Natalia Lucia Phensy dos Santos

Dr. Natalia Lucia Phensy dos Santos is a neuroscientist, educator, and co-founder of BioCompass Kids. She holds a PhD in Cognition and Neuroscience and has spent her career exploring how living systems work, from animal behavior in the field to cells and circuits in the lab. At BioCompass Kids, students know her as Dr. aNe, where she brings curiosity, creativity, and careful observation into every activity she leads.

Natalia’s teaching philosophy is rooted in making science accessible and meeting students where they are. She believes children learn best through active participation, hands-on discovery, and back-and-forth conversation. Her goal is to create a space where students feel comfortable asking questions, testing ideas, and realizing that science is something they can understand and do.

Her background in neuroimmunology, biotech, and neuroscience helps her turn complex ideas into approachable, memorable experiences. Whether students are looking through a microscope, examining brain anatomy, or building models of cells, Natalia helps them slow down and see the wonder in the details.

A fun fact: before teaching young scientists, Natalia studied animal behavior in the Brazilian rainforest, where she helped capture bats to investigate echolocation.