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Luís Fernandes is a biochemist with a Master’s degree in Health Sciences from the University of Minho (2025). During the final stage of his bachelor’s degree, he directed his academic focus toward Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), cultivating a profound interest in neurobiology and traumatic central nervous system (CNS) injuries. During his Master’s thesis, he expanded his research into the field of neurotrauma and regenerative therapies, aiming to promote CNS recovery and repair. Under the supervision of Nuno A. Silva and M. Alice Carvalho, he conducted a high-throughput screening of a newly developed compound library using the Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS) recently acquired automated facility to identify potential therapeutic candidates. He further characterized the effects of hit compounds through immunocytochemistry and qPCR, gaining hands-on experience in molecular and cellular biology techniques. Through his work, he has developed a solid foundation in experimental research, automation in drug discovery, and advanced molecular techniques, positioning him for future contributions in neurobiology and regenerative medicine. To date, he is the co-author of 3 peer-reviewed publications in international scientific journals and the co-author of a total of 7 scientific presentations. He was also granted a research fellowship under the project “Activated Macrophages and Spinal Cord Injury Repair: The Secretome Effect,” funded by the Wings for Life Spinal Cord Research Foundation.
Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Luís Carlos Sousa Fernandes

Citation names

  • Fernandes, Luís
  • Fernandes, Luís S.
  • Fernandes, L. S.

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
C711-F440-27F4
ORCID iD
0000-0003-1329-3474

Email addresses

  • pg49124@alunos.uminho.pt (Professional)

Websites

Knowledge fields

  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences
  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Biochemistry
  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Cell Biology
  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Molecular Biology
  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Microbiology
  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Biochemical Research Methods
  • Medical and Health Sciences - Health Sciences
  • Medical and Health Sciences - Basic Medicine
  • Medical and Health Sciences - Basic Medicine - Neurosciences
  • Medical and Health Sciences - Basic Medicine - Pharmacology and pharmacy
  • Medical and Health Sciences - Basic Medicine - Medicinal Chemistry

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
Portuguese (Mother tongue)
English Upper intermediate (B2) Upper intermediate (B2) Upper intermediate (B2) Upper intermediate (B2) Upper intermediate (B2)
Education
Degree Classification
2022/09/08 - 2025/01/28
Concluded
Ciências da Saúde (Mestrado)
Universidade do Minho, Portugal
"Compound Library Screening for Neural Repair: Finding New Drugs for Old Problems" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
Curricular year- 17 Dissertation-19
2022/11/14 - 2022/11/25
Concluded
Laboratorial Animal Science (Outros)
Universidade do Minho, Portugal
18
2022/07/04
Concluded
Bioquímica (Licenciatura)
Universidade do Minho Escola de Ciências, Portugal
"Molecular Therapies for Spinal Cord Injury Repair" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
16
Projects

Contract

Designation Funders
2025/04/20 - Current Activated Macrophages and Spinal Cord Injury Repair: The Secretome Effect
WFL-PT-14/23
Research Fellow
Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
Wings for Life Spinal Cord Research Foundation
Ongoing
Outputs

Publications

Conference poster
  1. Monteiro, Andreia; Vidinha-Mira, André; Lima, Marta F.; Fernandes, Luís S.; Salgado, António J; Silva, Nuno A.. "ACTIVATED MACROPHAGES AND SPINAL CORD INJURY REPAIR: THE SECRETOME EFFECT". Paper presented in Wings for Life Scientific Meeting 2025, 2025.
  2. Fernandes, Luís S.; Ana T. Palha ; Monteiro, Andreia; Campos, Jonas; Cibrão, JR; M. Alice Carvalho; Silva, Nuno A.. "Finding New Drugs for Old Problems: Compound Library Screening for Neural Repair". Paper presented in 4th Meeting SCI Portuguese Researchers, 2024.
  3. Rito-Fernandes, Sara; Monteiro, Andreia; M. Moura, Maria; Lima, Marta F.; Afonso, João L.; Fernandes, Luís; Carneiro-Pereira, Bárbara; et al. Corresponding author: Silva, Nuno A.. "Sex differences in the sympathetic regulation of the immune response and functional recovery after Spinal Cord Injury". Paper presented in 4th International Meeting of Spinal Cord Injury Portuguese Researchers, 2024.
  4. Sousa, Ana T. ; Fernandes, Luís S.. "Analysis of secretome effect in a spinal cord injury in vitro system". Paper presented in 4th SCI PT RESEARCHERS MEETING, 2024.
  5. Fernandes, Luís S.; Ana T. Palha ; Monteiro, Andreia; Campos, Jonas; Cibrão, JR; M. Alice Carvalho; Silva, Nuno A.. "Compound Library Screening for Neural Repair: Finding New Drugs for Old Problems". Paper presented in ICVS Retreat 2024, 2024.
  6. Sousa, Ana T. ; Fernandes, Luís S.. "Multi-omics analysis of secretome effect in a spinal cord injury in an in vitro system". Paper presented in ICVS Retreat 2024, 2024.
  7. Lentilhas-Graça, José ; Santos, Diogo J; Afonso, João L.; Andreia Monteiro; Vidinha-Mira, André; Marta Ferreira; Mendes, Vera M; et al. "Activated Macrophages and Spinal Cord Injury Repair: The Secretome Effect". Paper presented in Wings For Life Scientific Meeting, Salzburg, Austria., 2024.
Journal article
  1. Jonas Campos; Ana Sousa; Fernandes, Luís S.; Jorge R. Cibrão; Tiffany S. Pinho; Sofia C. Serra; Nuno A. Silva; Adina T. Michael-Titus; A.J. Salgado. "Modeling Spinal Cord Injury in a Dish with Hyperosmotic Stress: Population-Specific Effects and the Modulatory Role of Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Secretome". International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2025): http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms26073298.
    10.3390/ijms26073298
  2. José Lentilhas-Graça; Diogo J. Santos; João Afonso; Andreia Monteiro; Andreia G. Pinho; Vera M. Mendes; Marta S. Dias; et al. "The secretome of macrophages has a differential impact on spinal cord injury recovery according to the polarization protocol". Frontiers in Immunology (2024): http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1354479.
    10.3389/fimmu.2024.1354479
  3. Carla Sousa; Rui Augusto Ribeiro Lima; Jorge Ribeiro; Eduardo Gomes; Luís S. Fernandes; Tiffany Pinho; Deolinda Silva; et al. "Pre-Clinical Assessment of Roflumilast Therapy in a Thoracic Model of Spinal Cord Injury". Pharmaceutics (2023): http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15051556.
    10.3390/pharmaceutics15051556
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2025/03/03 Compound Library Screening for Neural Repair: Finding New Drugs for Old Problems ICVS Student Seminars
ICVS (Braga, Portugal)

Event organisation

Event name
Type of event (Role)
Institution / Organization
2025/01/30 - Current AIM-SCI: Azores International Meeting on Spinal Cord Injury (2025/10/15 - 2025/10/16)
Congress (Member of the Organising Committee)
Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
2025/03/13 - 2025/03/14 Brain Awareness Week 2025 (2025/03/13 - 2025/03/14)
Other (Member of the Organising Committee)
Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
2024/09/27 - 2024/09/27 Noite Europeia dos Investigadores - SCIGLO - Science for Global Challanges Dinamização da atividade "Respirar é preciso! - Inspira, expira e aprende sobre a respiração" (2024/09/27 - 2024/09/27)
Other (Member of the Organising Committee)
Universidade do Minho, Portugal
2024/03/12 - 2024/03/14 Brain Awareness Week 2024 (2024/03/12 - 2024/03/14)
Other (Member of the Organising Committee)
Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
2022/04/26 - 2022/04/29 IV Jornadas da Ciência (2022/04/26 - 2022/04/29)
Symposium (Member of the Organising Committee)
Universidade do Minho Escola de Ciências, Portugal

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event
Event name
Institution / Organization
2024/12/05 - 2024/12/06 At the Crossroads of Neuroscience & Immunology: Advances and Innovations
Meeting
Era CHAIRS Annual Meeting ImmunoHUB & NCBIO
Universidade do Porto Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal
2024/09/16 - 2024/09/16 4th International Meeting of Spinal Cord Injury Portuguese Researchers
Meeting
4th International Meeting of Spinal Cord Injury Portuguese Researchers
Universidade de Lisboa Faculdade de Medicina, Portugal

Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Portugal
2024/01/18 - 2024/01/18 Seminar with Grégoire Courtine and Jocelyne Bloch, where novel approachers for spinal cord injury repair therapeutical regimens were discussed.
Seminar
Courtine & Bloch Seminar
Universidade de Lisboa Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Portugal
2023/06/22 - 2023/06/23 3rd International Meeting of Portuguese Spinal Cord Researchers
Meeting
3rd International Meeting of Portuguese Spinal Cord Researchers
Universidade de Aveiro Instituto de Biomedicina, Portugal

Centro de Reabilitação do Norte Dr Ferreira Alves Unidade de Reabilitação de Lesão Medular, Portugal
2022/04/29 - 2022/04/29 Workshop "Bio-fabricação. Impressão 3D com células vivas."
Workshop
IV Jornadas da Ciência
Universidade do Minho Escola de Ciências, Portugal