodent studies of deep brain stimulation for the treatment of neurological, developmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. Transl Psychiatry. 2024 Apr 11;14(1):186. doi:10.1038/s41398-023-02727-5
5. Matin R, Zhang K, Gouveia FV, Ibrahim GM. Effects of centromedian thalamic deep brain stimulation on striatal glutamate and GABA in a rodent model of epilepsy. Exp Neurol. 2025 Nov;393:115394. doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2025.115394

See Dr. Gouveia's publications

Funding

• 2024: MIND-Bot – Magnetic Minimally Invasive Neurovascular Deep Brain Recording and Stimulation for Drug-Resistant Epilepsy, Co-Applicant, SickKids Chase and Idea Grant, $65,000 CAD
• 2023: Research Infrastructure Grant (CFI/ORF and Private Sector), Co-Applicant, Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), Ontario Research Fund (ORF), and Private Sector Partners, $7,250,000 CAD
• 2022–2024: Postdoctoral Fellowship, Awardee, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), $90,000 CAD
• 2021–2022: Restracomp Postdoctoral Fellowship, Awardee, SickKids Research Institute, $67,500 CAD
• 2017: International Research Scholarship (McGill University Research Period), Awardee, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP), $10,500 CAD
• 2014–2018: Doctoral Scholarship, Awardee, FAPESP, $165,000 BRL (approx. equivalent to CAD during award period)
• 2007–2009: Master’s Scholarship, Awardee, FAPESP, $55,000 BRL