Ingrid Brasil Yokoyama is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Studies of the Portuguese-Speaking World program. She earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Ribeirão Preto (UNAERP) and her specialization in psychoanalytic theories and techniques from the Institute of Psychoanalytic Studies (IEP), where she conducted a comparative study of psychoanalysis and cinema. She analyzed the film The Life Ahead (La vita davanti a sé) through a psychoanalytic lens based on Melanie Klein’s theory of schizoparanoid and depressive positions.
This work sparked even more her interest in cinema and literary studies, leading her to enroll in the Portuguese Studies program, where she can conduct comparative research on psychoanalysis and culture. Her research interests also include grief, gender, and motherhood — themes that have emerged from her practice in clinical psychology, in which she has been working for six years.
Additionally, she has grown closer to her Japanese heritage as she has matured, particularly after the pandemic. Although Brazil has the largest Japanese diaspora, she nonetheless experienced moments of feeling culturally distinct. The sense of not belonging and being in-between places is also a theme that interests her.
Outside of the classroom, Ingrid's activities include going to the movies and the gym. She also enjoys camping, hiking, skating (both ice and roller), watching anime and playing video games.