Hello, I’m João! I am a 4th-year PhD student in Computer Science at Rice University, working at the intersection of Graphs and Machine Learning. My research focuses on Link Prediction, Graph Representation Learning, and the Expressive Power of Graph Neural Networks. I co-founded one of Brazil’s most recognized open Machine Learning courses, reaching 300+ students and 20,000+ views on YouTube, and I mentor students in research and PhD applications. Passionate about communication, education, and mentorship, I’m also fascinated by music, cinema, and literature—and as a guitar player, I’m always up for a jam!