Marina Hirota (marinahirota@gmail.com) received her B.Sc. degree in applied mathematics, her M.Sc. degree in computer engineering, and her Ph.D. degree in meteorology. She performed postdoctoral research with theoretical ecologists and is currently an assistant professor of meteorology at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Her research interests are in the field of Earth system sciences and, specifically, in trying to understand the processes and interactions involved in biome shifts within tropical zones of the planet by using dynamical system concepts, such as resilience, tipping points, and hysteresis. She is particularly focused on searching for multiscale and synergistic mechanisms within the atmosphere and biosphere to deepen both quantitatively and qualitatively the scientific basis of tipping points in South American tropical ecosystems.