Sara Patrícia Castro Sousa (E316-30F5-9E6D)

Curriculum Vitae

Sara Patrícia Castro Sousa

Sara Castro Sousa completed a Bachellor degree in Biology at the Faculty of Sciences - Universidade do Porto (2012-2015). In September 2015, she started a Master's degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology, in the above institution. Due to her interest in neuroscience, she joined the Nerve Regeneration Group where she developed her master thesis on the role of profilin in axon formation, growth and regeneration under the supervision of Dr. Mónica Sousa. In November 2018 she started her PhD fellowship, which is focused on exploring molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal growth mediated by physical tension.

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Identification

Personal identification

Full name: Sara Patrícia Castro Sousa

Citation names

Sousa, Sara Castro

Author identifiers

Ciência ID: E316-30F5-9E6D
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7969-8696

Email addresses

sc.sousa@i3s.up.pt (Professional)

Knowledge fields

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)

Education

	Degree	Classification
2018/11 - 2024 Ongoing	Cellular and Molecular Biology (Doutoramento) Universidade do Porto Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal "STRETCH: Dissecting the molecular mechanisms underlying tension-driven axon growth " (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
2017 Concluded	Cellular and Molecular Biology (Mestrado) Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal "The role of profilin-1 in axon formation and regeneration " (THESIS/DISSERTATION)	19
2016 Concluded	Felasa Cat B Course (Outros) Universidade do Porto Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal
2015 Concluded	Biology (Licenciatura) Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal "Prevelence of syphilis in the pregnant population of Centro Hospitalar do Porto /Prevalência da sífilis na população de mulheres grávidas do Centro Hospitalar do Porto" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)	16
2013 Concluded	Certificate in Advanced English (Outros) Cambridge ESOL- Lancaster College, Portugal	B
2012 Concluded	Scientific-humanistic (Ensino secundário) Major in Scientific Escola Secundária Gaia Nascente, Portugal	19

Affiliation

Science

	Category Host institution	Employer
2017/12/15 - 2018/10/30	Contracted Researcher (Research)	Universidade do Porto Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal
	Universidade do Porto Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal
2016/09/05 - 2017/11/28	Research Trainee (Research)	Universidade do Porto, Portugal
	Universidade do Porto Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal
2014/09/01 - 2015/06/01	Research Trainee (Research)	Universidade do Porto, Portugal
	Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto EPE, Portugal

Positions / Appointments

	Category Host institution	Employer
2014 - 2016	Coordinator of Project Management	Núcleo de Estudantes de Biologia da Universidade do Porto, Portugal
	Universidade do Porto, Portugal

Others

	Category Host institution	Employer
2018/11/01 - Current	PhD Student	Universidade do Porto Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal
	Universidade do Porto Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Portugal

Projects

Grant

	Designation	Funders
2018 - 2018/10	ProREGEN- Gene delivery of active Profilin-1 to enhance axon growth capacity and enable REGENeration after spinal cord injury N/A Research Fellow	Concluded
2017 - 2018	ProREGEN- Constitutively Active Profilin1: The key to Axon Growth and Regeneration N/A Research Fellow	Concluded

Outputs

Publications

Journal article

Nogueira-Rodrigues, Joana; Leite, Sérgio C.; Pinto-Costa, Rita; Sousa, Sara Castro; Luz, Liliana L.; Sintra, Maria A.; Oliveira, Raquel; et al. "Rewired glycosylation activity promotes scarless regeneration and functional recovery in spiny mice after complete spinal cord transection". Developmental Cell 57 4 (2022): 440-450.e7. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2021.12.008.
10.1016/j.devcel.2021.12.008
Sousa, Sara C.; Sousa, Mónica M.. "The cytoskeleton as a modulator of tension driven axon elongation". Developmental Neurobiology (2020): http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/dneu.22747.
10.1002/dneu.22747
Costa, Ana Rita; Sousa, Sara C; Pinto-Costa, Rita; Mateus, José C; Lopes, Cátia DF; Costa, Ana Catarina; Rosa, David; et al. "The membrane periodic skeleton is an actomyosin network that regulates axonal diameter and conduction". eLife 9 (2020): http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/elife.55471.
10.7554/elife.55471
Pinto-Costa, Rita; Castro Sousa, Sara; Leite, Sérgio C.; Nogueira-Rodrigues, Joana; Ferreira da Silva, Tiago; Machado, Diana; Marques, Joana Beatriz Moreira; et al. "Profilin1 delivery tunes cytoskeleton dynamics towards CNS axon regeneration". Journal of Clinical Investigation (2020): http://dx.doi.org/10.1172/jci125771.
10.1172/jci125771
Costa, Ana Rita; Pinto-Costa, Rita; Sousa, Sara Castro; Sousa, Mónica Mendes. "The Regulation of Axon Diameter: From Axonal Circumferential Contractility to Activity-Dependent Axon Swelling". Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience 11 (2018): http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnmol.2018.00319.
10.3389/fnmol.2018.00319

Intellectual property

Patent

Monica M Sousa (2B16-E5A4-771C); Rita Pinto-Costa (871B-9B63-EF63); Sousa, Sara Castro. 2020. "European Patent : "Constitutively active profilin-1 for use in the therapy and/or treatment of a neurological disorder and/or for promoting neuronal regeneration, kit and products thereof"".
Monica M Sousa (2B16-E5A4-771C); Rita Pinto-Costa (871B-9B63-EF63); Sousa, Sara Castro. 2020. "China Patente "Constitutively active profilin-1 for use in the therapy and/or treatment of a neurological disorder and/or for promoting neuronal regeneration, kit and products thereof"".
Monica M Sousa (2B16-E5A4-771C); Rita Pinto-Costa (871B-9B63-EF63); Sousa, Sara Castro. 2018. "International Patent application: "Constitutively active profilin-1 for use in the therapy and/or treatment of a neurological disorder and/or for promoting neuronal regeneration, kit and products thereof"". Portugal.
Granted/Issued

Activities

Oral presentation

	Presentation title	Event name Host (Event location)
2023/10/03	Oral Presentation at PhDay Brilliant PhDs, brighter future: Shaping Science together! from 3-4 October 2023 in Porto, Portugal entitled "Tension-driven growth triggers developmental stage-specific adaptations of the axonal cytoskeleton and membrane" - Sara C. Sousa; Miguel Aroso; Eduardo Veríssimo; Tiago Silva; Rita Bessa; Cátia D. F. Lopes; Pedro Brites; Jorge Vieira; Cristina P. Vieira; Paulo C. Aguiar and Monica M. Sousa	Brilliant PhDs, brighter future: Shaping Science together! (Portugal)
2022/11	Oral Presentation at NeuroDay22, November 2022, Porto entitled "Tension driven axon elongation trigger cytoskeleton and membrane remodelling"	NeuroDay i3s (Portugal)
2018/11	Pharmaceutical Profission: Challenges of the Next Decade - ProRegen / Profissão Farmacêutica: Desafios da Próxima Década- ProRegen	XIII Congresso Científico AEFFUP (Porto, Portugal)
2017/09	Profilin-1 is a key player of cytoskeleton dynamics required for optimal axon growth and regeneration	12th YES - Youth European Scientists - Meeting (Porto, Portugal)
2017/02/09	The role of profilin 1 in axon formation, degeneration, and regeneration	IJUP (Porto, Portugal)

Supervision

	Thesis Title Role	Degree Subject (Type) Institution / Organization
2023/02 - 2023/10	Understanding the Mechanisms of Axonal Adaptation to Physiological Tension Co-supervisor of Rita Gonçalves Bessa	Bioengenharia Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Engenharia, Portugal Universidade do Porto Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Portugal
2018 - 2018	Dissecting The Role Of Profilin1 In Axon Biology And Growth Co-supervisor of Rafaela Silva	Bioquímica (Degree) Universidade do Porto Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Portugal

Event organisation

	Event name Type of event (Role)	Institution / Organization
2019/07/10 - 2019/07/13	Staff Volunteer during the Event "European Glia Meeting, Porto on Glial Cells in heath and Disease" (2019/07/10 - 2019/07/13) Congress (Other)

Event participation

	Activity description Type of event	Event name Institution / Organization
2021/11 - Current	Poster Presentation at Axons 2021: Structure and Function from 04-07 October 2021 \|Virtual entitled "A microfluidic platform for live-cell imaging upon tension-driven axon elongation" - Sara C. Sousa; Miguel Aroso; Tiago Silva; Cátia D. F. Lopes; Pedro Brites; Paulo C. Aguiar and Monica M. Sousa Conference	Axons 2021: Structure and Function 04-07 October 2021 \|Virtual
2023/08/08 - 2023/08/11	Poster Presentation at ISN-ESN 2023 - International Society for Neurochemistry from 8-11 August 2023 in Porto, Portugal entitled "Tension-driven axon elongation triggers cytoskeleton and membrane remodelling" Sara C. Sousa; Miguel Aroso; Eduardo Veríssimo; Tiago Silva; Rita Bessa; Cátia D. F. Lopes; Pedro Brites; Jorge Vieira; Cristina P. Vieira; Paulo C. Aguiar and Monica M. Sousa. Conference	ISN-ESN 2023 - International Society for Neurochemistry
2023/03/26 - 2023/03/30	Poster Presentation at the EMBO Workshop - Emerging Concepts of the Neuronal Cytoskeleton from 26-30 March 2023 in Santa Cruz, Chile entitled "Tension-driven axon elongation triggers cytoskeleton and membrane remodelling" - Sara C. Sousa; Miguel Aroso; Eduardo Veríssimo; Tiago Silva; Rita Bessa; Cátia D. F. Lopes; Pedro Brites; Jorge Vieira; Cristina P. Vieira; Paulo C. Aguiar and Monica M. Sousa Workshop	Emerging Concepts of the Neuronal Cytoskeleton
2023/02/23 - 2023/02/24	Poster Presentation at the 9th McBiology Symposium from 23-24 February 2023 in Porto, Portugal entitled "Tension-driven axon elongation triggers cytoskeleton and membrane remodeling" - Sara C. Sousa; Miguel Aroso; Eduardo Veríssimo; Tiago Silva; Cátia D. F. Lopes; Pedro Brites; Jorge Vieira; Cristina P. Vieira; Paulo C. Aguiar and Monica M. Sousa Symposium	Science: everything, everywhere all at once Universidade do Porto Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal
2022/08/22 - 2022/08/26	Poster Presentation at Cell and Developmental System from 22 - 26 August 2022 in Arolla, Switzerland entitled "Tension-driven axon elongation triggers remodeling of cytoskeleton dynamics and trafficking" - Sara C. Sousa; Miguel Aroso; Tiago Silva; Cátia D. F. Lopes; Pedro Brites; Jorge Vieira; Cristina P. Vieira; Paulo C. Aguiar and Monica M. Sousa - Conference	Cell and Developmental System 22
2021/01/11 - 2021/01/13	Poster presentation at SFN - Global Connectomme - A Virtual Event from 11-13 Jan 2021. Poster entitled "A microfluidic platform for tension-driven axon elongation " Sara Castro Sousa, Miguel Aroso, Tiago Silva, Cátia Lopes, Pedro Brites Paulo Aguiar, Mónica M Sousa Conference	SFN - Global Connectomme - A Virtual Event
2019/11/28 - 2019/11/29	Poster presentation at Neurofluidics 2019, 28-29th November 2019, Montpellier, France. Poster entitled "STRETCH: Uncovering the molecular players in tension-driven axon growth" Sara Castro Sousa, Miguel Aroso, Cátia Lopes, Paulo Aguiar, Mónica M Sousa Conference	Neurofluidics 2019, Montpellier, France.
2019/11/06 - 2019/11/11	Poster presentation at MCBiology Symposium - From InCell to ExCell, 6th November 2019, Porto, Portugal. Poster entitled "STRETCH: Uncovering the molecular players in tension-driven axon growth" Sara Castro Sousa, Miguel Aroso, Cátia Lopes, Paulo Aguiar, Mónica M Sousa Symposium	From InCell to ExCell, Porto, Portugal Universidade do Porto Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal Universidade do Porto Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Portugal
2017/11/09 - 2017/11/10	Poster presentation at the 6th i3s Annual Meeting, 9-10 November 2017, Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal . Poster entitled " "Profilin-1 is a key regulator of actin and microtubule dynamics required for optimal axon growth and regeneration". R. P. Costa, S. Sousa, S. Leite, J. Rodrigues, V. Sousa, M. Sousa Meeting	i3s Annual Meeting, Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal
2017/05/24 - 2017/05/25	Poster Presentation at the XV Meeting of the Portuguese Society for Neuroscience, entitled "Profilin-1 is a key regulator of actin and microtubule dynamics required for optimal axon growth and regeneration" R. Pinto-Costa , S. Leite , S. Sousa, J.Marques, M.M.Sousa. . Presented a 24-25 May 2017, Braga, Portugal Meeting	XV Meeting of the Portuguese Society for Neuroscience, Braga, Portugal
2017/05/07 - 2017/05/10	Poster presentation at the EMBO Conference - Cell biology of the neuron: Polarity, plasticity and regeneration, "Profilin-1 is a key regulator of actin and microtubule dynamics required for optimal axon growth and regeneration" - R. Pinto-Costa , S. Leite , S. Sousa , J. Nogueira-Rodrigues , V. Sousa and M.M.Sousa. 7-10 May 2017, Heraklion, Greece Conference	Cell biology of the neuron: Polarity, plasticity and regeneration, Heraklion, Greece

Committee member

	Activity description Role	Institution / Organization
2020/10/01 - 2020/10/01	Member of the Organizing Committee of 3rd PhDay - Back to the Future - I3S Member	Universidade do Porto Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal
2019 - 2019	Member of the Organizing Committee of Symposium - From InCell to ExCell - PhD Program MCBiology Symposium Member	Universidade do Porto Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal

Course / Discipline taught

	Academic session	Degree Subject (Type)	Institution / Organization
2023 - 2023	Tension- driven axon elongation class as part of "Neurobiology of Aging and Disease " course	Neurobiologia (Mestrado integrado)	Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Medicina, Portugal
2022 - 2022	Tension- driven axon elongation class as part of "Neurobiology of Aging and Disease " course	Neurobiologia (Mestrado integrado)	Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Medicina, Portugal
2020/11/27 - 2020/11/27	Tension- driven axon elongation class as part of "Neurobiology of Aging and Disease " course	(Mestrado)	Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Medicina, Portugal
2018/05/28 - 2018/06/01	In vitro cultures of neurons and glia and animal models of nerve and spinal cord injury and neurolipids in axon growth, myelination, degeneration and regeneration	Doctoral Program in Areas of Basic and Applied Biology (Doutoramento)	Universidade do Porto Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Portugal

Distinctions

Award

2018	Bluepharma Innovation Award
2017	Foundation Prof. Ernesto Morais - Best Oral Presentation in Neuroscience Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Medicina, Portugal
2012	Award of Merit from Agrupamento das Escolas de Oliveira do Douro / Prémio de Mérito Agrupamento das Escolas de Oliveira do Douro