Her research on Brasília seeks to move beyond standard approaches that focus on the Pilot Plan and its iconic modernist architecture. Instead, it explores the history and social representations of areas on the outskirts of the Federal District, where the majority of the population—particularly the poorest segment—resides. This work earned her the 10th Milton Santos Article Prize from the National Association of Post-Graduation and Research in Urban and Regional Planning (ANPUR). Her research was featured in the 2022 article “More than Just a City of Monuments” at Pesquisa Fapesp, Brazil’s leading scientific dissemination platform. In 2023, she received a Distinguished Researcher Award from the Federal District Research Foundation (FAP-DF).

Fernanda is a 2024 Fulbright Scholar at CLAS. Her current research investigates favela removal and resettlement schemes under the military dictatorship within the territory of the Federal District of Brasília.