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Helena Castro (age 44; H-index 16) is an Assistant Researcher at the Molecular Parasitology group of i3S. In 2006, she finished her PhD on redox systems of the protozoan parasite Leishmania. As PostDoc she continued investigating the importance of Leishmania peroxiredoxins for virulence of this iconic human pathogen. Recently, under the scope of an “Investigador FCT” contract, she initiated a new line of research focused on the role of macrophages on Leishmania dissemination in the human body. The work of HCastro, with over 730 citations, is published on 27 papers in international peer-review journals and 2 book chapters. Settled at i3S (former IBMC), HCastro has been exposed to outstanding international research environments, either as visiting researcher abroad [LFlohé, MDeponte, BMorgan (DE), PVargas (FR)], or as partaker in collaborative ventures [UJakob (USA), MComini (UY), MMurakami (BR)]. Since completion of her PhD, HCastro managed to attract funds from competitive calls to support both her salary and research. She won 3 FCT PostDoc grants, plus 1 “Investigador FCT” contract (>400kEUR). She led 3 research grants awarded by FCT (2) and Gulbenkian (1)(>240kEUR). HCastro has been enrolled in other projects, including as working group coordinator in 1 European COST Action. Her skills extend to supervision of young researchers (including Msc and PhD), jury of theses, reviewer of scientific papers, evaluator of scientific projects, member of the i3S Biosafety Committee, and engagement in "science with and for society" activities, including her recent volunteer work for the i3S COVID-19 Task Force.
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Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Helena Maria de Sousa Castro

Citation names

  • Castro, Helena

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
4D18-F63B-3588
ORCID iD
0000-0002-6021-9210

Websites

Knowledge fields

  • Medical and Health Sciences - Health Sciences - Infectious Diseases
  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Biochemistry
  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Cell Biology

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
Portuguese (Mother tongue)
English Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2)
Spanish; Castilian Elementary (A2) Intermediate (B1) Beginner (A1) Intermediate (B1) Beginner (A1)
French Beginner (A1) Elementary (A2) Beginner (A1) Elementary (A2) Beginner (A1)
Education
Degree Classification
2020
Concluded
 Gestão e Políticas de Ciência e Tecnologia (Pós-Graduação)
Universidade Nova de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas, Portugal
 18
2006
Concluded
 Ciências Biomédicas (Doutoramento)
Universidade do Porto Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Portugal
"Hydroperoxide Metabolism in Leishmania Infantum" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 Unanimidade
1998
Concluded
 Bioquímica (Licenciatura)
Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal
 16
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2017/01/01 - 2021/12/31 Auxiliary Researcher (Research) Universidade do Porto Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal
2006/03/01 - 2016/12/31 Postdoc (Research) Universidade do Porto Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Portugal
Projects

Grant

Designation Funders
2015/07 - 2016/12 Leishmania-induced subversion of host cell motility and its impact on parasite dissemination
SFRH/BPD/101075/2014
Post-doc Fellow
Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P.
Concluded
2012/07 - 2015/06 Cytosolic peroxiredoxins in trypanosomatid parasites - are these peroxidases mere antioxidant devices or regulators of H2O2-mediated cell signaling?
SFRH/BPD/80836/2011
Post-doc Fellow
Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P.
Concluded
2006/03 - 2012/06 Identification and characterization of trypanosomatidal mitochondrial enzymes with interest for drug development
SFRH/BPD/20610/2004
Post-doc Fellow
Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P.
Concluded
2000/11 - 2005/02 Biochemical anf functional characterization of a putative mitochondrial peroxiredoxin from Leishmania infantum
SFRH/BD/1396/2000
PhD Student Fellow
Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P.
Concluded

Contract

Designation Funders
2017/01 - Current How Obligatory Intracellular Leishmania Parasites Subvert Host Cell Migration to Promote Visceralization
IF/01244/2015
Principal investigator
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
2016 - 2019 Structured program on bioengineered therapies for infectious diseases and tissue regeneration
Norte-01-0145-FEDER-000012
Other
European Regional Development Fund
Concluded
2013 - 2015 Host Pathogen Interactions
Norte-07-0124-FEDER-000002
Other
European Regional Development Fund
Concluded
2009 - 2014 Acquisition of iron in Leishmania infantum - which are the players and what is their relevance for pathogenesis?
PTDC/CVT/100090/2008
Other
Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P.
Concluded
2010/06 - 2013/11 Survey of the Leishmania thiol system for the development of new anti-parasitic formulas
PTDC/BIA-MIC/100910/2008
Principal investigator
Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia
Concluded
2010/08 - 2013/07 Development of new control measures against Leishmaniasis based on the parasite’s mitochondrial peroxiredoxin system
P-105335
Principal investigator
Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian
Concluded
2011 - 2013 CellNote Touch - Touch-based Interactive Annotation of Cellular Images
IT Internal Project
Other
Instituto de Telecomunicações
Concluded
2008 - 2012 New Drugs for Neglected Diseases
CM0801
Other
European Cooperation in Science and Technology
Concluded
2007 - 2011 Genetics of accelerated acquisition of drug resistance to multiple drugs (ARMD) in malaria parasites: dynamics and fitness studies
PTDC/BIA-MIC/65861/2006
Other
Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P.
2007 - 2010 Vaccine potential of Leishmania infantum proteins
PTDC/CVT/70275/2006
Other
Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P.
Concluded
2005 - 2010 Effector mechanisms of macrophages against Leishmania infantum – role of reactive oxygen and nitrogen intermediates and of N-hydroxy-L-arginine in vitro and in vivo.
POCI/SAU-IMI/59560/2004
Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P.
Concluded
2001 - 2005 Functional analysis and genetic validation of two tryparedoxins from Leishmania infantum as candidate targets for chemotherapy.
POCTI/CVT/34206/2000
Other
Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P.
Concluded
Outputs

Publications

Book chapter
  1. Castro, H.; Duarte, M.; Tomás, A.M.. "Chapter 16: The Redox Metabolism and Oxidative Stress in Leishmania as a Crossroads for the Lethal Effect of Drugs". 2018.
    10.1039/9781788010177-00316
  2. Castro, H.; Tomás, A.M.. "Thiol Peroxidases of Trypanosomatids". 2013.
    10.1002/9783527670383.ch10
Journal article
  1. Ribeiro, H.; Rocha, M.I.; Castro, H.; Macedo, M.F.. "Chemical inhibition of ß-glucocerebrosidase does not affect phagocytosis and early containment of Leishmania by murine macrophages". Experimental Parasitology 216 (2020): 107939. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.exppara.2020.107939.
    10.1016/j.exppara.2020.107939
  2. Helena Castro; Tânia Cruz; Patrícia de Aguiar Amaral; Paula da Silva Cardoso; Ahmed Alsaffar; Patrick Farrell; Ana M. Tomás; James W. Barlow. "Synthesis and evaluation of novel chromanone and quinolinone analogues of uniflorol as anti-leishmanial agents". Heliyon 6 3 (2020): e03614-e03614. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03614.
    10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03614
  3. Castro, Helena. "Functional insight into the glycosomal peroxiredoxin of Leishmania.". Acta tropica (2019): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.105217.
    10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.105217
  4. Castro, Helena. "Chaperone activation and client binding of a 2-cysteine peroxiredoxin.". Nature communications (2019): http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC6368585.
    10.1038/s41467-019-08565-8
  5. Ana G. Gomes-Alves; Henk D. F. H. Schallig; André F. Maia; Tânia Cruz; Helena Castro; Ana M. Tomás. "Development of an automated image analysis protocol for quantification of intracellular forms of Leishmania spp.". PLOS ONE 13 8 (2018): e0201747-e0201747. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0201747.
    10.1371/journal.pone.0201747
  6. Morais, M.A.B.; Giuseppe, P.O.; Souza, T.A.C.B.; Castro, H.; Honorato, R.V.; Oliveira, P.S.L.; Netto, L.E.S.; Tomas, A.M.; Murakami, M.T.. "Calcium and magnesium ions modulate the oligomeric state and function of mitochondrial 2-Cys peroxiredoxins in Leishmania parasites". Journal of Biological Chemistry 292 17 (2017): 7023-7039. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85018327120&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1074/jbc.M116.762039
  7. Gaspar, M.M.; Calado, S.; Pereira, J.; Ferronha, H.; Correia, I.; Castro, H.; Tomás, A.M.; Cruz, M.E.M.. "Targeted delivery of paromomycin in murine infectious diseases through association to nano lipid systems". Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology, and Medicine 11 7 (2015): 1851-1860. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84942118843&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1016/j.nano.2015.06.008
  8. Teixeira, F.; Castro, H.; Cruz, T.; Tse, E.; Koldewey, P.; Southworth, D.R.; Tomás, A.M.; Jakob, U.; Craig, E.A.. "Mitochondrial peroxiredoxin functions as crucial chaperone reservoir in Leishmania infantum". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 112 7 (2015): E616-E624. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84923301607&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1073/pnas.1419682112
  9. Carvalho, S.; Barreira da Silva, R.; Shawki, A.; Castro, H.; Lamy, M.; Eide, D.; Costa, V.; Mackenzie, B.; Tomás, A.M.. "LiZIP3 is a cellular zinc transporter that mediates the tightly regulated import of zinc in Leishmania infantum parasites". Molecular Microbiology 96 3 (2015): 581-595. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84928391014&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1111/mmi.12957
  10. Neves, J.C.; Castro, H.; Tomás, A.; Coimbra, M.; Proença, H.. "Detection and separation of overlapping cells based on contour concavity for Leishmania images". Cytometry Part A 85 6 (2014): 491-500. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84901445264&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1002/cyto.a.22465
  11. Sousa, A.F.; Gomes-Alves, A.G.; Benítez, D.; Comini, M.A.; Flohé, L.; Jaeger, T.; Passos, J.; et al. "Genetic and chemical analyses reveal that trypanothione synthetase but not glutathionylspermidine synthetase is essential for Leishmania infantum". Free Radical Biology and Medicine 73 (2014): 229-238. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84902284220&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2014.05.007
  12. Tomás, A.M.; Castro, H.. "Redox metabolism in mitochondria of trypanosomatids". Antioxidants and Redox Signaling 19 7 (2013): 696-707. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84875699740&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1089/ars.2012.4948
  13. Rodrigues, R.F.; Castro-Pinto, D.; Echevarria, A.; Dos Reis, C.M.; Del Cistia, C.N.; Sant'Anna, C.M.R.; Teixeira, F.; et al. "Investigation of trypanothione reductase inhibitory activity by 1,3,4-thiadiazolium-2-aminide derivatives and molecular docking studies". Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry 20 5 (2012): 1760-1766. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84857366334&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1016/j.bmc.2012.01.009
  14. Castro, H.; Teixeira, F.; Romao, S.; Santos, M.; Cruz, T.; Flórido, M.; Appelberg, R.; et al. "Leishmania mitochondrial peroxiredoxin plays a crucial peroxidase-unrelated role during infection: Insight into its novel chaperone activity". PLoS Pathogens 7 10 (2011): http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-80055096383&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1371/journal.ppat.1002325
  15. Castro, H.; Romao, S.; Carvalho, S.; Teixeira, F.; Sousa, C.; Tomás, A.M.. "Mitochondrial redox metabolism in trypanosomatids is independent of tryparedoxin activity". PLoS ONE 5 9 (2010): 1-12. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-79952277516&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1371/journal.pone.0012607
  16. Afonso, A.; Neto, Z.; Castro, H.; Lopes, D.; Alves, A.C.; Tomás, A.M.; Rosário, V.D.. "Plasmodium chabaudi chabaudi malaria parasites can develop stable resistance to atovaquone with a mutation in the cytochrome b gene.". Malaria journal 9 (2010): http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-77952450375&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1186/1475-2875-9-135
  17. Romao, S.; Castro, H.; Sousa, C.; Carvalho, S.; Tomás, A.M.. "The cytosolic tryparedoxin of Leishmania infantum is essential for parasite survival". International Journal for Parasitology 39 6 (2009): 703-711. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-61349124238&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1016/j.ijpara.2008.11.009
  18. Carvalho, S.; Cruz, T.; Santarém, N.; Castro, H.; Costa, V.; Tomás, A.M.. "Heme as a source of iron to Leishmania infantum amastigotes". Acta Tropica 109 2 (2009): 131-135. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-57849159746&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1016/j.actatropica.2008.10.007
  19. Castro, H.; Tomás, A.M.. "Peroxidases of trypanosomatids". Antioxidants and Redox Signaling 10 9 (2008): 1593-1606. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-46449133760&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1089/ars.2008.2050
  20. Castro, H.; Romao, S.; Gadelha, F.R.; Tomás, A.M.. "Leishmania infantum: Provision of reducing equivalents to the mitochondrial tryparedoxin/tryparedoxin peroxidase system". Experimental Parasitology 120 4 (2008): 421-423. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-55049141724&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1016/j.exppara.2008.09.002
  21. Sousa Silva, Marta; Ferreira, António E. N.; Tomás, Ana Maria; Cordeiro, Carlos; Ponces Freire, Ana. "Quantitative assessment of the glyoxalase pathway in Leishmania infantum as a therapeutic target by modelling and computer simulation". FEBS Journal 272 10 (2005): 2388-2398. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1742-4658.2005.04632.x.
    10.1111/j.1742-4658.2005.04632.x
  22. Castro, H.; Sousa, C.; Novais, M.; Santos, M.; Budde, H.; Cordeiro-Da-Silva, A.; Flohé, L.; Tomás, A.M.. "Two linked genes of Leishmania infantum encode tryparedoxins localised to cytosol and mitochondrion". Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology 136 2 (2004): 137-147. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-2942562566&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1016/j.molbiopara.2004.02.015
  23. Cordeiro-da-Silva, A.; Cardoso, L.; Araújo, N.; Castro, H.; Tomás, A.; Rodrigues, M.; Cabral, M.; et al. "Identification of antibodies to Leishmania silent information regulatory 2 (SIR2) protein homologue during canine natural infections: Pathological implications". Immunology Letters 86 2 (2003): 155-162. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-0037417158&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1016/S0165-2478(03)00020-8
  24. Castro, H.; Sousa, C.; Santos, M.; Cordeiro-da-Silva, A.; Flohé, L.; Tomás, A.M.. "Complementary antioxidant defense by cytoplasmic and mitochondrial peroxiredoxins in Leishmania infantum". Free Radical Biology and Medicine 33 11 (2002): 1552-1562. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-0036889825&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1016/S0891-5849(02)01089-4
  25. Castro, H.; Budde, H.; Flohé, L.; Hofmann, B.; Lünsdorf, H.; Wissing, J.; Toms, A.M.. "Specificity and kinetics of a mitochondrial peroxiredoxin of Leishmania infantum". Free Radical Biology and Medicine 33 11 (2002): 1563-1574. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-0036890478&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1016/S0891-5849(02)01088-2
  26. Flohé, L.; Budde, H.; Bruns, K.; Castro, H.; Clos, J.; Hofmann, B.; Kansal-Kalavar, S.; et al. "Tryparedoxin peroxidase of Leishmania donovani: Molecular cloning, heterologous expression, specificity, and catalytic mechanism". Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics 397 2 (2002): 324-335. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-0037082141&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1006/abbi.2001.2688
  27. Rogerson, F.S.S.; Castro, H.; Fortunato, N.; Azevedo, Z.; Macedo, A.; De Freitas, V.A.P.. "Chemicals with sweet aroma descriptors found in Portuguese wines from the Douro region: 2,6,6-Trimethylcyclohex-2-ene-1,4-dione and diacetyl". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 49 1 (2001): 263-269. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-0035132599&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1021/jf000948c
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2019 The antioxidant system of Leishmania - role in parasite virulence.
Fundação Fio Cruz (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
2018 Assessing the impact of Leishmania infection on host cell migration. IJUP - Encontro de Investigação Jovem.
(Porto, Portugal)
2017 New functions for old enzymes? Revisiting the peroxiredoxin repertoire of Leishmania.
Instituto de Medicina Molecular (Lisboa, Portugal)
2017 New functions for old enzymes: revisiting the peroxiredoxin repertoire of Leishmania infantum. WorldLeish6
(Toledo, Spain)
2017 Assessing the impact of Leishmania infection on host cell migration. i3S Annual Meeting
(Póvoa do Varzim, Portugal)
2014 Reduced decameric Leishmania peroxiredoxin mTXNPx is a temperature-regulated bona fide chaperone. Gordon Research Seminar Thiol-Based Redox Regulation & Signaling.
(Girona, Spain)
2014 The Leishmania infantum mitochondrial tryparedoxin peroxidase - a temperature-regulated chaperone? 31st Swiss Trypanosomatid Meeting
(Leysin, Switzerland)
2013 Dissection of the thiol system of Leishmania and its potential use for therapeutical purposes VIII Congresso Científico AEFFUP
(Porto, Portugal)
2013 Validation of trypanothione synthetase as a drug target in the glutathionylspermidine synthetase-containing parasite Leishmania infantum. Worlleish5
(Porto de Galinhas, Brazil)
2013 The Leishmania infantum tryparedoxin peroxidase - A temperature-regulated chaperone essential to parasite infectivity? Worlleish5
(Porto de Galinhas, Brazil)
2011 Functional characterization of the trypanothione biosynthetic pathway of Leishmania infantum. COST CM0801 Annual Meeting
(Modena, Italy)
2011 Leishmania mitochondrial peroxiredoxin plays a crucial peroxidase-unrelated role during infection. COST CM0801 Annual Meeting
(Modena, Italy)
2010 Tryparedoxin-dependent systems: peculiarities and interest for new therapies. 2nd Joint Expert Meeting between Working Groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the COST Action CM0801
(Siena, Italy)
2009 CellNote - a platform for determination of intracellular parasitaemia in Leishmania infected macrophages. COST CM0801 Expert Meeting
(London, United Kingdom)
2009 Hydroperoxide metabolism in Leishmania - peculiarities and interest for drug development. 1st Joint Expert Meeting between Working Groups 1 and 3 of the COST Action CM0801
(Brunei)
2009 What does the “classical” tryparedoxin/peroxiredoxin pathway still has to offer to drug design? 10th Drug Design & Development Seminar in Conjunction with the 2nd Management Committee Meeting COST Action CM080
(Hesse, Germany)
2009 New prospects regarding the classical tryparedoxin/peroxiredoxin pathway operating within the Leishmania infantum mitochondrion. WorldLeish4
(Lucknow, India)

Supervision

Thesis Title
Role 		Degree Subject (Type)
Institution / Organization
2020 - Current Repurposing anti-cancer drugs as potential inhibitors for metastatic Leishmania infections
Supervisor
Universidade do Porto Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Portugal
2017 - 2017 The impact of Leishmania infection on host cell migration
Supervisor
 Bioquímica (Master)
Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal

Universidade do Porto Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Portugal
2015 - 2015 The mitochondrial peroxiredoxin of Leishmania - a novel member of the parasite chaperone network, crucial for infection
Co-supervisor
Universidade do Porto Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Portugal
2012 - 2012 Studies on metal acquisition in Leishmania infantum
Co-supervisor
Universidade do Porto Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Portugal
2011 - 2011 Thiol-dependent metabolism in the mitochondrion of Leishmania infantum
Supervisor
Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal
2011 - 2011 Investigation of trypanothione synthetase of Leishmania infantum as a potential target for new anti-parasitic drugs
Supervisor
Universidade Nova de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Portugal
2011 - 2011 Determining Leishmania infection levels by automatic analysis of microscopy images
Co-supervisor
Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal

Event organisation

Event name
Type of event (Role) 		Institution / Organization
2016 - 2016 COST Action CM1307, Meeting of Working Groups 1&4. Porto, PT. (2016)
Meeting (Member of the Organising Committee)
 European Cooperation in Science and Technology, Belgium
2011 - 2012 COST Action CM0801 Training School on In silico tools for prioritization of drug targets. Siena, Italy. (2011)
Workshop (Member of the Organising Committee)
 European Cooperation in Science and Technology, Belgium
2009 - 2009 1st Joint Expert Meeting between Working Groups 1&3 of the COST Action CM0801. South-West University, Campus Bachinovo, Bulgaria. (2009)
Meeting (Member of the Organising Committee)
 European Cooperation in Science and Technology, Belgium

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event 		Event name
Institution / Organization
2020/03/06 - Current Voluntary for the i3S Covid-19 Task Force, working both as operator and overseer of the "RNA Extraction" teams.
Other
Universidade do Porto Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal
2008 - Current Scientific dissemination activities to visiting high school students
Universidade do Porto Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal
2019 - 2019 International Immunology Day (speed dating with high school students)
Round table
Universidade do Porto Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal
2018 - 2018 Mostra UP (scientific dissemination activities for high school students)
Exhibition
 Mostra UP
Universidade do Porto, Portugal
2016 - 2017 YScience - Hands-on activities with 6-12 yr old students (weekly activity).
Other
2014 - 2014 Mostra UP (scientific dissemination activities for high school students)
Exhibition
Universidade do Porto, Portugal
2013 - 2014 AnoZero Project with Carolina Michaëlis High School students.
Other
Universidade do Porto Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Portugal
2013 - 2013 European Researcher's Night
Exhibition
Universidade do Porto, Portugal
2011 - 2012 Lecturer in the COST Action CM0801 Training School on In silico tools for prioritization of drug targets. Siena, Italy.
Workshop
European Cooperation in Science and Technology, Belgium
2011 - 2011 Lecturer in the COST Action CM0801 Training School on Enzyme purification and screening methods in drug discovery. Modena, Italy.
Workshop
European Cooperation in Science and Technology, Belgium

Jury of academic degree

Topic
Role 		Candidate name (Type of degree)
Institution / Organization
2018 Understanding the role of glycerol in triggering parasite differentiation
(Thesis) Main arguer
 Alexandra Isabel Vidigal Teixeira (Master)
Universidade Nova de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Portugal
2017 Diseño y evaluación de inhibidores peptídicos dirigidos a da interfaz de dimerización de la tripanotión reductasa de Leishmania infantum
(Thesis) Main arguer
 Miguel Ángel Toro Londoño (PhD)
Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, Spain
2016 Circadian rhythms in a Trypanosoma brucei infection: host, parasite or both?
Thesis Member
 Filipa Rijo-Ferreira (PhD)
Universidade do Porto Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Portugal
2016 Functional characterization of Leishmania infantum asparagine synthetase A and ribose 5-phosphate isomerase B as potential drug targets
(Thesis) Main arguer
 Joana Raquel Correia Faria (PhD)
Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Farmácia, Portugal
2015 Determination of Arginase 1 and Nitric Oxide Synthase expression during pregnancy and Toxoplasma gondii infection
(Thesis) Main arguer
 Carina Vanessa Fernandes Brito (Master)
Universidade de Aveiro Departamento de Biologia, Portugal

Committee member

Activity description
Role 		Institution / Organization
2017/03/01 - Current i3S Biosafety Committee Role: Representative of the BSL2 Facilities users
Member
 Universidade do Porto Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal
2008 - 2012 Working Group Coordinator (WG1 - Molecular biology of pathogenic Trypanosomatidae) in the COST Action CM0801 (New drugs for neglected diseases)
Coordinator
 European Cooperation in Science and Technology, Belgium

Course / Discipline taught

Academic session Degree Subject (Type) Institution / Organization
2016 - Current Engenharia Biomédica course - Invited lecturer Biomedical Engineering (Licenciatura) Instituto Politécnico do Porto Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, Portugal
2015 - Current Biochemistry course - Invited lecturer (Biology of Infection module) Biochemistry (Mestrado) Universidade do Porto Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Portugal
2019 - 2019 Biotechnology and Synthetic Biology MSc - Invited lecturer (Biological Models module) Biotechnology and Synthetic Biology (Mestrado) Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal
2010 - 2018 GABBA Doctoral Program - Invited lecturer (Molecular Parasitology module) (Curso de doutoramento (conclusão de unidades curriculares)) Universidade do Porto, Portugal

Evaluation committee

Activity description
Role 		Institution / Organization Funding entity
2016 - 2016 Evaluation of Research Project within the scope of the "Proyectos I+D 2016" call (Area: Basic Research), by Comisión Sectorial de Investigación Científica.
Evaluator
 Universidad de la República Uruguay, Uruguay
2011 - 2011 Evaluation of Research Project within the scope of the "Projectos IJUP".
Evaluator
 Universidade do Porto, Portugal

Interview (tv / radio show)

Program Topic
2018 - 2018 TSF Rádio Notícias Investigadores estudam migração do parasita da leishmaniose pelo corpo humano

Journal scientific committee

Journal title (ISSN) Publisher
2020 - 2020 Parasitology Research (1432-1955) Springer-Verlag
2020 - 2020 Microorganisms (2076-2607) MDPI AG
2020 - 2020 Scientific Reports (2045-2322) Springer Science and Business Media LLC
2019 - 2019 International Journal for Parasitology Drugs and Drug Resistance (2211-3207) Elsevier
2019 - 2019 Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology (2042-7158) Wiley (Blackwell Publishing)
2019 - 2019 Journal of Natural Products (1520-6025) American Chemical Society
2018 - 2018 Free Radical Biology and Medicine
2018 - 2018 Parasites & Vectors (1756-3305) Springer (Biomed Central Ltd.)
2017 - 2017 Journal of Medicinal Chemistry (1520-4804) American Chemical Society
2016 - 2016 FEBS Journal (1742-4658) Wiley (Blackwell Publishing)
2016 - 2016 PLoS ONE (1932-6203) Public Library of Science
2015 - 2015 Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology
2014 - 2014 PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
2013 - 2014 Acta Tropica
2010 - 2012 Experimental Parasitology (1090-2449) Elsevier
2011 - 2011 Antioxidants & Redox Signaling (1557-7716) Mary Ann Liebert
2008 - 2008 International Journal of Infectious Diseases

Mentoring / Tutoring

Topic Student name
2019 - 2019 Ensaios de citotoxicidade de novos potenciais fármacos contra Leishmania Mariana Filipa Madanços Teixeira
2018 - 2018 Análise computacional da velocidade e persistência da migração celular Florbela Santos Nunes
2017 - 2017 Determination of the microbicidal potential of a new drug in cultures of macrophages infected with Leishmania Tiago André Cunha Oliveira
2017 - 2017 Reverse genetics of the Leishmania infantum peroxiredoxin locus at chromosome 15 Inês Isabel Simões Alves
2016 - 2016 CRISPR-Cas9–mediated ablation and functional analysis of the zinc transporter LiZIP3 in Leishmania infantum Teresa Pires de Matos Alves Leão 2016
2016 - 2016 Development of systems to facilitate target identification and drug development in Leishmania infantum Elyne Backx
2013 - 2013 Estudo do efeito da fosforilação da tirosina 195 na atividade peroxidase de duas peroxirredoxinas de Leishmania infantum Filipe Miguel Paredes Oliveira
2009 - 2009 Estabelecimento de um protocolo de microscopia intravital em Leishmania infantum João Carlos Aguiar Macedo Teixeira
2008 - 2008 Enzimas do metabolismo de hidroperóxidos de Leishmania infantum: análise como alvos de droga anti-Leishmania Mariana de Fátima Ribeiro Saraiva da Silva Santos

Other jury / evaluation

Activity description Institution / Organization
2015 - 2015 Jury of the PhD Seminar "The journey of Plasmodium sporozoites in the mammalian host" by David Alexandre Mendes da Costa Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Farmácia, Portugal
Distinctions

Award

2004 Estímulo à Investigação
Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Portugal
1998 Prémio Engenheiro António de Almeida
Fundação Engenheiro António de Almeida, Portugal