Silvana Santos

Silvana Santos (born December 14, 1959, Sao Paulo, Brazil), is a Brazilian geneticist and biologist known for her research into rare developmental disorders related to inbreeding. She led the research group that discovered SPOAN syndrome in Serrinha dos Pintos, a municipality with a highly inbred population in the state of Rio Grande do Norte in the Northeast region of Brazil.^[1][2]

Silvana Santos
Santos in 2010
Born	Silvana Cristina dos Santos (1959-12-14)December 14, 1959 Sao Paulo, Brazil
Nationality	Brazilian
Education	BA, MSc and Ph.D. at USP
Alma mater	University of Sao Paulo
Occupation	Professor
Known for	Santos Syndrome, SPOAN Syndrome, MRT-59
Awards	100 Women (BBC)
Scientific career
Fields	Medical Genetics, Community Genetics, Education
Institutions	State University of Paraiba

She has also discovered another novel developmental syndrome involving the development of the limbs, first observed in the municipality of Riacho de Santana, also in Rio Grande do Norte.^[3][4] The syndrome received her surname Santos and it is caused by a mutation in WNT7A gene.^[5]

She has worked as a professor at the State University of Paraíba since 2008.^[6]

In 2024, she was recognised by the BBC in their annual list of 100 inspiring and influential women.^[7]