Ema Kuhn

Originally from Brazil, Ema is passionate about the Polar Regions and considers Antarctica her second home since she first set foot there in 2005.

Always fascinated with life and nature, at age 13 she decided to become a biologist and dedicated eighteen years of her life to scientific research. Twelve years of her academic career were devoted to studying life in frozen environments.

An expert in polar ecosystems, Ema has published several research papers and book chapters and has a particular interest in how life adapts and evolves in cold environments. She received her master's degree from the University of São Paulo, where she worked with the Brazilian Antarctic Program, and her PhD from the Desert Research Institute, Nevada, USA, as a Fulbright scientist working with the US Antarctic Program and NASA's Icy World Project. Academic life gave Ema the opportunity to participate in eight Antarctic expeditions, exploring the Peninsula, Plateau (at 84°00'S/ 79°30'W), McMurdo Sound and the Dry Valleys, and an Arctic expedition to Barrow, Alaska.

Ema joined Quark Expeditions in 2017 and now spends four to six months a year in her favorite environment, teaching people from around the world. In 2017, she started her company in Brazil - Bipolar Scientific - giving talks and consulting services about the Polar Regions, life in cold environments and climate change to schools, universities, and the public.