· CURRENT POSITION(S)
2018-present Assistant Professor and Group Leader at the Department of Medical Sciences and Institute of Biomedicine – iBiMED, University of Aveiro, Portugal
· Scientific Interests
Aging, pluripotency, non-coding RNAs, cancer.
My research has been focussed on molecular mechanisms driving aging as well as age related diseases and I have been fortunate enough together with my colleagues and collaborators to have achieved significant contributions to this exciting field. I have recently joined the newly founded iBiMED at the University of Aveiro to contribute building an internationally visible research program. During my PhD with Jean-Marc Egly at the University of Strasbourg, I discovered that several DNA repair proteins could act simultaneously in distinct repair pathways, providing an explanation for the biochemical defects found within Xeroderma Pigmentosum patients. With Maria Blasco at CNIO, Madrid I studied the contribution of telomeres and telomerase to tissue homeostasis, regeneration and, in particular, on how telomeres could be manipulated to decelerate the aging process. With M. Carmo-Fonseca at IMM-JLA, Lisbon I investigated how age-related barriers could be manipulated to facilitate the reprogramming of adult somatic cells. This research was funded by 5-year competitive contract from FCT Investigator Program. In 2018 I joined University of Aveiro, as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Medical Sciences / iBiMED, where I´m presently developing as principal investigator a research programme on aging, cancer and stem cells. I see my role as team leader to build on the experiences of my international career to inspire my students and colleagues to follow their curiosity, but also guide them to ensure their career is supported by the relevant credentials. I am continuously looking for motivated students and invite you to get in touch with your resume.Throughout my career I supported my research with competitive grants and received strategic grants from FCT and ERA-CVD totalling overall more than 700K euros.
· EDUCATION
2004-2008 PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology IGBMC (Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology), University Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France (November of 2008)Thesis Director: Dr. Jean-Marc Egly
1998-2003 BSc in Biochemistry – Faculty of Sciences and Technology University of Coimbra, Portugal · PREVIOUS POSITIONS
2013-2018 Staff scientist (FCT Investigator) at the unit of Dr. Carmo-Fonseca, head of the Cell Biology Division at the Instituto de Medicina Molecular – João Lobo Antunes (iMM-JLA Lisboa), Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Edifício Egas Moniz, Lisboa
2009-2013 Post-Doctoral Fellow under the supervision of Dr. Maria A. Blasco, head of the Telomeres and Telomerase Laboratory, and Director of the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid, Spain.
2004-2008 PhD at the Molecular and Cellular Biology (University Louis Pasteur) Functional Genomic Department, IGBMC, Strasbourg, France Supervisor: Dr. Jean-Marc Egly.