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Ana Rita Ferreira Fernandes graduated in Biochemistry from University of Minho in 2020, and obtained her master degree in Health Sciences in 2022 from Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS). During her master thesis, she worked in the Translational Neurogenetics research team, led by Patrícia Maciel, where she developed a system that is currently being used in the laboratory for the study of disease relevant protein-protein interactions, which can be modulated to fight pathogenesis of Machado-Joseph disease. Rita was then hired as a Research Fellow at ICVS in a funded research project where she complemented her experience in a vast amount of molecular biology techniques, cell culture, microscopy (fluorescence and confocal), flow cytometry and animal experimentation. Rita is now a joint PhD student between University of Minho (ICVS) and KU Leuven (VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research), where she is exploring the endolysosomal pathway in Alzheimer’s disease: the interplay between Amyloid Precursor Protein processing and lipid metabolism.
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Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Ana Rita Ferreira Fernandes

Citation names

  • Ferreira-Fernandes, Ana Rita

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
9E16-F52E-1655
ORCID iD
0000-0003-1982-3376

Email addresses

  • id11395@alunos.uminho.pt (Professional)
  • anarita.ferreirafernandes@student.kuleuven.be (Professional)
  • rita1699@live.com.pt (Personal)

Telephones

Mobile phone
  • 919269401 (Personal)

Addresses

  • Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory , 4710-057, Gualtar, Braga, Braga, Portugal (Professional)

Websites

Knowledge fields

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

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
Portuguese (Mother tongue)
English Advanced (C1) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Advanced (C1)
Spanish; Castilian Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1)
Education
Degree Classification
2024/04/01 - 2028/03/31
Ongoing
 Biomedicine and Health Sciendes/Biomedical Sciences (Doutoramento)
Universidade do Minho, Portugal

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Universitaire Ziekenhuizen Leuven Campus Gasthuisberg, Belgium
2020/09/05 - 2023/01/05
Concluded
 Health Sciences (Master)
Major in Neuroscience
Universidade do Minho Escola de Medicina, Portugal
"Development of a cellular ataxin-3 protein-protein interaction (PPI) assay for high-throughput screening of PPI modifiers." (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 18
2021/04/19 - 2021/05/07
Concluded
 Advanced Course on Pathogenesis of Neurodegenerative Diseases: finding a common ground (Outros)
Universidade do Minho Escola de Medicina, Portugal
 15
2021/02/15 - 2021/03/01
Concluded
 Course on Laboratory Animal Sciences (Outros)
Universidade do Minho Escola de Medicina, Portugal
 16
2017/09/15 - 2020/07/06
Concluded
 Biochemistry (Bachelor)
Universidade do Minho Escola de Ciências, Portugal
"Identification of ATXN3 nuclear interactions: implications for Machado-Joseph disease" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 17
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2023/03/11 - 2024/03/11 Researcher (Research) Universidade do Minho Escola de Medicina, Portugal
Universidade do Minho Escola de Medicina, Portugal
(...)

Others

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2022/01/01 - 2023/01/01 Academic Leader - Vice-President of Administration Department Associação Académica da Universidade do Minho, Portugal
2021/01/01 - 2022/01/01 Academic Leader - Logistics Director Associação Académica da Universidade do Minho, Portugal
Projects

Grant

Designation Funders
2023/03/11 - 2024/03/11 Development of over-inhibition of cortical circuits in Down Syndrome.
NEURON/0001/2021
Research Fellow
Outputs

Publications

Conference poster
  1. Ferreira-Fernandes, AR; Meireles-Costa L; Duarte-Silva, S; Neves-Carvalho, Andreia; Almeida, Bruno; Teixeira-Castro, Andreia; Maciel, Patrícia. "Unraveling the ATXN3 interactome: clues on its contribution for physiology and disease". Paper presented in ICVS retreat, 2023.
  2. Duarte-Silva, S; DA SILVA, JORGE D.; Monteiro-Fernandes, Daniela; Costa, Marta Daniela; Pereira-Sousa, Joana; Ferreira-Fernandes, AR; Rodrigues, Fernando; et al. "The glucocorticoid receptor as a biomarker and neuronal therapeutic target of a disease-improving bile acid in SCA3/MJD". Paper presented in ICVS retreat, 2023.
  3. Ferreira-Fernandes, AR; Meireles-Costa L; Almeida, Bruno; Maciel, Patrícia. "Development of a cellular ATXN3 protein-protein interaction (PPI) assay for high-throughput screening of PPI modifiers". Paper presented in Meeting of the Portuguese Society for Neuroscience, 2021.
  4. Ferreira-Fernandes, Ana Rita. "Development and optimization of a cellular ATXN3 protein-protein interaction (PPI) assay for high-throughout screening of PPI modifiers". Paper presented in Olympiads of Biochemistry, 2021.
Journal article
  1. Duarte-Silva, Sara; Da Silva, Jorge Diogo; Monteiro-Fernandes, Daniela; Costa, Marta Daniela; Neves-Carvalho, Andreia; Raposo, Mafalda; Soares-Cunha, Carina; et al. "Glucocorticoid receptor-dependent therapeutic efficacy of tauroursodeoxycholic acid in preclinical models of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3". Journal of Clinical Investigation 134 5 (2024): http://dx.doi.org/10.1172/jci162246.
    10.1172/jci162246
  2. Duarte-Silva, S; DA SILVA, JORGE D.; Monteiro-Fernandes, Daniela; Costa, Marta Daniela; Neves-Carvalho, Andreia; Raposo, Mafalda; Soares-Cunha, Carina; et al. "Glucocorticoid receptor-dependent therapeutic efficacy of tauroursodeoxycholic acid in preclinical models of Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (IF: 19.47)". The Journal of Clinical Investigation (2024):
    Published
  3. Meireles-Costa L; Duarte-Silva, S; Neves-Carvalho, Andreia; Ferreira-Fernandes, AR; Teixeira-Castro, Andreia; Maciel, Patrícia; et al.. "Regulation of neuronal mRNA splicing and Tau isoform ratio by ATXN3 through deubiquitylation of splicing factors". Cells (2023):
    Under revision
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2023/10/19 IV International Meeting of the Portuguese Society of Genetics IV International Meeting of the Portuguese Society of Genetics
Portuguese Society of Genetics (Braga, Portugal)

Event organisation

Event name
Type of event (Role) 		Institution / Organization
2023/09/29 - 2023/09/29 Researchers European Night 2023 (2023/09/29 - 2033/09/29)
Exhibition (Co-organisor)
 Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
2020 - 2020 Science Days - Second Edition (2020 - 2020)
Seminar (Member of the Organising Committee)
2019 - 2019 Researchers European Night 2019 (2019 - 2019)
Exhibition (Co-organisor)
 Universidade do Minho Escola de Ciências, Portugal

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event 		Event name
Institution / Organization
2021/02/21 - Current Rare Disease Day Awareness Rare Disease Day
2023/11/07 - 2023/11/07 Workshop on Biochemistry of Ageing
Workshop
 Workshop on Biochemistry of Ageing
Sociedade Portuguesa de Bioquímica, Portugal
2023/07/12 - 2023/07/13 CellMed Meeting in Cellular Membrane Dynamics at INL
Congress
 CellMed Meeting
International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, Portugal
2022 - 2022 Virtual National Congress of Ataxias
Congress
 National Congress of Ataxias
2021 - 2021 Portuguese Society of Neuroscience Conference at Coimbra
Conference
 SPN conference
Sociedade Portuguesa de Neurociências, Portugal
2020 - 2020 Virtual Summer Program at Gulbenkian Science Institute
Other
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal
2019 - 2020 Biochemistry Olympiads at University of Coimbra
Other
Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
2019 - 2019 Science Days - First Edition
Symposium
Universidade do Minho Escola de Ciências, Portugal
2018 - 2018 Biochemistry Days
Symposium
 Biochemistry Days
Universidade do Minho Escola de Ciências, Portugal
Distinctions

Award

2021 Travel Scholarship for Portuguese Society of Neuroscience Meeting
2016 Academic Merit Award
Escola Secundária Carlos Amarante, Portugal
2016 Human Merit Award
Escola Secundária Carlos Amarante, Portugal
2016 Sports Merit Award
Escola Secundária Carlos Amarante, Portugal