Meet Maria: turning complexity into clarity, and winning awards along the way.
At Inscyte, we work in one of the most contractually complex corners of the public sector. Making sense of that complexity is a craft. Few people do it as calmly, or as brilliantly, as Maria.
Maria's our Contract and Data Administrator. Hand her a tangle of data and you'll get back a clear answer. In her own words, she simplifies complexity by turning data into clear insights and practical answers. Colleagues come to her to make data work harder and life easier. Usually through smarter data capture, or a workbook that quietly does the heavy lifting.
Now the rest of the world has caught on too.
An international award for her research.
Maria recently took part in the 2026 International Symposium on Stingless Bees, hosted by the International Bee Research Association (IBRA). Out of hundreds of global submissions, the judges picked her research as one of the best online presentations. They honoured it with an Honorary Video Award. Her paper: Pathogens and Parasites in Brazilian Stingless Bees.
To those of us who know her as Maria Burton, there's a twist. She publishes under her scientific name, Dr Maria Correia-Oliveira. Behind the award sits a PhD in Entomology and more than a decade of insect research. It's the same rigour and curiosity she brings to her desk every day.
The research, by the numbers.
Maria being Maria, the work runs on seriously compelling data. Brazil is the global capital of stingless bees. It's home to around 300 of the 600-plus species known to science, roughly half the planet's diversity. Yet the threats they face are barely understood. That's the gap Maria set out to close.
Around half of every stingless bee species on Earth lives in Brazil.
Maria's research helped map what's putting them at risk.
She and her team screened 80 samples from 40 colonies across eight bee species. They tested for more than a dozen diseases, viruses and parasites. The finding is a striking one. Native stingless bees are vulnerable to the same threats that hit honeybees. One virus turned up in every single species they tested. And those diseases can pass between species through the flowers they share. It's a real warning sign for the health of native pollinators. And it's exactly the kind of clear answer that only rigorous data can give.
At a glance.
- Around 300 of the world's 600-plus stingless bee species live in Brazil, roughly half the planet's diversity
- Eight bee species screened, across 40 colonies and 80 samples
- More than a dozen diseases, viruses and parasites tested for
- One virus found in every species studied
Why bees, and why it matters to us.
Ask Maria what her colleagues would instantly recognise about her, and the answer is her love of honeybees. They're a regular feature on her walk to work. She admires the way they always find a way to get the job done: no fuss, no drama, just teamwork and determination.
It's hard to think of a better description of how Maria works.
The curiosity that makes her a formidable researcher is the same curiosity that makes her exceptional with data. She's at her best on complex problems that need analysis, creativity and the patience to keep asking questions until the answer is clear. That's the thinking that turns complicated contracts and messy datasets into something people can actually use. It's why colleagues and clients rely on her.
Congratulations, Maria.
We're proud to have supported Maria's research alongside the work she does here. We're prouder still to call her part of the team.
Congratulations, Maria. Thoroughly, and deservedly, earned.
Want to know more? You can connect with Maria via
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Keep an eye out for more employee spotlight posts coming soon!
