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In 2019, I earned my BSc in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Algarve. During this program, I conducted my final project at Professor Clévio Nóbrega's lab, focusing on cellular models of Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria syndrome. This experience ignited my passion for science and prompted me to pursue an MSc in Biomedical Sciences - Disease Mechanisms, which I completed in 2021. For my MSc thesis at the Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), I researched the role of extracellular vesicles in the progression of Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2 (SCA2). This project allowed me to master techniques such as cell culture, Western blotting, PCR, immunofluorescence, microscopy, and lentiviral vector production. After my Master's degree, I continued as a researcher at Professor Nóbrega's lab, contributing to a project on Cockayne syndrome and supporting ongoing projects. Currently, I am pursuing a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Algarve. My academic journey has resulted in four co-authored papers in international journals, 48 citations since 2020, and an h-index of 3. I have mentored BSc and MSc students and actively participated in conferences and seminars. My focus is on advancing my expertise in neuroscience, disease propagation, gene therapy, and SCA2 to contribute to biomedical research and treatment advancements.
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Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Rafael Gomes da Costa
Date of birth
1997/03/01

Citation names

  • Costa, Rafael G

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
3512-DACB-43A4
ORCID iD
0000-0003-2606-8946

Email addresses

  • rafael.gm.costa@gmail.com (Professional)
  • a57401@ualg.pt (Professional)

Knowledge fields

  • Medical and Health Sciences - Basic Medicine - Neurosciences
  • Medical and Health Sciences - Medical Biotechnology - Gene-based Diagnostics and Therapeutic Interventions
  • Medical and Health Sciences - Medical Biotechnology - Technologies Involving the Manipulation of Cells, Tissues, Organs or the Whole Organism
  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Molecular Biology
  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Cell Biology

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
Portuguese (Mother tongue)
English Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1)
French Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1)
Education
Degree Classification
2022/11/01 - 2026/11/01
Ongoing
 Ciências Biomédicas (Doutoramento)
Universidade do Algarve Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Portugal
"Disease spreading in spinocerebellar ataxia type 2: from pathogenic mechanisms to targeted therapeutics" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
2023/02/06 - 2023/02/09
Concluded
 Science Communciation Course (Outros)
Speak and Lead, Portugal
2019/09 - 2021/11/26
Concluded
 Ciências Biomédicas - Mecanismos de Doenças (Mestrado)
Universidade do Algarve Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Portugal
"Insights into the spreading of ataxin-2 through extracellular vesicles" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 19
2016/09 - 2019/07/14
Concluded
 Ciências Biomédicas (Licenciatura)
Universidade do Algarve Departamento de Ciências Biomédicas e Medicina, Portugal
"Specific targeting of progerin by an RNA-binding protein" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 16
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2024/03 - 2024/08 Visiting Researcher (Research) Universitätsmedizin Göttingen Experimental Neurodegeneration, Germany
Universitätsmedizin Göttingen Experimental Neurodegeneration, Germany
2022/06/08 - 2022/10/31 Researcher (Research) Associação para o Desenvolvimento do Centro Académico de Investigação e Formação Biomédica do Algarve (AD-ABC), Portugal
Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Portugal
2021/09/01 - 2022/06/07 Research Trainee (Research) Associação para o Desenvolvimento do Centro Académico de Investigação e Formação Biomédica do Algarve (AD-ABC), Portugal
Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Portugal

Other Careers

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2020/04 - 2020/06 Preparador de Análises Clínicas (Técnico de Diagnóstico e Terapêutica - Técnico de Análises Clínicas e de Saúde Pública) Associação para o Desenvolvimento do Centro Académico de Investigação e Formação Biomédica do Algarve (AD-ABC), Portugal
Universidade do Algarve Centro de Investigação em Biomedicina, Portugal

Others

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2022/11/01 - Current PhD student Universidade do Algarve Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Portugal
Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Portugal
2019/09 - 2021/11/26 MSc student Universidade do Algarve Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Portugal
Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Portugal
Projects

Grant

Designation Funders
2021/09/01 - Current Assessment of experimental therapies in pre-clinical studies of Cockayne Syndrome
#431
Researcher
Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Portugal
 Private individual donation
Ongoing
Outputs

Publications

Conference abstract
  1. Rafael G. Costa; Aveleira, Célia; Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues . Corresponding author: Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues. "Mitigating the Progeroid Phenotype: A Gene Delivery Strategy to Improve Progerin-Associated Abnormalities". Paper presented in 24th Annual Meeting of the Portuguese Society of Human Genetics, Lisboa, 2021.
    Published
Conference poster
  1. Costa, Rafael G; Martins, Jéssica; Matos, Carlos A; Outeiro, Tiago; Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues . Corresponding author: Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues. "Mechanisms of Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2 Pathogenesis: Insights from Small Extracellular Vesicles". Paper presented in FENS Forum 2024, 2024.
  2. Marcelo, Adriana; Afonso, Inês T.; Rajado, Ana Teresa; Rafael G. Costa; Afonso-Reis, Ricardo; Pereira de Almeida, Luis ; Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues . Corresponding author: Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues. "Tackling Machado-Joseph disease through stress granules: is protein CARHSP1 a potential target for therapeutics?". Paper presented in FENS Regional Meeting 2023, 2023.
  3. Marcelo, Adriana; Afonso, Inês T.; Rajado, Ana Teresa; Rafael G. Costa; Afonso-Reis, Ricardo; Pereira de Almeida, Luis ; Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues . Corresponding author: Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues. "Stress granule protein CARHSP1 as a potential therapeutic strategy for MJD". Paper presented in ENCODS 2023, 2023.
  4. Paulino, Rodrigo; Afonso-Reis, Ricardo; Rafael G. Costa; Couto, Filipa; Madeira, Cristiana; Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues . Corresponding author: Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues. "Comet assay: optimization and evaluation of DNA damage in neuronal cells". Paper presented in ENCODS 2023, 2023.
  5. Paulino, Rodrigo; Afonso-Reis, Ricardo; Costa, Rafael G; Couto Filipa; Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues . Corresponding author: Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues. "Development and optimization of a comet assay to evaluate DNA damage in neuronal cells.". Paper presented in Fens Regional Meeting Conference, 2023.
  6. Paulino, Rodrigo; Afonso-Reis, Ricardo; Costa, Rafael; Couto, Filipa; Madeira, Cristiana; Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues . Corresponding author: Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues. "Evaluation of DNA damage on neuronal cells through single cell gel electrophoresis". Paper presented in Ciência 2023, 2023.
  7. Rafael G. Costa; Afonso, Inês T.; Afonso-Reis, Ricardo; Matos, Carlos A; Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues . Corresponding author: Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues. "The role of a stress granules' component as a modulator of progerin's expression: a prospective approach to slow down accelerated aging in HGPS cells". Paper presented in Ageing Without Borders 2022, 2022.
  8. Koppenol, Rebekah; Conceição, André; Afonso, Inês T.; Afonso-Reis, Ricardo; Rafael G. Costa; Matos, Carlos A; Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues . Corresponding author: Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues. "Motor phenotype characterization of a new transgenic mouse model for Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2". Paper presented in V Annual Meeting of the Algarve Biomedical Center, 2022.
  9. Marcelo, Adriana; Afonso, Inês T.; Rajado, A. T.; Rafael G. Costa; Afonso-Reis, Ricardo; de Almeida, Luís Pereira; Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues . Corresponding author: Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues. "Modulation of stress granules components as a therapeutic approach for spinocerebellar ataxia type 3". Paper presented in V Annual Meeting of the Algarve Biomedical Center, 2022.
  10. Rafael G. Costa; Carlos A. Matos; Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues. "ATXN2 spreading in spinocerebellar ataxia type 2: could extracellular vesicles contribute to disease progression?". Paper presented in ABC Days 2022, 2022.
  11. Marcelo, Adriana; Afonso, Inês T.; Afonso-Reis, Ricardo; Brito, David; Rafael G. Costa; Alves-Cruzeiro, João; Carina Henriques; et al. Corresponding author: Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues. "Autophagy induction mitigates Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 disease hallmarks". Paper presented in SPDMov, 2022.
  12. Marcelo, Adriana; Afonso, Inês T.; Afonso-Reis, Ricardo; Brito, David; Rafael G. Costa; Alves-Cruzeiro, João; Ferreira, Benedita; et al. Corresponding author: Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues. "From molecular mechanisms to therapy: a new lentiviral mouse model for Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2". Paper presented in XVII Meeting of Portuguese Society for Neuroscience (SPN 2021), 2021.
  13. Afonso, Inês T.; Ana Carolina Silva; Carina Henriques; Miguel Lopes; Rafael Baganha; Patrícia Lima; Koppenol, Rebekah; et al. "Brain Distribution, Spreading and Tropism of a Recently Developed Gene Delivery System mixCapAAV1/2 vector". Paper presented in AIMS meeting 2021 Research Competition, 2021.
  14. Rafael G. Costa; Afonso, Inês T.; Aveleira, Célia; Matos, Carlos A; Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues . Corresponding author: Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues. "Development of a gene-based strategy as a potential therapy for Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome". Paper presented in AIMS meeting 2021 Research Competition, 2021.
  15. Rafael G. Costa; Aveleira, Célia; Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues . Corresponding author: Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues. "Mitigating the Progeroid Phenotype: A Gene Delivery Strategy to Improve Progerin-Associated Abnormalities". Paper presented in 24th Annual Meeting of the Portuguese Society of Human Genetics, 2020.
  16. Rafael G. Costa; Aveleira, Célia; Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues . Corresponding author: Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues. "RBP-X modulates progerin levels and ameliorates its associated abnormalities in cellular models of HGPS". Paper presented in International Meeting of the Portuguese Society of Genetics, 2020.
Journal article
  1. Costa, Rafael G; Conceição, André; Matos, Carlos A; Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues . Corresponding author: Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues. "The polyglutamine protein ATXN2: from its molecular functions to its involvement in disease". Cell Death & Disease 15 6 (2024): http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41419-024-06812-5.
    Open access • Published • 10.1038/s41419-024-06812-5
  2. Koppenol, Rebekah; Conceição, André; Afonso, Inês T; Afonso-Reis, Ricardo; Rafael G. Costa; Tomé, Sandra; Teixeira, Diogo; et al. Corresponding author: Nóbrega, Clévio. "The stress granule protein G3BP1 alleviates spinocerebellar ataxia-associated deficits". Brain (2022): http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/brain/awac473.
    10.1093/brain/awac473
  3. Marcelo, Adriana; Afonso, Inês T.; Afonso-Reis, Ricardo; Brito, David V. C.; Rafael G. Costa; Rosa, Ana; Alves-Cruzeiro, João; et al. Corresponding author: Nóbrega, Clévio. "Autophagy in Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2, a dysregulated pathway, and a target for therapy". Cell Death & Disease 12 12 (2021): http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41419-021-04404-1.
    Open access • Published • 10.1038/s41419-021-04404-1
  4. Conceição, André; Rafael G. Costa; Koppenol, Rebekah; Sequeira, Raquel L.; Nunes, Ricardo; Carmo-Silva, Sara; Marcelo, Adriana; et al. "The cholesterol 24-hydroxylase activates autophagy and decreases mutant huntingtin build-up in a neuroblastoma culture model of Huntington’s disease". BMC Research Notes 13 1 (2020): http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13104-020-05053-x.
    Open access • Published • 10.1186/s13104-020-05053-x
Thesis / Dissertation
  1. Rafael G. Costa. "Insights into the spreading of ataxin-2 through extracellular vesicles". Master, Universidade do Algarve Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, 2021.
  2. Rafael G. Costa. "Specific targeting of progerin by an RNA-binding protein". Degree, Universidade do Algarve Centro de Investigação em Biomedicina, 2019.
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2024/04/22 Disease spreading in spinocerebellar ataxia type 2: from pathogenic mechanisms to targeted therapeutics Gene Expression and Pathology seminar
Universidade do Algarve, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia (Faro, Portugal)
2023/04/18 Das células estaminais à terapia genética High School Seminar
Escola secundária de Silves (Silves, Portugal)
2023/01/23 Gene Therapy for the Central Nervous System High School Seminar
Escola Secundária de Albufeira (Albufeira, Portugal)
2022/05/19 Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria syndrome: from molecular bases to gene therapies Gene Expression and Pathology seminar
Universidade do Algarve, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia (Faro, Portugal)
2021/12/17 A gene-based strategy to mitigate the progeroid phenotype in HGPS cells Gene and Cell Therapy seminar
Universidade do Algarve Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas (Faro, Portugal)
2021/10/07 The RNA-binding Protein X Mitigates Common Age-associated Features in Progerin-expressing Cells IV Jornadas Algarve Biomedical Center
Algarve Biomedical Center (ABC) (Moura, Portugal)
2021/04/30 When RNA-binding proteins meet the Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome: a gene delivery approach to mitigate premature aging 5th International Health Sciences Conference 2021
Students' Scientific Society of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (Kaunas, Lithuania)
2020/01/06 Overexpression of a specific RNA-binding protein ameliorates several abnormalities in cellular models of Progeria 50th SPF Annual Meeting
Portuguese Society of Pharmacology (SPF) (Coimbra, Portugal)

Supervision

Thesis Title
Role 		Degree Subject (Type)
Institution / Organization
2023/09 - 2024/07 Intercellular Dissemination Mechanisms of Ataxin-2 mRNA: The Impact of RNA-Binding Proteins and Extracellular Vesicles
Co-supervisor of Isabelli Hombri
 Biology (Degree)
Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Portugal
2023/03 - 2023/07 The role of RNA-binding proteins in ATXN2 mRNA import into extracellular vesicles
Supervisor of Érica Silva
 Biomedical Sciences (Degree)
Universidade do Algarve Departamento de Ciências Biomédicas e Medicina, Portugal
2023/03/14 - 2023/04/18 Validating molecular strategies of gene silencing and overexpression
Co-supervisor of Diogo Brito
 STUDENT-SELECTED MODULES 1 | Integrated Master's in Medicine (Master)
Universidade do Algarve Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Portugal
2022/03/03 - 2022/07/18 Propagação da ataxina-2 mediada por vesículas extracelulares: uma explicação para a progressão da ataxia espinocerebelosa tipo 2?
Supervisor of Adriana Afonso Vaz
 Ciências Biomédicas (Degree)
Universidade do Algarve Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Portugal

Event organisation

Event name
Type of event (Role) 		Institution / Organization
2023/10/29 - 2023/11/04 Organizer of the workshop "Brain-derived extracellular vesicles in health and disease" at the ESN-ISN Neurochemistry School 2023 (2023/10/29 - 2023/11/04)
Workshop (Co-organisor)
 Universidade do Algarve Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, Portugal
2022/11 - 2023/05 Member of the organizing committee of the ENCODS 2023 (European Neuroscience Conference by Doctoral Students), a satellite event of the FENS Regional Meeting 2023. (2023/05/01 - 2023/05/02)
Conference (Member of the Organising Committee)
 Universidade do Algarve Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, Portugal

Federation of European Neuroscience Societies, Belgium

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event 		Event name
Institution / Organization
2023/05/03 - 2023/05/05 STAFF member of the FENS Regional Meeting 2023
Conference
 FENS Regional Meeting 2023
Federation of European Neuroscience Societies, Belgium

Universidade do Algarve Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, Portugal

Sociedade Portuguesa de Neurociências, Portugal
2022/10 - 2022/10 ABC-RI representative at FIC.A - Festival Internacional de Ciência 2022
Festival
 FIC.A - Festival Internacional de Ciência 2022
Camara Municipal Oeiras, Portugal
2021/10/28 - 2021/10/28 Gestão de Resíduos Laboratoriais
Workshop
 Ação de Sensibilização
Carmona, Portugal
2021/10/27 - 2021/10/27 Gestão Integrada de Resíduos Hospitalares
Workshop
 Ação de Formação
AMBIMED, Portugal
2021/04/29 - 2021/04/30 5th International Health Sciences Conference
Conference
 5th International Health Sciences Conference
Students' Scientific Society of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Lithuania
2021/03/18 - 2021/03/21 AIMS Meeting 2021
Meeting
 AIMS Meeting 2021
Universidade de Lisboa Faculdade de Medicina, Portugal
2021/03/19 - 2021/03/19 ENTREPRENEURSHIP: WHEN IDEAS HAPPEN (TP)
Workshop
 AIMS Meeting 2021
Universidade de Lisboa Faculdade de Medicina, Portugal
2021/02/17 - 2021/02/19 51st Meeting of the Portuguese Society of Pharmacology
Meeting
 51st Meeting of the Portuguese Society of Pharmacology
Sociedade Portuguesa de Farmacologia, Portugal
2021 - 2021 AIMS Meeting 2021 Research Competition
Meeting
 AIMS Meeting 2021
Universidade de Lisboa Faculdade de Medicina, Portugal
2020/12/18 - 2020/12/18 First Workshop of the Portuguese Network on Extracellular Vesicles: EVs in Health and Disease
Workshop
 First Workshop of the Portuguese Network on Extracellular Vesicles: EVs in Health and Disease
Universidade do Porto Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal
2020/11/20 - 2020/11/20 24th Annual Meeting of the Portuguese Society of Human Genetics
Meeting
 24th Annual Meeting of the Portuguese Society of Human Genetics
Sociedade Portuguesa de Genética Humana, Portugal
2020/02/05 - 2020/02/07 50th Meeting of the Portuguese Society of Pharmacology
Meeting
 50th Meeting of the Portuguese Society of Pharmacology
Sociedade Portuguesa de Farmacologia, Portugal
2020/01/30 - 2020/01/31 2nd Joint WG4-WG5 TRANSAUTOPHAGY Translational Workshop
Workshop
 2nd Joint WG4-WG5 TRANSAUTOPHAGY Translational Workshop
European Cooperation in Science and Technology, Belgium
2020/01/23 - 2020/01/24 International Meeting of the Portuguese Society of Genetics
Meeting
 International Meeting of the Portuguese Society of Genetics
Universidade do Algarve, Portugal

Association member

Society Organization name Role
2019 - Current Portuguese Society of Neuroscience (SPN) Adherent member
2019 - Current Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Adherent member

Committee member

Activity description
Role 		Institution / Organization
2020/10 - 2020/10 Statutory Assembly of the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (FMCB) of the University of Algarve
Member
 Universidade do Algarve, Portugal

Course / Discipline taught

Academic session Degree Subject (Type) Institution / Organization
2023/04/14 - 2023/04/17 Cellular Transitions and Tissue Engineering practical classes Ciências Biomédicas (Mestrado) Universidade do Algarve Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Portugal
2022/11/02 - 2022/11/29 Gene and Cell Therapy practical classes Ciências Biomédicas (Licenciatura) Universidade do Algarve Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Portugal

Mentoring / Tutoring

Topic Student name
2022/05/30 - 2022/06/03 Laboratory rotation | Master's degree in Clinical Laboratory Genetics Miguel Lucas
2021/03 - 2021/05 Optional Internship in Laboratory | Master's degree in Biomedical Sciences Cristiana Madeira