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Ana Catarina Pereira (AC Pereira) has a PhD in Health Sciences with a specialization in Biomedical Sciences from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra (UC), Portugal, 2024. The experimental work has been conducted at the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), a partner of the Associated Laboratory Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), at UC. In 2018, she has obtained a master's degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the Faculty of Science and Technology, UC, after conclusion the bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences from the Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Algarve (UAlg), Portugal, in 2016. As a Master's and Bachelor's student, respectively, AC Pereira was awarded two Merit and Excellence scholarships: one by the University of Coimbra in 2018 and another by the University of Algarve in 2016. Until now, she published 10 papers in peer-reviewed journals, 5 original papers and 5 reviews and the scientific impact of her research is reflected in the H index (9) and number of citations (327) (Google Schoolar). Moreover, an original research article, for which she is the first author, was recently accepted for publication. Additionally, she is a co-author of one original article currently under review and the first author of three more original articles in preparation. She presented her work in 11 oral inter(national) scientific meetings and is author of 12 poster communications. AC Pereira received twice the best oral communication award at scientific meetings, namely at the 1st Annual Meeting in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Coimbra, Portugal (2019) and at the 56th Annual Scientific Meeting of the European Society for Clinical Investigation (ESCI), Bari, Italy (2022). She was enrolled as a team member in the FCT's funded project "The ups and downs of cellular stress: the" MAM hypothesis "for Bipolar disorder pathophysiology" (PTDC/MED-NEU/28214/2017). AC Pereira supervised a Master's project in Cellular and Molecular Biology, and tutored classes in Cellular Regulation and in Research Methods and Techniques for the Master's degree in Biomedical Research, from the Faculty of Medicine, UC. She actively participated in several science communication projects and activities, such as the European Night of Researchers, the International Brain Awareness Week, co-authored the Cartoon "A Bipolar Journey" published in the national Público online newspaper in the International Day of Bipolar Disorder 2021 (30 March), and collaborated in the video entitled "Bipolar disorder: another side" promoted by the theater company Marionet (2022) and CNC. AC Pereira has given several seminars and lectures including the “Mental Health” awareness session on World Mental Health Day, aimed at students, parents and teachers, Penafiel Sudeste Basic School, October 2024; and “Pandemic and Bipolar Disorder”, Miguel Torga Secondary School, Agrupamento de Escolas Damião de Goes, Colégio Guadalupe, May 2021. The specific aim of her PhD research project was to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric diseases namely bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, focusing on the dysregulation of cellular stress responses, with a special emphasis on the endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria communication and its impact on innate immunity and lipid profile, among other crucial cellular events. The ultimate goal was to disclose novel targets for therapeutic intervention and biomarkers for early diagnosis. Keywords: Bipolar Disorder; Schizophrenia; Endoplasmic Reticulum; Mitochondria; Mitochondria-Associated Membranes (MAMs); NLRP3 inflammasome; lipidomics.
Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Ana Catarina de Jesus Pais Pereira

Citation names

  • Ana Catarina Pereira
  • Pereira. AC
  • Pereira, Ana Catarina

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
6410-E56A-1BEA
ORCID iD
0000-0002-3269-0865

Email addresses

  • anacatarinajpp@gmail.com (Professional)

Knowledge fields

  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Cell Biology
  • Medical and Health Sciences - Health Sciences
  • Medical and Health Sciences - Basic Medicine - Neurosciences

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
Portuguese (Mother tongue)
English Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1)
French Upper intermediate (B2) Upper intermediate (B2) Intermediate (B1) Upper intermediate (B2) Upper intermediate (B2)
Education
Degree Classification
2020/01/01 - 2024/07/16
Concluded
PhD in Health Sciences (Doutoramento)
Major in Biomedical Sciences
Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Medicina, Portugal
"DISRUPTION OF MITOCHONDRIA-ASSOCIATED MEMBRANES IN BIPOLAR DISORDER: FROM MOLECULAR MECHANISMS TO NOVEL THERAPEUTIC TARGETS " (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
Approved with distinction and honor
2020/01/01 - 2024/07/16
Concluded
EIT Health Ageing PhD School - Supplement to the PhD diploma (Doctor of Philosophy)
EIT Health Ageing PhD School, Portugal
2016 - 2018
Concluded
Master's degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology (Mestrado)
Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Ciencias e Tecnologia, Portugal
"Deregulated inflammasome in Bipolar Disorder (BD): a matter of stress?" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
19 valores
2013/09/09 - 2016/07/18
Concluded
Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Sciences (Licenciatura)
Universidade do Algarve Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Portugal
"S-nitrosilação da proteina 14-3-3 pelo NO em células estaminais neurais adultas do Hipocampo HC7 (Monografia)" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
16 valores
Affiliation

Others

Category
Host institution
Employer
2023/06 - 2024/12 Visiting Graduate PhD Student Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal
Universidade de Aveiro - Laboratório de Lipidómica, Departamento de Química, Portugal
2020/01/01 - 2024/07/16 PhD student Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal
Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Medicina, Portugal
(...)
2018/12/17 - 2019/12/17 Research fellow (Master's holder) project of HEALTHYAGING 2020 (CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-000012) Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Medicina, Portugal
Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Medicina, Portugal
Projects

Contract

Designation Funders
2020/01 - 2022/07 The ups and downs of cellular stress: the" MAM hypothesis "for Bipolar disorder pathophysiology
PTDC/MED-NEU/28214/2017
PhD Student Fellow
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Concluded
2018/12/01 - 2019/12 HEALTHYAGING 2020 (CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-000012)
CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-028214
Research Fellow
CNC.IBILI, Portugal
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Concluded
Outputs

Publications

Conference poster
  1. Ana Catarina Pereira (Pereira. AC). "The role of mitochondria-associated membranes (MAMs) in bipolar disorder". Paper presented in BEB day, 2023.
  2. Ana Catarina Pereira (Pereira. AC). "Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-mitochondria contacts and inflammation in bipolar disorder". Paper presented in CIBB: 4th Retreat of Neuroscience and Disease, 2022.
  3. Ana Catarina Pereira (Pereira. AC). "Endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria coupling and inflammation in bipolar disorder". Paper presented in XVII Meeting of the Portuguese Society for Neuroscience, 2022.
  4. Ana Catarina Pereira (Pereira. AC). "Mitochondrial calcium rise in thapsigargin-treated THP-1 monocytes is independent of NLRP3 inflammasome activation". Paper presented in 12th World Meeting on Pharmaceutics, Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, 2021.
  5. Ana Catarina Pereira (Pereira. AC). "Role of Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)-mitochondria Ca2+ transfer in NLRP3 inflammasome activation in human monocytes". Paper presented in 8th ECS Workshop Calcium Signalling in Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases, 2019.
  6. Ana Catarina Pereira (Pereira. AC). "Mitochondria-Associated Membranes: the putative link between cellular stress and inflammasome activation in Bipolar Disorder". Paper presented in National Meeting of the Portuguese Society for Psychiatry and Mental Health, 2019.
  7. Ana Catarina Pereira (Pereira. AC). "Role of ER stress-induced NLRP3 activation in Bipolar Disorder". Paper presented in CIBB meeting, 2019.
  8. Ana Catarina Pereira (Pereira. AC). "Role of Endoplasmic Reticulum-Mitochondria contacts in NLRP3 inflammasome activation in Bipolar Disorder". Paper presented in 19th World Congress of Psychiatry, 2019.
  9. Ana Catarina Pereira (Pereira. AC). "The role of endoplasmic reticulum stress in the innate immune system in Bipolar Disorder". Paper presented in 27th European Congress of Psychiatry, 2019.
  10. Ana Catarina Pereira (Pereira. AC). "Role of endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria contacts in stress-induced sterile inflammation in Bipolar disorder". Paper presented in 3rd BEB/Bluepharma Award, 2019.
  11. Ana Catarina Pereira (Pereira. AC). "Role ofMitochondria-Associated Membranes in the endoplasmic reticulum stress response in the innate immune system". Paper presented in MitoPorto, 2018.
  12. Ana Catarina Pereira (Pereira. AC). "Identification of neurogenic S-nitrosylation targets in neural stem cells". Paper presented in 1st Annual CBMR Meeting, 2016.
Journal article
  1. Ana Catarina Pereira; Ana Patrícia Marques; Rosa Resende; Laura Serrano-Cuñarro; Margarida Caldeira; Tânia Fernandes; Mariana Batista; et al. "Changes in the Endoplasmic Reticulum-Mitochondria Communication in Dermal Fibroblasts from Early-Stage Bipolar Disorder Patients: Skin-Brain Axis as a New Route to Understand the Pathophysiology of Mental illness?". International Journal of Molecular Medicine (2025):
    Accepted
  2. Ana Catarina Pereira; Laura Serrano-Cuñarro; Maria Teresa Cruz; Cláudia Cavadas; Cláudia Maria Fragão Pereira. "The link between alterations in circadian rhythms and lipid metabolism in bipolar disorder: the lipid droplets hypothesis". Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry (2024): https://doi.org/10.47626/1516-4446-2024-3670.
    10.47626/1516-4446-2024-3670
  3. Resende, Rosa; Fernandes, Tânia; Pereira, Ana Catarina; Marques, Ana Patrícia; Pereira, Cláudia Fragão. "Endoplasmic Reticulum-Mitochondria Contacts Modulate Reactive Oxygen Species-Mediated Signaling and Oxidative Stress in Brain Disorders: The Key Role of Sigma-1 Receptor". Antioxidants & Redox Signaling 37 10-12 (2022): 758-780. http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/ars.2020.8231.
    Published • 10.1089/ars.2020.8231
  4. Conte, Fernanda Lopes; Pereira, Ana Catarina; Brites, Gonçalo; Ferreira, Isabel; Silva, Ana Cristina; Sebastião, Ana Isabel; Matos, Patrícia; et al. "Exploring the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiallergic potential of Brazilian propolis in monocytes". Phytomedicine Plus 2 2 (2022): 100231. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.phyplu.2022.100231.
    Published • 10.1016/j.phyplu.2022.100231
  5. Ana Catarina Pereira; Jessica De Pascale; Rosa Resende; Susana Cardoso; Isabel Ferreira; Bruno Miguel Neves; Mylène A. Carrascal; et al. "ER-mitochondria communication is involved in NLRP3 inflammasome activation under stress conditions in the innate immune system". Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 79 4 (2022): https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-022-04211-7.
    Published • 10.1007/s00018-022-04211-7
  6. Pereira, Ana Catarina Pereira; Madeira, Nuno; Morais, Sofia; Macedo, António; Maria Teresa Cruz Rosete; Cláudia Maria Fragão Pereira. "Mitochondria Fusion upon SERCA Inhibition Prevents Activation of the NLRP3 Inflammasome in Human Monocytes". Cells 11 3 (2022): 433-433. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/cells11030433.
    Open access • Published • 10.3390/cells11030433
  7. Pereira, Ana Catarina; Oliveira, Joana; Silva, Sónia; Madeira, Nuno; Pereira, Cláudia M.F.; Cruz, Maria T.. "Inflammation in Bipolar Disorder (BD): Identification of new therapeutic targets". Pharmacological Research 163 (2021): 105325. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2020.105325.
    Published • 10.1016/j.phrs.2020.105325
  8. Resende, R.; Fernandes, T.; Pereira. AC.; De Pascale, J.; Marques, A.P.; Oliveira, P.; Morais, S.; et al. "Mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum and innate immune dysfunction in mood disorders: Do Mitochondria-Associated Membranes (MAMs) play a role?". Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Basis of Disease 1866 6 (2020): 165752-165752. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbadis.2020.165752.
    Published • 10.1016/j.bbadis.2020.165752
  9. Santos, Ana Isabel; Lourenço, Ana Sofia; Simão, Sónia; Marques da Silva, Dorinda; Santos, Daniela Filipa; Onofre de Carvalho, Ana Paula; Pereira, Ana Catarina; et al. "Identification of new targets of S-nitrosylation in neural stem cells by thiol redox proteomics". Redox Biology 32 (2020): 101457-101457. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2020.101457.
    Published
  10. Pereira, Claudia F.; Santos, Armanda E.; Moreira, Paula I.; Pereira, Ana Catarina; Sousa, Fabio J.; Cardoso, Sandra M.; Cruz, M. Teresa. "Is Alzheimer's disease an inflammasomopathy?". Ageing Research Reviews 56 (2019): 100966. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2019.100966.
    Published • 10.1016/j.arr.2019.100966
  11. Ana Catarina Pereira. "The ups and downs of cellular stress: the "MAMs hypothesis" for Bipolar disorder pathophysiology". International Journal of Clinical Neurosciences and Mental Health (2017): http://dx.doi.org/10.21035/ijcnmh.2017.4(suppl.3).s04.
    Published • 10.21035/ijcnmh.2017.4(suppl.3).s04
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2024/05/24 Endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria communication and DISC1 dysfunction in schizophrenia SINAL 2024
University of Coimbra (Coimbra, Portugal)
2023/12/01 The endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-mitochondria communication in schizophrenia Mitochondria in Aging, Cancer and Cell Death (MAC)
University of Coimbra (Coimbra , Portugal)
2023/06/09 Dysfunction of endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria contacts in bipolar disorder 57th Annual Scientific Meeting of the European Society for Clinical Investigation (ESCI)
University of Prague (Praga , Czech Republic)
2023/05/12 Alterations in the contacts between endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria in Bipolar disorder MitoPorto
University of Porto (Porto, Portugal)
2023/02/03 Impairment of Mitochondria-Associated Membranes (MAMs) in Bipolar disorder 53rd Meeting of the Portuguese Society of Pharmacology (SPF)
University of Coimbra (Coimbra, Portugal)
2022/06/09 Mitochondria-associated membranes (MAMs) and sterile inflammation in Bipolar disorder 56th Annual Scientific Meeting of the European Society for Clinical Investigation (ESCI)
University of Bari (Bari, Italy)
2022/02/09 Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)-Mitochondria contacts and inflammation in Bipolar disorder 52st Meeting of the Portuguese Pharmacology Society
Universidade do Porto (Porto, Portugal)
2021/11/19 Inflammation in bipolar disorder (BD): Identification of new therapeutic targets XV Congresso Nacional de Psiquiatria
Sociedade Portuguesa de Psiquiatria (online, Portugal)
2021/02/18 Effect of Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) stress on ER-mitochondria contacts in the innate immune system 51st Meeting of the Portuguese Pharmacology Society
Universidade de Lisboa (online , Portugal)
2019/11/15 ER stress-induced sterile inflammation in Bipolar disorder 1st Annual Meeting in Pharmaceutical Sciences
Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Farmácia (Coimbra , Portugal)
2019/02/07 Role of Endoplasmic Reticulum-Mitochondria contacts in inflammasome activation during cellular stress conditions XLIX Reunião Sociedade Portuguesa de Farmacologia, Porto 2019).
Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Farmácia (Porto, Portugal)

Event organisation

Event name
Type of event (Role)
Institution / Organization
2024/10/10 - 2024/10/10 Awareness session “Mental Health" (2024/10/10 - 2024/10/10)
Seminar (President of the Organising Committee)
Escola Básica de Penafiel Sudeste, Portugal
2022/09/30 - 2022/09/30 European Researchers' Night 2022 (2022/09/30 - 2022/09/30)
Exhibition (Member of the Organising Committee)
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
2021/12/01 - 2021/12/03 XVII Meeting of the Portuguese Society for Neuroscience (2021/12/01 - 2021/12/03)
Congress (Member of the Organising Committee)
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
2019/12/12 - 2019/12/12 8th ECS Workshop Calcium Signalling in Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases (2019/12/12 - 2019/12/12)
Congress (Member of the Organising Committee)
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
2019/03/11 - 2019/03/17 International Brain Awareness Week 2019 (2019/03/11 - 2019/03/17)
Exhibition (Member of the Organising Committee)
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
2019/02/18 - 2019/02/18 Escola Ciência Viva - atividades /conversas sobre patologias Inflamatória e Imunidade (2019/02/18 - 2019/02/18)
Seminar (Member of the Organising Committee)
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event
Event name
Institution / Organization
2022/01/18 - 2022/01/18 Science communication challenge - "Circadian Rhythms in Bipolar disorder: time to inflammate?"
Call
BEB day 2022-The overview effect
BEB doctoral program , Portugal
2020/03/20 - 2020/05/31 Volunteer work: COVID-19 Laboratory, Clinical Analysis Laboratory at Univ. Coimbra (LAC-UC)
Other
Laboratório COVID-19
Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal

Association member

Society Organization name Role
2024 - 2025 Sociedade Portuguesa de Neurociências (SPN) | Portuguese Society for Neuroscience Member
2022 - 2025 European Society for Clinical investigation (ESCI) Member

Interview (tv / radio show)

Program Topic
2022/03/30 - 2023/03/30 Semana Internacional do Cérebro: Doença Bipolar Cérebro e a doença bipolar

Journal scientific committee

Journal title (ISSN) Publisher
2024/03/01 - 2024/04/01 Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy Journal (0753-3322) Elsevier
2023/12 - 2023/12 Journal of Affective Disorders ( 0165-0327) Elsevier
2020/04/20 - 2020/05/11 Experimental Brain Research Journal (1432-1106) Springer-Verlag

Mentoring / Tutoring

Topic Student name
2022/02 - 2022/02 Tutor of Applied Research II in Medicine Carina Rafaela
2021/10 - 2021/10 Tutor for the laboratory project in Research Methods and Techniques 3 alunos
2018/10 - 2019/06 Practical tutor for the thesis project of a Erasmus master's student in Cellular and Molecular Biology Jessica De Pascale
2018/10/01 - 2018/10/05 Tutor of Cellular Regulation Classes to Biomedical Research Master Students 5 alunos
2018/02 - 2018/05 Tutor of extracurricular internship in Integrated Master in Pharmaceutical Sciences Bianca Abreu
2017/10 - 2017/11 Tutor for the laboratory project in Research Methods and Techniques 5 alunos

Scientific expedition

Activity description Institution / Organization
2024/10/10 - 2024/10/10 Awareness session “Mental Health” Escola Básica Penafiel Sudeste, Portugal
2022/09/30 - 2022/09/30 Video "Doença bipolar: Um outro lado" in collaboration with the theater company Marionet Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal

Teatro Marionet, Portugal
2022/09/30 - 2022/09/30 European Researchers' Night 2022 Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
2022/03/14 - 2022/03/30 International Brain Awareness Week 2022 -"Feira do Cérebro" Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
2022/02/23 - 2022/02/23 Palestra "Doença bipolar: Um problema de comunicação?", Oficina de Teatro da licenciatura de Estudos Artísticos da UC Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
2021/03/30 - 2021/03/30 Cartoon "Bipolar Journey" published in Público newspaper in the international day of Bipolar Disorder Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
2021/03/15 - 2021/03/21 International Brain Awareness Week 2021 - Seminar "Pandemic and bipolar Disorder"- Escola Secundária Miguel Torga, Agrupamento Escolas Damião de Goes, Colégio Guadalupe, Coimbra Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
2019/03/11 - 2019/03/17 International Brain Awareness Week 2019 - activities / lectures - Externato Menino Jesus, Coimbra CNC.IBILI, Portugal
2019/02/18 - 2019/02/18 Escola Ciência Viva - atividades / conversas sobre patologias Inflamatória e Imunidade - Região Centro de Portugal - Rómulo de Carvalho UC CNC.IBILI, Portugal
2018/10/02 - 2018/10/02 European Researchers' Night 2018 Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
2018/03/05 - 2018/03/09 International Brain Awareness Week 2018 - activities / lectures - Região Centro de Portugal Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
Distinctions

Award

2022 Best oral presentation award-56th Annual Scientific Meeting of the European Society for Clinical Investigation (ESCI)
Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Consorziale Policlinico di Bari, Italy
2022 Best Poster communication Award, 4th Retreat of Neuroscience and Disease
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Inovação em Biomedicina e Biotecnologia, Portugal
2019 Best Oral communication Award, 1st Annual Meeting in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Drugs R&D PhD Symposium
Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Farmácia, Portugal
2018 Merit scholarship by UC as a Master student
Universidade de Coimbra Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Portugal
2013 Merit and excellence scholarship by UAlg
Universidade do Algarve Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Portugal

Other distinction

2023 Travel grant attributed by the 57TH Annual Scientific Meeting of the European Society of Clinical Investigation (ESCI)
2022 Travel grant awarded by the 56TH Annual Scientific Meeting of the European Society of Clinical Investigation (ESCI)
2021 Winner of a competitive FENS-Hertie Winter School grant “Multiscale Approaches to Probe Psychiatric Disorders”, 2021 (cancelled due to Covid-19 pandemic)
2020 EIT Health Ageing PhD School scholarship attributed by the EIT Health PhD School
2019 PhD grant (SFRH/BD/148653/2019) awarded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal