Elizabeth A. Lopes is a medicinal chemist with expertise in organic synthesis, analytical methods, molecular modeling, and flow analysis. She holds a doctorate in Pharmacy from the University of Lisbon, where her research focused on developing novel scaffolds and reactivators of p53 targeting cancer and malaria. Her work contributed to the discovery of potent bioactive compounds and advanced strategies for hit-to-lead optimization. With extensive experience across leading European laboratories, Elizabeth has excelled in designing innovative synthetic routes, synthesizing and characterizing bioactive small molecules, and establishing structure-activity relationships to enhance drug efficacy. Her computational chemistry expertise includes molecular docking, molecular dynamics, target fishing, and ADME prediction using tools such as Schrodinger Suite, MOE, and PyMOL. She is also skilled in flow analysis techniques, having performed drug quantification and pharmacokinetic studies using sequential injection lab-on-valve systems. Elizabeth’s contributions extend beyond research; she has published over 10 peer-reviewed articles in high-impact journals, presented her findings at more than 25 conferences, and received grants and awards. She has collaborated on interdisciplinary projects, and worked across diverse fields, from antimalarial drug discovery to cancer therapies.

Personal identification

Full name
Elizabeth de Abreu Lopes

Citation names

  • Lopes, Elizabeth A.
  • Lopes, EA
  • Elizabeth A. Lopes

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
E61C-F1AB-4D7D
ORCID iD
0000-0001-5746-4058
Google Scholar ID
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Pepq6wYAAAAJ&hl=pt-PT&oi=ao
Researcher Id
AAG-3999-2021
Scopus Author Id
57203321271

Email addresses

  • elizabeth.lopes@edu.ulisboa.pt (Professional)

Websites

Knowledge fields

  • Exact Sciences - Chemical Sciences - Organic Chemistry
  • Exact Sciences - Computer and Information Sciences - Bioinformatics
  • Exact Sciences - Chemical Sciences - Analytical Chemistry
  • Medical and Health Sciences - Basic Medicine - Medicinal Chemistry

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
Portuguese (Mother tongue)
English Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1)
Spanish; Castilian Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1)
French Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1)
Degree Classification
2018/10/01 - 2024/07/18
Concluded
Pharmacy (Doutoramento)
Major in Pharmaceutical and Therapeutic Chemistry
Universidade de Lisboa Faculdade de Farmácia, Portugal
"Development of indole-based scaffolds for tackling Cancer and Malaria" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
2015/09/01 - 2017/10/11
Concluded
Bioorganic Chemistry (Mestrado)
Universidade Nova de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Portugal
"Spirooxadiazoline oxindoles: synthesis and evaluation of anticancer and antimalarial activities" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
16
2011/09/01 - 2014/09/24
Concluded
Chemistry (Licenciatura)
Major in Chemistry
Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal
"Analytical characterization of photochemical degradation products of pieces of art " (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
17

Others

Category
Host institution
Employer
2018/10/01 - 2024/07/18 Ph.D student (supervisors Dr Maria M. M. Santos, Professor Maurizio Botta (until 2019) and Dr Mattia Mori (from 2020)) iMed.ULisboa, Portugal
iMed.ULisboa, Portugal
2022/08/01 - 2022/08/26 Scientific mission through DD4PPI project (PTDC/QUI-QOR/29664/2017) Universität Wien Institut für Organische Chemie, Austria
Universität Wien Institut für Organische Chemie, Austria
2019/11/09 - 2019/12/11 Scientific mission through bilateral project with Hungary (FCT-NKFIH) Szegedi Tudományegyetem Gyógyszerésztudományi Kar, Hungary
Szegedi Tudományegyetem Gyógyszerésztudományi Kar, Hungary
2018/07/01 - 2018/09/30 BI grant holder for Hovione (supervisor Dra Maria M. M. Santos) iMed.ULisboa, Portugal
iMed.ULisboa, Portugal
2018/02/01 - 2018/04/30 BI grant holder (supervisor Dr Maria M. M. Santos under the project PTCD/DTP-FTO/1981/2014 Targeting p53 Family Proteins: on the Route of New Anticancer Agents) iMed.ULisboa, Portugal
iMed.ULisboa, Portugal
2017/11/01 - 2017/12/21 Short Term Scientific Mission Cost Action CM1407 (In silico studies of indole derivatives, supervisor Professor Maurizio Botta and Dr Mattia Mori) Università degli Studi di Siena Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Chimica e Farmacia, Italy
Università degli Studi di Siena Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Chimica e Farmacia, Italy
2016/09/05 - 2017/10/11 Master student (supervisors Maria M. M. Santos and Lídia M. Gonçalves, classification 18 out of 20)) iMed.ULisboa, Portugal
iMed.ULisboa, Portugal
2014/11/01 - 2015/05/02 Erasmus+ internship (Pharmacokinetic study of the transport of a fluorescent marker through cell monolayer using SIA system, supervisors Dr Hana Sklenárová and Professor Peter Solich) Univerzita Karlova Farmaceutická Fakulta v Hradci Králové, Czech Republic
Univerzita Karlova Farmaceutická Fakulta v Hradci Králové, Czech Republic
2014/02/01 - 2014/06/30 Bachelor extracurricular project (PEEC) (Characterization of inorganic pigments, supervisor Dr Carlos Pereira, classification 18 out of 20) Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal
Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal
2014/02/01 - 2014/06/30 Bachelor curricular project for 20|21 (Characterization of products of photochemical degradation in pieces of contemporaneous art, supervisors Dr Carlos Pereira and Dr Luís Pinho) Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal
Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal
(...)
2012/10/01 - 2014/05/31 Bachelor extracurricular IJUP project (Synthesis and application of novel molecularly imprinted material for determination of an aromatase inhibitor, supervisors Dr Manuel Azenha, Dr Marcela Segundo) Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal
Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal
(...)

Publications

Book chapter
  1. Lopes, Elizabeth A.; Santos, Maria Manuel Duque Vieira Marques (5910-2BF6-5F65; Mattia Mori (CF1A-5EDD-CF78). "Pharmacological treatment of malaria". In Antiprotozoal Drug Development and Delivery, edited by Alane Beatriz Vermelho; Claudiu T. Supuran. Springer, 2021.
    Published
  2. Lopes, Elizabeth A.; Santos, Maria Manuel Duque Vieira Marques (5910-2BF6-5F65. "Synthesis of Spirooxindoles by Multicomponent Reactions". In Synthetic Approaches to Nonaromatic Nitrogen Heterocycles, edited by Ana Maria M. M. Faisca Phillips, 225-247. Croydon, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell, 2020.
    Published
Conference poster
  1. Loureiro, Joana B.; Rita Ribeiro; Nazareth, Nair; Tiago Ferreira; Elizabeth A. Lopes; Adelina Quaresma; Alves, Marco G.; et al. "Chemoprevention of ultraviolet B radiation-induced skin cancer with the mutant reactivator SLMP53-2". Paper presented in 6th International Electronic Conference on Medicinal Chemistry, 2021.
  2. Elizabeth A. Lopes; Espadinha, Margarida; Mi Wang; Shaomeng Wang; Cecília M. P. Rodrigues; Daniel J. D. A. Santos; Maria Manuel Duque Vieira Marques dos Santos (5910-2BF6-5F65). Corresponding author: Maria Manuel Duque Vieira Marques dos Santos (5910-2BF6-5F65). "Enhancing binding of spiropyrazoline oxindoles to MDMs by in silico hit-to-lead optimization". Paper presented in EFMC-YMCS Young Medicinal Chemists' Symposium, 2021.
  3. Elizabeth A. Lopes, b, b, a, a,b, M. M. Santosa; Espadinha, Margarida; Mi Wang; Shaomeng Wang; Cecília M. P. Rodrigues; Daniel J. D. A. Santos; Maria Manuel Duque Vieira Marques dos Santos (5910-2BF6-5F65). "Enhancing Binding of Spiropyrazoline Oxindoles to MDMs By In Silico Hit-To-Lead Optimization". Paper presented in XXVI EFMC International Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry (EFMC-ISMC 2021), 2021.
  4. Elizabeth A. Lopes; Raquel Mestre; Fontinha, Diana; Jenny Legac; Jinxin V. Pei; Mattia Mori (CF1A-5EDD-CF78); Adele M. Lehane; et al. "Discovery of spirooxadiazoline oxindoles as promising antimalarial agents". Paper presented in iMed.ULisboa Meeting 2021, 2021.
  5. Elizabeth A. Lopes; Daniel J. D. A. Santos; Maria Manuel Duque Vieira Marques dos Santos (5910-2BF6-5F65). Corresponding author: Maria Manuel Duque Vieira Marques dos Santos (5910-2BF6-5F65). "Structure-Based Modulation of Spiropyrazoline Oxindoles to Target P53-MDMs PPIs". Paper presented in 7th Portuguese Young Chemists Meeting, 2021.
  6. Valentina Barcherini (621A-3198-14C2); Joana Almeida; Elizabeth A. Lopes; Mi Wang; Magalhães e Silva, Diogo; Mattia Mori (CF1A-5EDD-CF78); Shaomeng Wang; Lucília Helena Ataíde Saraiva (0A11-3A2E-8FE1); Maria Manuel Duque Vieira Marques dos Santos (5910-2BF6-5F65). "Optimizing the oxazoloisoindolinone family: identification and biological evaluation of a potent and selective indole-based p53 activator in human colorectal cancer". Paper presented in 6th International Electronic Conference on Medicinal Chemistry, 2020.
  7. Lopes, Elizabeth A.; Espadinha, Margarida; Mattia Mori (CF1A-5EDD-CF78); Maurizio Botta; Santos, Maria Manuel Duque Vieira Marques (5910-2BF6-5F65. "Enhancing anticancer activity of spiropyrazoline oxindoles by disrupting p53 MDMs PPIs". Paper presented in 5th International Electronic Conference on Medicinal Chemistry, 2019.
  8. Espadinha, Margarida; Valentina Barcherini (621A-3198-14C2); Lopes, Elizabeth A.; Raimundo, Liliana; Gomes, Sara; Loureiro, Joana; Reis, Flávio. "New small-molecule dual inhibitors of the p53-mdm2/x interactions to reactivate the p53 pathway". Paper presented in 6th EFMC Young Medicinal Chemist Symposium (EFMC-ASMC 2019), 2019.
  9. Espadinha, Margarida; Valentina Barcherini (621A-3198-14C2); Lopes, Elizabeth A.; Raimundo, Liliana; Gomes, Sara; Loureiro, Joana; Reis, Flávio. "New small-molecule dual inhibitors of the p53-MDM2/X interactions to reactivate the p53 pathway". Paper presented in VIII EFMC International Symposium on Advances in Synthetic and Medicinal Chemistry, 2019.
  10. Lopes, Elizabeth A.; Espadinha, Margarida; Mattia Mori (CF1A-5EDD-CF78); Maurizio Botta; Santos, Maria Manuel Duque Vieira Marques (5910-2BF6-5F65. "Oxindole alkaloid based family as promising reactivator of the p53 tumour suppressor". Paper presented in PSE Meeting - Natural Products in Drug Discovery and Human Health, 2019.
  11. Espadinha, Margarida; Lopes, Elizabeth A.; Amaral, Joana; Rodrigues, CM; Santos, Maria Manuel Duque Vieira Marques (5910-2BF6-5F65. "Spiropyrazoline oxindoles: Promising p53 pathway activators for the development of new anti-tumor drugs". Paper presented in XXVI National Meeting of SPQ, 2019.
  12. Lopes, Elizabeth A.; Santos, Maria Manuel Duque Vieira Marques (5910-2BF6-5F65; Raquel Mestre. "A greener synthesis of spirooxadiazoline oxindoles". Paper presented in XXVI National Meeting of SPQ, 2019.
  13. Lopes, Elizabeth A.; Rita F. Pires; Lucília Helena Ataíde Saraiva (0A11-3A2E-8FE1); Vasco Bonifácio (AE14-EB30-86A6); Santos, Maria Manuel Duque Vieira Marques (5910-2BF6-5F65. "Pure dendrimers as delivery vehicle of a novel small molecule p53 reactivator". Paper presented in 11th IMed.ULisboa Postgraduate Students Meeting & 4th i3DU Meeting, 2019.
  14. Lopes, Elizabeth A.; Rita F. Pires; Lucília Helena Ataíde Saraiva (0A11-3A2E-8FE1); Vasco Bonifácio (AE14-EB30-86A6); Santos, Maria Manuel Duque Vieira Marques (5910-2BF6-5F65. "Encapsulation of a novel small molecule p53 reactivator in polyurea dendrimers". Paper presented in 4th meeting College of Chemistry of ULisboa, 2019.
  15. Lopes, Elizabeth A.; Espadinha, Margarida; Mattia Mori (CF1A-5EDD-CF78); Maurizio Botta; Santos, Maria Manuel Duque Vieira Marques (5910-2BF6-5F65. "Spiropyrazoline oxindoles - in silico optimization for p53 activation". Paper presented in 26th Young Research Fellows Meeting, 2019.
  16. Lopes, Elizabeth A.; Espadinha, Margarida; Mattia Mori (CF1A-5EDD-CF78); Maurizio Botta; Santos, Maria Manuel Duque Vieira Marques (5910-2BF6-5F65. "Dual p53-MDM2/X interaction inhibitors: a promising approach for cancer treatment". Paper presented in 3rd meeting College of Chemistry of ULisboa, 2018.
  17. Lopes, Elizabeth A.; Espadinha, Margarida; Mattia Mori (CF1A-5EDD-CF78); Maurizio Botta; Santos, Maria Manuel Duque Vieira Marques (5910-2BF6-5F65. "In silico study and synthesis of spiropyrazoline oxindoles as p53-MDM2 PPI inhibitor". Paper presented in 10th IMed.ULisboa Postgraduate Students Meeting & 3rd i3DU Meeting, 2018.
  18. Lopes, Elizabeth A.; Espadinha, Margarida; Mattia Mori (CF1A-5EDD-CF78); Maurizio Botta; Santos, Maria Manuel Duque Vieira Marques (5910-2BF6-5F65. "Spiropyrazoline oxindoles - promising dual inhibitors of p53-MDM2/X PPIs". Paper presented in Cost Action CM1407 5th MC/WG Meeting, 2018.
  19. Lopes, Elizabeth A.; Espadinha, Margarida; Mattia Mori (CF1A-5EDD-CF78); Maurizio Botta; Santos, Maria Manuel Duque Vieira Marques (5910-2BF6-5F65. "Spiropyrazoline oxindoles as p53-MDM2/X inhibitors - synthesis and computational studies". Paper presented in 12th National Meeting of Organic Chemistry and 5th National Meeting of Therapeutic Chemistry, 2018.
  20. Lopes, Elizabeth A.; Damla Uyar; Lídia Maria Diogo Gonçalves (7211-22BA-86AD); Santos, Maria Manuel Duque Vieira Marques (5910-2BF6-5F65. "Spirooxadiazoline oxindoles - a novel family of anticancer agents". Paper presented in 4th Meeting of Cost Action CM1407, 2017.
  21. Lopes, Elizabeth A.; Damla Uyar, Lídia Gonçalves, Maria M. M. Santos; Lídia Maria Diogo Gonçalves (7211-22BA-86AD); Santos, Maria Manuel Duque Vieira Marques (5910-2BF6-5F65. "Spirooxadiazoline oxindoles - a novel family of anticancer agents". Paper presented in 2nd Training School of Cost Action CM1407, 2017.
  22. Lopes, Elizabeth A.; Damla Uyar; Lídia Maria Diogo Gonçalves (7211-22BA-86AD); Santos, Maria Manuel Duque Vieira Marques (5910-2BF6-5F65. "Spirooxadiazoline oxindoles: potential anticancer agents". Paper presented in 1st meeting College of Chemistry of ULisboa, 2017.
  23. Lopes, Elizabeth A.; Damla Uyar; Lídia Maria Diogo Gonçalves (7211-22BA-86AD); Santos, Maria Manuel Duque Vieira Marques (5910-2BF6-5F65. "Synthesis of novel spirooxadiazoline oxindoles and evaluation as anti-cancer agents". Paper presented in XXV National Meeting of SPQ, 2017.
  24. Lopes, Elizabeth A.; Damla Uyar; Lídia Maria Diogo Gonçalves (7211-22BA-86AD); Santos, Maria Manuel Duque Vieira Marques (5910-2BF6-5F65. "Spirooxadiazoline oxindoles: synthesis and evaluation as anti-breast cancer agents". Paper presented in 9th IMed.ULisboa Postgraduate Students Meeting & 2nd i3DU Meeting, 2017.
  25. Lucie Zelená; Lopes, Elizabeth A.; Segundo, Marcela; Miró, Manuel; Hana Sklenárová. "Automated monitoring of drug permeation studies using Rhodamine 123 as a marker". Paper presented in Flow Analysis XIII, 2017.
  26. Lopes, Elizabeth A.; Kadhirvel, Porkodi; Mariana V. Osório; Segundo, Marcela; Azenha, Manuel. "Synthesis and application of novel molecularly imprinted material for determination of an aromatase inhibitor". Paper presented in IJUP14, 2014.
Journal article
  1. Lopes, Elizabeth A.; Santos, Maria M. M.; Mori, Mattia. "Antimalarial drugs: what’s new in the patents?". Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Patents 33 3 (2023): 151-168. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13543776.2023.2203814.
    10.1080/13543776.2023.2203814
  2. Girst, Gábor; Lopes, Elizabeth A.; Gonçalves, Lídia M.; Espadinha, Margarida; Kúsz, Norbert; Wang, Hui-Chun; Santos, Maria M. M.; Hunyadi, Attila. "Hybrid molecules of protoflavones and spirooxindole derivatives with selective cytotoxicity against triple-negative breast cancer cells". RSC Medicinal Chemistry 14 9 (2023): 1778-1786. http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/d3md00251a.
    10.1039/d3md00251a
  3. Espadinha, Margarida; Lopes, Elizabeth A.; Marques, Vanda; Amaral, Joana D.; dos Santos, Daniel J.V.A.; Mori, Mattia; Daniele, Simona; et al. "Discovery of MDM2-p53 and MDM4-p53 protein-protein interactions small molecule dual inhibitors". European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 241 (2022): 114637. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114637.
    Open access • 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114637
  4. Lopes, Elizabeth A.; Mestre, Raquel; Fontinha, Diana; Legac, Jenny; Pei, Jinxin V.; Sanches-Vaz, Margarida; Mori, Mattia; et al. "Discovery of spirooxadiazoline oxindoles with dual-stage antimalarial activity". European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 236 (2022): 114324. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114324.
    10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114324
  5. Loureiro, Joana B.; Ribeiro, Rita; Nazareth, Nair; Ferreira, Tiago; Lopes, Elizabeth A.; Gama, Adelina; Machuqueiro, Miguel; et al. "Mutant p53 reactivator SLMP53-2 hinders ultraviolet B radiation-induced skin carcinogenesis". Pharmacological Research 175 (2022): 106026. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2021.106026.
    10.1016/j.phrs.2021.106026
  6. Valentina Barcherini (621A-3198-14C2); Joana Almeida; Lopes, Elizabeth A.; Magalhães e Silva, Diogo; Mi Wang; Mattia Mori (CF1A-5EDD-CF78); Shaomeng Wang; Lucília Helena Ataíde Saraiva (0A11-3A2E-8FE1); Santos, Maria Manuel Duque Vieira Marques (5910-2BF6-5F65. "Potency and Selectivity Optimization of Tryptophanol-Derived Oxazoloisoindolinones: Novel p53 Activators in Human Colorectal Cancer.". ChemMedChem 16 1 (2020): 250-258. https://doi.org/10.1002/cmdc.202000522.
    Open access • Published • 10.1002/cmdc.202000522
  7. Lopes, E.A.; Gomes, S.; Saraiva, L.; Santos, M.M.M.. "Small molecules targeting mutant p53: A promising approach for cancer treatment". Current Medicinal Chemistry 26 41 (2019): 7323-7336. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85077765807&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.2174/0929867325666181116124308
  8. Espadinha, M.; Barcherini, V.; Lopes, E.A.; Santos, M.M.M.. "An update on MDMX and dual MDM2/X inhibitors". Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry 18 8 (2018): 647-660. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85051246394&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.2174/1568026618666180604080119
Thesis / Dissertation
  1. Lopes, Elizabeth A.. "Spirooxadiazoline oxindoles: synthesis and evaluation of anticancer and antimalarial activities". Master, Universidade Nova de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, 2017.