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I am currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Integrative Behavioural Biology Group at Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC), Oeiras, Portugal, studying how climate changes impact fish neuroendocrine systems. I hold a PhD in Behavioural Biology awarded with Honor and Distinction by ISPA – Instituto Universitário, Lisboa, Portugal (2019). I started my career in science in 2008, at Rui Oliveira’s lab (ISPA) as a research technician/lab manager, and in 2014, I joined Centro de Ciências do Mar, CCMAR, Faro, Portugal, as a research fellow. I have acquired solid bench experience and gained several technical competencies and knowledge in neuroendocrinology, molecular biology, genomics, and behavioral analysis. During these years, I participated in a project studying the neuroendocrine mechanisms that control the reproductive behavior of a cichlid fish. I also participated in a European project, in collaboration with several international laboratories, to investigate the mechanisms involved in the physiology, biology and behavior of coping styles, aimed at improving fish welfare and studying fish cognition. I have published 7 papers in international peer-reviewed journals with over 135 citations (Google Scholar). Of all these, I am the first author of 4 articles and co-author of 3 other publications in specialized journals. I am also the first author of a book chapter and co-author on another. In addition, I was awarded a Diploma for Academic Excellence and Merit due to my successful achievements as a Ph.D. student. Until present, I secured 4 competitive fellowships and 1 postdoctoral contract, 3 funded by the FCT Portuguese Research Council and 2 by the European 7th Framework Programme. I have experience in mentoring students at the lab, and since 2019, I have been teaching Psychobiology and Neuroscience courses to undergraduate and master students. I have been actively involved in several outreach & science communication activities, including a publication in Frontiers for Young Minds as a co-author.
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Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Ana Sofia Mendes da Silva Santos Félix
Date of birth
1981/09/11
Gender
Female

Citation names

  • Félix, Ana S.
  • A. Felix
  • A. S. Félix

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
D318-BC7B-61D2
ORCID iD
0000-0002-3104-2495

Email addresses

  • afelix@ispa.pt (Professional)

Addresses

  • Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência. Rua da Quinta Grande, 6, 2780-156, Oeiras, Oeiras, Portugal (Professional)
  • R. Jardim do Tabaco 34, 1149-041, Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal (Professional)

Websites

Knowledge fields

  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Behavioural Sciences Biology

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
Portuguese Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1)
English Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1)
Education
Degree Classification
2015/02/01 - 2019/12/19
Concluded
 Behavioral Biology (Doutoramento)
Instituto Universitário de Ciências Psicológicas Sociais e da Vida, Portugal
"Neuroendocrine regulation of social interactions in a cichlid fish" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 Very Good with Distinction and Honors
2017 - 2017
Concluded
 ADER17 - Analysis of Differential Expression with RNAseq (The Gulbenkian Training Programme in Bioinformatics) (Outros)
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal
2014 - 2014
Concluded
 Course on Animal Handling and Experimentation in Mice, Rat and Zebrafish (40h - theoretical and practical) - FELASA accredited (Outros)
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal

Programa Champalimaud de Neurociências, Portugal
2012
Concluded
 Biological Engineering (Mestrado)
Universidade de Lisboa Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal
"Non-invasive measurement of steroid hormones in zebrafish holding water" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 16 (0-20)
2004
Concluded
 Biological Engineering (Licenciatura)
Universidade de Lisboa Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal
"n/a" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 16 (0-20)
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2021/06/01 - Current Postdoc (Research) Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal

Teaching in Higher Education

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2019/09/01 - Current Lecturer (University Teacher) Instituto Universitário de Ciências Psicológicas Sociais e da Vida, Portugal
2014/02/01 - 2014/07/31 Tutor (University Teacher) Instituto Universitário de Ciências Psicológicas Sociais e da Vida, Portugal

Others

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2015/02/01 - 2019/12/19 Ph.D. STUDENT Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal
2014/05/01 - 2015/01/31 RESEARCH FELLOW Centro de Ciências do Mar, Portugal
2011/12/01 - 2014/04/30 RESEARCH TECHNICIAN/ LAB MANAGER Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada Centro de Investigacao, Portugal
2008/10/01 - 2011/09/30 RESEARCH TECHNICIAN Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada Centro de Investigacao, Portugal
Projects

Grant

Designation Funders
2015/02/01 - 2019/12/19 Unraveling the mechanisms underlying the androgen response to social interactions
SFRH/BD/102892/2014
PhD Student Fellow
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

Contract

Designation Funders
2021/06/01 - Current Potential for multigenerational acclimation of fishes to ocean warming and acidification
LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-031532
Post-doc
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Ongoing
2014/05/01 - 2015/01/31 A new integrative framework for the study of fish welfare based on the concepts of allostasis, appraisal and coping styles
COPEWELL # 265957
Research Fellow
Centro de Ciências do Mar, Portugal
2011/12/01 - 2014/04/30 A new integrative framework for the study of fish welfare based on the concepts of allostasis, appraisal and coping styles
COPEWELL # 265957
Research Technician Fellow
Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada Centro de Investigacao, Portugal
 European Commission Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development
Concluded
2008/10/01 - 2011/09/30 Neuroendocrine control of reproductive behavior in the Mozambique tilapia: mechanisms and effects of the social environment
PTDC/MAR/72117/2006
Research Technician Fellow
Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada Centro de Investigacao, Portugal
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Outputs

Publications

Book chapter
  1. Félix, Ana S.; Oliveira, Rui F.. "Integrative Neurobiology of Social Behavior in Cichlid Fish". In The Behavior, Ecology and Evolution of Cichlid Fishes, 637-681. Springer Netherlands, 2021.
    10.1007/978-94-024-2080-7_17
  2. Gonçalves, David; Félix, Ana S.; Oliveira, Rui F.. "Neuroendocrinology of Social Behavior in Teleost Fish". In Hormones, Brain and Behavior, 3-18. Elsevier, 2017.
    10.1016/b978-0-12-803592-4.00020-1
Conference poster
  1. "Félix, A.S., Roleira, A. and Oliveira, R.F. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the androgen response to social interactions". Paper presented in Behaviour - Joint meeting of the international ethological conference (IEC) and the summer meeting of the association for the study of animal behaviour (ASAB), Estoril, Portugal, 2017.
  2. "Félix, A.S., Faustino, A.I., Cabral, E.M. and Oliveira, R.F. Non-invasive measurement of steroid hormones in zebrafish holding water". Paper presented in SPE - Sociedade Portuguesa de Etologia, 9th Congress, Lisboa, Portugal, 2012.
  3. "Félix, A.S., Faustino, A.I., Cabral, E.M. and Oliveira, R.F. Non-invasive measurement of steroid hormones in zebrafish holding water". Paper presented in Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme (CNP) Symposium, Lisboa, Portugal, 2012.
  4. "Félix, A.S., Faustino, A.I., Teles, M. and Oliveira, R.F. Non-invasive measurement of steroid hormones in zebrafish holding water - work in progress". Paper presented in SBN - Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, Toronto, Canada, 2010.
Journal article
  1. Cerqueira, Marco; Millot, Sandie; Silva, Tomé; Félix, Ana S.; Castanheira, Maria Filipa; Rey, Sonia; MacKenzie, Simon; et al. "Stressor controllability modulates the stress response in fish". BMC Neuroscience 22 1 (2021): https://doi.org/10.1186/s12868-021-00653-0.
    10.1186/s12868-021-00653-0
  2. Félix, Ana S.; Roleira, António; Oliveira, Rui F.. "Rising to the challenge? Inter-individual variation of the androgen response to social interactions in cichlid fish". Hormones and Behavior 124 (2020): 104755. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104755.
    10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104755
  3. Félix, Ana S; Cardoso, Sara D; Roleira, António; Oliveira, Rui F. "Forebrain Transcriptional Response to Transient Changes in Circulating Androgens in a Cichlid Fish". G3 Genes|Genomes|Genetics 10 6 (2020): 1971-1982. http://dx.doi.org/10.1534/g3.119.400947.
    10.1534/g3.119.400947
  4. Cerqueira, M.; Millot, S.; Felix, A.; Silva, T.; Oliveira, G. A.; Oliveira, C. C. V.; Rey, S.; MacKenzie, S.; Oliveira, R.. "Cognitive appraisal in fish: stressor predictability modulates the physiological and neurobehavioural stress response in sea bass". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 287 1923 (2020): 20192922. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.2922.
    10.1098/rspb.2019.2922
  5. Almeida*, Olinda; Félix*, Ana S.; Oliveira, Gonçalo A.; Lopes, João S.; Oliveira, Rui F.. "Fighting Assessment Triggers Rapid Changes in Activity of the Brain Social Decision-Making Network of Cichlid Fish". Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 13 (2019): http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00229; *These authors share first authorship.
    10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00229
  6. M. Cerqueira; S. Millot; M. F. Castanheira; A. S. Félix; T. Silva; G. A. Oliveira; C. C. Oliveira; C. I. M. Martins; R. F. Oliveira. "Cognitive appraisal of environmental stimuli induces emotion-like states in fish". Scientific Reports 7 1 (2017): https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-13173-x.
    10.1038/s41598-017-13173-x
  7. Félix, Ana S.; Faustino, Ana I.; Cabral, Eduarda M.; Oliveira, Rui F.. "Noninvasive Measurement of Steroid Hormones in Zebrafish Holding-Water". Zebrafish 10 1 (2013): 110-115. http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/zeb.2012.0792.
    10.1089/zeb.2012.0792

Other

Other output
  1. Nunes, A.R., Félix, A.S. and Oliveira, R.F. Fishing for sociality: how social visual cues lead to social interactions. Front. Young Minds. 2022.
    10.3389/frym.2022.673590
  2. O peixinho que já era crescido. Histórias de Ciência para Crianças - Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência. Félix, A.S.; Nunes, A.R.. 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJx_GtLMLHk.
Activities

Supervision

Thesis Title
Role 		Degree Subject (Type)
Institution / Organization
2014 - 2014 Validation of immediate-early genes as markers of neural activity in zebrafish. Curricular Internship.
Supervisor
 Psychobiology (Master)
Instituto Universitário de Ciências Psicológicas Sociais e da Vida, Portugal

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event 		Event name
Institution / Organization
2021 - Current Telling science stories to children (3-9 years-old) and development of activity for students (10-17 years-old): "Do we know everything about the brain?" Oeiras, 12-17 Oct. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ga6ULllf6bw
Festival
 FIC.A - Science International Festival
2021 - Current Science stories: participation in outreach activity for children (3-5 years-old). Kindergarten Luísa Ducla Soares, Algés, Oeiras. 19 Apr 2021
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal
2009 - 2010 Guiding tours presenting research and available techniques at the lab to high school students.
Instituto Universitário de Ciências Psicológicas Sociais e da Vida, Portugal

Course / Discipline taught

Academic session Degree Subject (Type) Institution / Organization
2020 - Current Neuroscience of motivation and emotions Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience (Mestrado) Instituto Universitário de Ciências Psicológicas Sociais e da Vida, Portugal
2019 - Current Psychobiology Psychology (Mestrado integrado) Instituto Universitário de Ciências Psicológicas Sociais e da Vida, Portugal
2013 - 2014 Laboratory Techniques in Psychobiology Psychobiology (Mestrado) Instituto Universitário de Ciências Psicológicas Sociais e da Vida, Portugal

Interview (tv / radio show)

Program Topic
2019 - Current Participation in outreach activity for children: telling science stories at Gulbenkian Foundation Garden (Lisboa) during the exhibition "Brain - Wider than the Sky". Interviewed and appeared in the news. 1 Jun 2019

Mentoring / Tutoring

Topic Student name
2013 - 2014 Tutoring on MSc thesis experimental work: "Patterns of brain activation in European Seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) with different coping styles". Msc In Evolutionary Biology and Development. FCUL. ISPA. André Monteiro
Distinctions

Award

2021 Ph.D. Diploma for Academic Excellence and Merit
Instituto Universitário de Ciências Psicológicas Sociais e da Vida, Portugal

Other distinction

2015 PhD Fellowship (SFRH/BD/102892/2014)
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal