
Curriculum Vitae
Carina Santos Henriques
Carina Henriques is a PhD candidate in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Coimbra. Carina has seven years of experience
in gene therapy, focusing primarily on the development of viral and non-viral vectors for treating and modeling rare genetic
neurodegenerative diseases. Throughout her career, she has contributed to various research projects, including collaborations
with international pharmaceutical companies such as WAVE Life Sciences, UniQure, Blade Therapeutics, and PTC Therapeutics,
as well as the biotechnological research infrastructure ViraVector.
Identification
Personal identification
- Full name
- Carina Santos Henriques
Citation names
- Henriques, Carina
Author identifiers
- Ciência ID
- 5B12-3335-A348
- ORCID iD
- 0000-0001-9974-754X
Email addresses
- uc44868@uc.pt (Professional)
- cshenriques@cnc.uc.pt (Professional)
- chenriques4657@gmail.com (Personal)
Telephones
- Telephone
-
- 239855089 (Professional)
Addresses
- Rua Larga, Faculty of Medicine, 3004-504, Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal (Professional)
Websites
- www.uc.pt/ucbusiness/pts/viravector (Professional)
- www.cibb.uc.pt (Professional)
Knowledge fields
- Medical and Health Sciences - Medical Biotechnology - Gene-based Diagnostics and Therapeutic Interventions
- Medical and Health Sciences - Basic Medicine - Neurosciences
- Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Biology
- Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Cell Biology
- Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Molecular Biology
- Medical and Health Sciences - Medical Biotechnology - Health-Related Biotechnology
- Medical and Health Sciences - Medical Biotechnology - Technologies Involving the Manipulation of Cells, Tissues, Organs or the Whole Organism
- Medical and Health Sciences - Basic Medicine - Human Genetics
Languages
Language | Speaking | Reading | Writing | Listening | Peer-review |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Portuguese (Mother tongue) | |||||
English | Upper intermediate (B2) | Upper intermediate (B2) | Upper intermediate (B2) | Advanced (C1) | Upper intermediate (B2) |
Education
Degree | Classification | |
---|---|---|
2021/01/01 - 2025/06/01
Ongoing
|
Ciências Farmacêuticas (Doutoramento)
Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Farmácia, Portugal
"Lentiviral-based animal modeling: a tool for Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 disease study and therapy development" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
|
|
2025/02 - 2025/03
Ongoing
|
Engenharia Financeira e Controlo de Gestão (Outros)
Leiria Business School, Portugal
|
|
2023/03/28 - 2023/03/31
Concluded
|
ESGCT 6th Annual Spring School (Outros)
European Society of Gene & Cell Therapy, Belgium
|
|
2022/11/08 - 2022/12/06
Concluded
|
BioSTART 1st edition (Outros)
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
|
|
2021/05/17 - 2021/05/28
Concluded
|
Principles and Practice in Drug Development (Curso de doutoramento (conclusão de unidades curriculares))
Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
|
|
2020/11 - 2021/05
Concluded
|
IV Modular Structure training in Laboratory Animal Science (Outros)
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
|
|
2021/04/19 - 2021/04/23
Concluded
|
Advanced Therapies (Curso de doutoramento (conclusão de unidades curriculares))
Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
|
|
2021/02/01 - 2021/02/05
Concluded
|
High-Throughput Screening for Target and Drug Discovery (Curso de doutoramento (conclusão de unidades curriculares))
Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
|
|
2016/09/13 - 2018/11/09
Concluded
|
Biologia Molecular e Genética (Mestrado integrado)
Universidade de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal
"Modified-exosomes as gene delivery vectors for the treatment of Machado-Joseph disease" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
|
18 |
2018
Concluded
|
Gestão de Resíduos Hospitalares Perigosos - Triagem e Acondicionamento (Outros)
ambiwaste, Portugal
|
|
2013/09 - 2016/06/28
Concluded
|
Ciências Biomédicas (Licenciatura)
Major in Menor em Biomedicina Molecular
Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal
|
15 |
2016
Concluded
|
First Certificate in English (Outros)
Cambridge English Language Assessment, Russia
|
B2 |
2016
Concluded
|
Certificado de Formação Profissional (Outros)
Associação Formar para Salvar, Portugal
|
18 |
Affiliation
Science
Category Host institution |
Employer | |
---|---|---|
2022/01 - Current | Researcher (Research) | Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal |
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal | ||
2019/12/30 - 2021/12/31 | Researcher (Research) | Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal |
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal | ||
2019/02/25 - 2019/12/24 | Researcher (Research) | Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal |
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal (...) |
||
2017/09/01 - 2018/10/09 | Research Trainee (Research) | Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal |
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal | ||
2016/09 - 2017/01 | Research Trainee (Research) | Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal |
Universidade de Lisboa Faculdade de Farmácia, Portugal | ||
2016/07/01 - 2016/07/15 | Research Trainee (Research) | Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal |
Universidade de Aveiro Instituto de Biomedicina, Portugal |
Others
Category Host institution |
Employer | |
---|---|---|
2018/11/12 - 2019/02/27 | Voluntary Researcher in continuation of MSc Thesis project | Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal |
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal |
Projects
Grant
Designation | Funders | |
---|---|---|
2019/02/25 - 2022/03 | ViraVector - Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core facility
CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-022095
Research Fellow
Universidade de Coimbra - ViraVector, Portugal
|
CENTRO 2020
Ongoing
|
2019/12/30 - 2021/12/31 | BrainHealth 2020 - Detecção Precoce, Neuro-modulação e Terapias Avançadas para Neuropatologias
CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-000008
Research Fellow
|
CENTRO 2020 |
2020/06 - 2020/11 | Expedited validation and large-scale manufacture of a blowing device for collection with inactivation of samples for detection
of SARS-CoV-2
269_596884125
Researcher
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
Universidade de Coimbra Instituto de Investigação Interdisciplinar, Portugal Universidade de Coimbra - ViraVector, Portugal |
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia |
2018/09 - 2019/06 | Exosomes as gene delivery vectors for the treatment of Machado-Joseph disease/Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3
21163
Other
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
|
AFM-Téléthon
Concluded
|
Contract
Designation | Funders | |
---|---|---|
2020/06 - 2022/12 | mirSilencing
NA
Researcher
PTC Therapeutics Inc, United States
|
PTC Therapeutics Inc
Concluded
|
2019/08 - 2020/05 | Targeting mutant ATXN3 for the treatment of Spinocerebellar Ataxia 3 (SCA3) using allele-specific ASOs
N.A
Researcher
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
|
Wave Life Sciences
Concluded
|
2019/11 - 2020/01 | A Therapeutic Strategy in Machado-Joseph Disease
CPD0020A01
Researcher
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
|
Blade Therapeutics, Inc
Ongoing
|
2019/02 - 2019/09 | Targeting ATXN3 for the treatment of Spinocerebellar Ataxia 3 (SCA3) using AAV5 and an artificial microRNA
N.A.
Researcher
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
|
uniQure NV
Concluded
|
Other
Designation | Funders | |
---|---|---|
2020/04 - 2020/06 | Covid-19 Lab @ CNC / ViraVector
N A
Researcher
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
Universidade de Coimbra - ViraVector, Portugal |
|
2020/03/26 - 2020/05 | COVID-19 UC Lab
NA.
Other
Universidade de Coimbra Laboratório de Análises Clínicas, Portugal
|
Ongoing
|
Outputs
Publications
Conference abstract |
|
Conference poster |
|
Journal article |
|
Newspaper article |
|
Thesis / Dissertation |
|
Artistic / Performance
Theatre play |
|
Activities
Oral presentation
Presentation title | Event name Host (Event location) |
|
---|---|---|
2024/11 | Allele-specific silencing of mutant ataxin-3 via single administration of AAV9 vectores mitigates neuropathology and motor deficits in a Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) | International Congress for Ataxia Research 2024
(London, United Kingdom)
|
2024/02 | Extracellular vesicles delivery of CRISPR-Cas9 RNPs for therapeutic gene editing in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3 | 54ª Reunião da Sociedade Portuguesa de Farmacologia, 42.ª Reunião de Farmacologia Clínica e 23ª Reunião de Toxicologia
(Lisboa, Portugal)
|
2024/02 | Hacking biology: optimizing AAV-based gene delivery for enhanced brain regio-specific targeting | 54ª Reunião da Sociedade Portuguesa de Farmacologia, 42.ª Reunião de Farmacologia Clínica e 23ª Reunião de Toxicologia
(Lisboa, Portugal)
|
2024/02 | Generation of lentiviral-based mouse models of spinocerebellar ataxias: where to target? | 42.ª Reunião de Farmacologia Clínica e 23ª Reunião de Toxicologia, Lisboa, Portugal, 7-9 February 2024
(Lisboa, Portugal)
|
2024/02 | Targeted silencing via AAV9 polycistronic microRNA therapy rescues SCA3 molecular, neuropathological and motor deficits | 54ª Reunião da Sociedade Portuguesa de Farmacologia, 42.ª Reunião de Farmacologia Clínica e 23ª Reunião de Toxicologia
(Lisboa, Portugal)
|
2023/11 | Extracellular vesicles-mediated delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 systems to treat Machado-Joseph disease | PharmaDay
(Coimbra, Portugal)
|
2023/11 | Polycistronic artificial microRNAs delivery by AAV9 alleviate Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3(SCA3) | PharmaDay
(Coimbra, Portugal)
|
2023/11 | Targeting sirtuin-1 with CRISPR activation: a new therapeutic approach for SCA3 | PharmaDay
(Coimbra, Portugal)
|
2023/06 | Extracellular vesicles-mediated delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 systems to treat Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3/Machado-Joseph Disease | CAG Triplet Repeat Disorders GRC
(Vermont, United States)
|
2023/05 | Isolation of Natural and Biologically Active EV-AAVs for Brain Gene | American Society of Gene Therapy (ASGCT) 26th Annual
(Los Angeles, United States)
|
2022/02 | Upregulation of autophagy as a therapeutic strategy for SCA2 disease | 52ª Reunião da Sociedade Portuguesa de Farmacologia, 40.ª Reunião de Farmacologia Clínica e 21ª Reunião de Toxicologia
(Porto, Portugal)
|
2022/02 | Non-pathogenic viral vectors pseudotyped with the SARS-CoV-2 S protein to study drug repurposing and immunization strategies | 52ª Reunião da Sociedade Portuguesa de Farmacologia, 40.ª Reunião de Farmacologia Clínica e 21ª Reunião de Toxicologia
(Porto, Portugal)
|
2021/02/19 | Development Of Single-Step Affinity Chromatography Protocols For The Purification Of Adeno-Associated Viral Vectors | 20ª Reunião de Toxicologia. A Sociedade Portuguesa de Farmacologia
(Lisboa, Portugal)
|
2021/02/18 | MixcapAAV1/2 Vector: A Novel Gene Delivery System Distribution, Spreading And Tropism Analysis In Normal Mice | 20ª Reunião de Toxicologia. A Sociedade Portuguesa de Farmacologia
(Lisboa, Portugal)
|
2021/02/18 | Brain MicroRNAs In Plasma-Derived Extracellular Vesicles As Potential Biomarkers For Machado-Joseph Disease | 20ª Reunião de Toxicologia. A Sociedade Portuguesa de Farmacologia
(Lisboa, Portugal)
|
2021/02/18 | Allele-Specific Silencing Of Machado-Joseph Disease Using Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapeutics | 20ª Reunião de Toxicologia. A Sociedade Portuguesa de Farmacologia
(Lisboa, Portugal)
|
2019/11/15 | Extracellular vesicles-associated AAVs as gene delivery vectors for the treatment of brain disorders | 1st Annual Meeting in Pharmaceutical Sciences
(Coimbra, Portugal)
|
2019/11 | miRNA expression profile of plasma-derived extracellular vesicles distinguishes Machado-Joseph Disease patients from controls | 23rd Annual Meeting, Portuguese Society of Human Genetics
(Coimbra, Portugal)
|
2019/11 | Extracellular vesicles-associated AAVs as gene delivery vectors for the treatment of brain diseases (Flash poster presentation) | 5th GEIVEX Symposium |
2019/02/06 | Extracellular vesicles-associated AAVs as gene delivery vectors for the treatment of brain diseases | XLIX Reunião da Sociedade Portuguesa de Farmacologia, XXXVII Reunião de Farmacologia clínica, XVIII Reunião de toxicologia
(Porto, Portugal)
|
Event participation
Activity description Type of event |
Event name Institution / Organization |
|
---|---|---|
2018/11/19 - 2018/11/30 | Divulgação do trabalho desenvolvido no CNC ao público através de conversas e atividades informais nos autocarros da SMTUC
pela cidade de Coimbra, no contexto da Semana da Ciência e da Tecnologia 2018
Other
|
Brain Buskers nos autocarros
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
|
Association member
Society Organization name | Role | |
---|---|---|
2019/09 - Current | GEIVEX (Grupo Español de Investigación e Innovación en Vesículas Extracelulares) | |
2022/01 - 2024/01 | Centre for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra | CIBB PhD student’s representative |
2022 - 2023 | ESGCT Student Membership | |
2017/04 - 2017/08 | Board of European Students of Technology (BEST) Lisbon | Corporate Relations |
2017/03 - 2017/06 | Re-food Nossa Senhora de Fátima, Lisboa | Voluntary |
2016/01 - 2017/01 | Núcleo de Ciências Biomédicas - Associação Académica da Universidade de Aveiro (NECiB-AAUAv) | Marketing and Communication Department |
Mentoring / Tutoring
Topic | Student name | |
---|---|---|
2014/09 - 2016/06 | Programa de Tutoria / PT-UA | Ana Claudio, Margarida Vale, Rita Soares, Ivana Martins, Jéssica Santos, Maria Pinto,Tânia Gonçalves |
2015/09 - 2016/01 | Erasmus Student Network (ESN) Aveiro | Szymon Fraszczyk |
Distinctions
Award
2024 | BEB 2024 Best poster award
Students from the PhD Programme in Experimental Biology and Biomedicine, Portugal
|
2023 | Meritorious Abstract Travel Award
American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy, United States
|
2019 | 3rd BEB/BluePharma award
Bluepharma, Portugal
|