29-30/01/2026: Joana had the pleasure of participating in the International Neuroscience Conference as an invited speaker. The conference took place from January 29th to 30th in Budapest, Hungary, and was organized by the HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology (RCNS ICNP).

On the Symposium I., Joana presented on the topic of: “Super-Resolution Microscopy for studying age-related synaptic changes”.

You can check the full program here: https://mitt2026.mitt.hu/programme/detailed-program

08/01/2026: After celebrating the festive season with families, it was time for Synapse Architecture Group to celebrate the end of 2025. With good food, lively conversations and story sharing, we enjoyed a special night that we will certainly repeat on other occasions.

The Synapse Architecture Group team wishes everyone a 2026 full of success, inspiration, and new scientific discoveries.

18/12/2025: The Synapse Architecture Group (Joana Ferreira, Carlos Cação, João Martins, Giulia Tombesi, Diogo Tomé, Mariana Santos and Henrique Pinto) participated in the 2025 CiBB Meeting in Oliveira do Bairro, Aveiro, Portugal. For the Science Fair, the group developed “Brian the neuron — Inside out”, which aimed to characterise one of the group's investigations into the importance of the synapse architecture for synaptic transmission and how its dysregulation may contribute to symptoms of cognitive impairment in aging and in neurodegenerative diseases.

We did not win the first prize, but it was an amazing opportunity to socialize and showcase our research.

5-7/11/2025: The 9th edition of SPAOM 2025 took place from November 5th to 7th in Braga, Portugal. This scientific conference focused on advanced optical microscopy and image analysis in the context of biological and biomedical sciences. Joana Ferreira was invited to give a talk entitled: "Revealing the Nanoarchitecture of NMDA Receptors and Neurexins by STED and MINFLUX Microscopy", as well as a poster presentation: "Cell-adhesion proteins interplay with NMDA Receptors: Implications for synaptic nanoarchitecture".

You can check the full program here: https://spaom2025.org/

26/09/2025: During the European Researchers Night, the Synapse Architecture Group (Joana Ferreira, Carlos Cação, João Martins, Giulia Tombesi and Diogo Tomé) developed the activity “The life of Brian, the Neuron”. This activity featured Brian, a cheerful brain, and Hippy, his forgetful but lovable friend, the hippocampus. It was a show that led children to discover the ageing process of the brain. Through audience participation, Brian and Hippy explained why memory can slow down with age and how to keep the brain strong and healthy throughout life. Around 25 children attended the puppet show, with over 35 participating in the activities.

4-6/09/2025: GIMM Festival 2025, an annual event organized by the Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine (GIMM), took place at Pavilhão de Portugal from September 4th to 6th in Lisbon. Joana had the opportunity to participate in this year's event, which had the theme of “Aging and Longevity”. Events like this one strengthen the connection between science and society, encouraging exploration into new discoveries about the future of ageing.

You can check the full program here: https://gimm.pt/pt-pt/gimm-festival-2025/

We are delighted to announce that the AGE@nano project now has an official website. The project aims to study the changes induced by aging in the nanostructure of the synapse and their impact on cognitive performance and memory consolidation. It is currently in the dissemination phase, promoting activities to raise awareness of the importance of cognitive stimulation in the elderly population, associated with practical sessions in day centers and nursing homes.

Visit the website to find out more about the AGE@nano project and our latest activities: https://www.uc.pt/mia/agenano/

7-11/06/2025: Joana Ferreira had the pleasure of participating in the 10th Mediterranean Neuroscience Society Conference, as a symposium organizer, together with her colleague Mónica Santos, from CNC-UC, which took place from June 7th to 11th in Chania, Crete, Greece. On the Symposium 50: NMDA Receptors: A Classic focus with modern implications in neuropsychiatric disorders, Joana presented on the topic of: NMDA receptor-dependent Regulation of Synaptic Adaptation.

You can check the full program here: https://mns2025.org/

15/03/2025: MIA-Portugal was highlighted in RTP's Europa à Porta! program. The show aims to travel across Portugal to explore the purpose of European funds. In this episode, you can learn about the research developed at MIA-Portugal, the infrastructure co-financed by European funds, and the activities carried out at MIA-Portugal. And we had an opportunity to share a glimpse of our research! (Piece in Portuguese).

Minute 8:37 

3-7/03/2025: Joana, as a speaker, and João, as a student, had the pleasure of participating in the BIP course: Current Trends in Ageing Research from March 3rd to 7th in Nice, France, organized by the University of Côte d'Azur and IRCAN - Institute for Research on Cancer and Ageing, Nice. What a great opportunity.

You can check the full program here: https://www.ircan.org/ctar/ 

14/01/2025: We are happy to share that Giulia Tombesi joined our group, as Postdoctoral Researcher to work in the Nanoscale Ageing of the Synapse. Welcome Giulia! 

7/08/2024: We are thrilled to announce that João Martins has been awarded the prestigious FCT fellowship to pursue his doctoral studies. This is a significant achievement, and we couldn't be prouder of João. We wish him an inspiring and successful journey ahead!

Learn more about João's project and discover Joana Pires' work, the other awardee at MIA-PORTUGAL, here.

15/05/2024 to 16/05/2024: João Martins presented a poster on his results on the "Role of GluN2B-containing NMDARs on network activity and synapse maturation and its potential interaction with EphA4" at BEB Day 2024. He was selected from an abstract submission call and had the opportunity to receive positive feedback from researchers with various backgrounds and to make new acquaintances.

2/05/2024 to 4/05/2024: Our lab participated in the European Synapse Meeting 2024 in Berlin, with a poster entitled "Cell-adhesion proteins interplay with NMDA Receptors: implication for synaptic nanoarchitecture". Great opportunity to see amazing works in the synapse field. Looking forward to the next ESM!!

16/04/2024: João Martins was selected from an abstract submission call to present his work at the AIMS Meeting 2024 to a panel of doctors and researchers. João presented a poster on his results on the "Role of GluN2B-containing NMDARs on network activity and synapse maturation and its potential interaction with EphA4". 

20/12/2023: Just in from the CIBB Meeting 2023! João Martins had the chance to participate in the Draw Your Science challenge, and present the work he developed during his Master Thesis. 

11 - 15/12/2023: Just before the end of the year Joana Ferreira was part of the organization of the course: Neuroscience meets society: Transversal skills for future neuroscientists. It was a great opportunity to meet great promissing young scientists. Most importantly, João Martins was among them!

25-27/10/2023: Joana Ferreira participated in SPAOM2023 and had the great opportunity to present her work, titled 'NMDA Receptor at the Nanoscale: Insights from Cultures to Brain Tissue.' This research was conducted at Laurent Groc's laboratory in collaboration with Laurent Cognet's lab. The meeting provided an excellent networking opportunity, and it was a pleasure to witness the growth of the advanced microscopy community in Portugal.

23/10/2023: We are thrilled to announce that João Martins has brilliantly defended his Master's thesis in Neurobiology, entitled "ROLE OF GLUN2B-CONTAINING NMDARS ON NETWORK ACTIVITY AND SYNAPSE MATURATION THROUGH THE INTERACTION WITH EPHA4." 

João scientific maturity impressed all the juri members. We have full confidence in João's promising future in the field of neurosciences and eagerly anticipate following his path towards a Ph.D. Best of luck on this exciting journey!

João Martins was a valuable member of the Master in Biomedical Research (MIB) program at the University of Coimbra. If you're interested in learning more about this exceptional Master's program, please visit the official program page at:  https://www.uc.pt/en/fmuc/education/postgraduate-courses-1/mbr/

26/09/2023: We are thrilled to announce that Constança Ferreira has successfully defended her Master's thesis in Neurobiology, titled "Neurexin and NMDAR: Exploring a Novel Interaction in a Developmental Context." 

Constança's dedication and hard work have truly shone through in her research. We couldn't be prouder of her accomplishments! As she embarks on her future journey, we wish Constança the very best in all her endeavors. May success continue to follow her!

18/09/2023: João Martins has delivered her Master's thesis to the University of Coimbra, entitled "Role of GluN2B-containing NMDARs on network activity and synapse maturation through the interaction with EphA4". 

02/08/2023: After completing his graduation José Azevedo was accepted in the Cellular and Molecular Biology Master's Program of the University of Coimbra. Best of luck José! 

If you would like to know more about this Master's program please check mbcm.cnc.uc.pt 

31/07/2023: Constança Ferreira has delivered her Master's thesis to the University of Coimbra, entitled "Neurexin and NMDAR novel interaction and co-distribution in a developmental context". 

2022 - Our first lab Christmas celebration!