Directive Commitee

President
Vítor Costa
ICBAS
University of Porto
vcosta@ibmc.up.pt
Vítor Costa is an Associate Professor at Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, where he lectures Biochemistry and Molecular Signalling. He is group leader (Yeast Signalling Networks) at Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto. His research focuses on the role of bioactive sphingolipids and nutrient signalling pathways in the regulation of organelle function, redox homeostasis, and autophagy, and how deregulation of these signalling networks impacts on aging and cell death in the context of yeast models of human disease, namely Niemann Pick type C and seipinopathy. Researcher ID: A-2647-2008. ORCID: 0000-0002-7868-4663.

Vice-President
Célia Antunes
School of Health and Human Development
University of Évora
cmma@uevora.pt
Célia M. Antunes is an Associate Professor at the School of Health and Human Development (ESDH), University of Évora (UÉvora), Portugal. Besides Biochemistry, she teaches Metabolism & Energetics, Immunity & Environment. She integrates the Institute of Earth Sciences (ICT), coordinating the Laboratory of Applied Biochemistry and Aerobiology and is a board member of the “Centro Académico Clínico do Alentejo, C-TRAIL”. Her research interests focus on Pathophysiology and Environment and Health, particularly on environmental determinants and signalling pathways in Allergy. Supervisor or co-supervisor of over 100 Post-Doc, PhD, Master’s and undergraduate students. At UÉvora, she has been Director of the BSc in Biomedical and Health Sciences (2022-2023), Biochemistry degree (BSc 2005-2016; Master's 2018-2022). Author or co-author of over 100 works between patents, peer-reviewed papers, books, book chapters and reports. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8906-1085; Science ID: 1F15-F98B-0A79.

General Secretary
Carlos Farinha
Faculty of Sciences, BioISI
University of Lisbon
cmfarinha@fc.ul.pt
Carlos M Farinha is an Associate Professor (with Habilitation) at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, where he lectures Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He is also Principal Investigator at BioISI – Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute. His main research area is Protein Trafficking in the context of Human Disease. Current research is focused on the molecular mechanisms of the autosomal recessive disorder Cystic Fibrosis – including the elucidation of endoplasmic reticulum quality control and membrane stability mechanisms for the CFTR protein, the characterization of the molecular defects caused by rare mutations and the identification of novel therapeutic targets. Research ID: A-7110-2010; ORCID: 0000-0002-5467-1710; Scopus: 6603173042.

Treasurer
Bárbara Rocha
Faculty of Pharmacy
University of Coimbra
barbarasrocha@icloud.com
Barbara S. Rocha is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra and member of the Redox Biology and Brain Sensing Group at Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra. Her main research interests are dietary-driven post-translational modifications of gut proteins induced by nitrate and nitrite and ensued translational impact. After demonstrating that nitrated gastric proteases may prevent the development of peptic ulcer disease, she is currently studying how dietary nitrate, by modulating gut microbiota communities, assures local physiological mechanisms upon antibiotic therapy. ORCID: 0000-0002-0697-8806. ResearcherID: M-7768-2014

Adjunct Secretary
Paula Ludovico
School of Medicine
University of Minho
pludovico@med.uminho.pt
Paula Ludovico is an Associate Professor with habilitation at School of Medicine, University of Minho, where she lectures Biochemistry and Molecular and Celular Biology. She is a Principal Investigator at the Health and Life Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho. Paula has been developing work on the mechanisms of regulated cell death and autophagy. Her research is mainly focused on control of homeostasis during aging particularly on proteostasis and its impact on aged-related diseases. Researcher ID: B-4338-2011. ORCID: 0000-0003-4130-7167.

Adjunct Secretary
Margarida Fardilha
Department of Medical Sciences
University of Aveiro
mfardilha@ua.pt
Margarida Fardilha is an Assistant Professor with Habilitation at the Department of Medical Sciences (DMS), University of Aveiro and the coordinator of Signal Transduction Lab at Institute for Biomedicine. She graduated at the University of Porto, in Biochemistry (1996) and did her PhD in Biology (2004), at the University of Aveiro (UA). Her research interests are related to the role of Phosphoprotein Phosphatase 1 (PP1) in male-related disorders, particularly, male infertility. She is also involved in the development of a novel male contraceptive based on the modulation of sperm specific PP1 complexes with bioportides. Currently MF is a a member of the Support Team for Curricular and Pedagogical Innovation at UA and the DMS Commission for Pedagogical Innovation and Quality. She won the 1st Prize for Good Pedagogical Practices 2021 and the 1st Prize for Incentive to Pedagogical Innovation Projects (2020 and 2022 Edition) at UA. ORCID: 0000-0001-7459-9173.

Adjunct Secretary
Duarte Barral
Faculty of Medical Sciences
Nova University Lisbon
duarte.barral@nms.unl.pt
Duarte Barral is an Associate Professor at NOVA Medical School|Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, where he teaches undergrad, Master and PhD students. He is the group leader of the Membrane Traffic in Infection group. His research aims to understand the regulatory mechanisms of membrane trafficking and their role in human disease, namely cancer. In particular, he focuses on the study of small GTPases of the Rab and Arf families of the Ras superfamily, and how they are subverted by cancer cells during the acquisition of invasive capacity. Researcher ID: E-7548-2013. ORCID: 0000-0001-8867-2407.

 

General Assembly Board

President
Graça Soveral
Faculty of Pharmacy, iMed.UL
University of Lisbon
gsoveral@ff.ul.pt
Graça Soveral is Full Professor and Vice-Dean at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, where she lectures Clinical Biochemistry and Human Nutrition & Dietetics. She coordinates the research group Membrane Transporters in Health & Disease at the Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa). Her main research area is Membrane Transporters in living organisms and their potential as new biomarkers and drug targets. Current research is focused on transport systems as targets for drug action in diseases whose etiology might be supported by transporters dysfunction or aberrant expression. Researcher ID: L-1550-2013; ORCID: 0000-0001-8487-110X; Scopus: 6602417900.

Secretary of the Assembly Table
Cecília Santos
Faculty of Health Sciences
University of Beira Interior
csantos@fcsaude.ubi.pt
Cecília Santos graduated in Marine Biology and Fisheries in 1992 from the University of the Algarve. In 1999 received her PhD degree in Biology (speciality of Molecular Biology), also from the University of Algarve. In 2002 she was invited by the University of Beira Interior (UBI) as invited assistant professor at the faculty of Health Sciences. She became Associate Professor in Health Sciences in 2011 and in 2019 got the habilitation in Biomedicine, also at UBI. Currently she is responsible for the curricular units of Digestive system and oncobiology at the Health Sciences Faculty of UBI. She is also the vice-coordinator for general affairs of the health sciences research centre of UBI (CICS-UBI) and the Research Coordinator of the Neurological and Neurovascular diseases group. Her current research interests are focused on the regulation and function of the choroid plexus and its impact in brain homeostasis and disease progression, particularly Alzheimer disease. Other research interests are on cancer (glioblastoma, breast, prostate and colorectal cancer), particularly on the crosstalk between cancer cells and their microenvironment, with the purpose of identifying more suitable therapeutic targets. orcid.org/0000-0001-6074-7825. Ciencia ID: 761A-7ED2-D68F.

Adjunct of the Secretary of the Assembly Table
Francisco Pinto
Faculty of Sciences
University of Lisbon
frpinto@fc.ul.pt
Francisco Pinto is an Assistant Professor at the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department of the Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, where he lectures Quantitative Methods in Systems Biology and Experimental Design in Biochemistry. He is a Principal Investigator (RNA Systems Biology) at Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute (BioISI). His research focuses on biological network analysis and mathematical modeling of regulatory networks in heath and disease states. Researcher ID: A-7443-2008. ORCID: 0000-0002-4217-0054.

Fiscal Committee

President
João Laranjinha
Faculty of Pharmacy
University of Coimbra
laranjin@ci.uc.pt
João Laranjinha is professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Portugal. His research is focused on the functional impact of nitric oxide in the brain as a neurometabolic regulator and as a mediator of neurovascular coupling with impact in aging and neurodegeneration. He is also interested in dietary nitrite-driven regulatory processes, encompassing the non-enzymatic production of nitric oxide along the nitrate:nitrite:NO pathway. His laboratory has extensive expertise in the Biology of free radicals, oxidants, antioxidants, and how a change of redox environment towards oxidation affects signaling pathways supporting a functional brain microcirculation and cognitive performance during aging. Scopus Author ID: 6701756562.

Secretary
Manuel Aureliano
Faculty of Sciences and Technology
University of Algarve
maalves@ualg.pt
Manuel Aureliano, is an Associate Professor of Biochemistry (With Aggregation) at the Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Algarve (UAlg), Portugal. Besides Biochemistry, he teaches Inorganic Biochemistry and topics within Muscle Contraction and Metals in Biology. At UAlg, he served as director and/or vice-director of the Biochemistry degree (1997-2013; 2021-2023). He is regularly a peer reviewer (over 700 papers) for numerous scientific journals (more than 100 journals) and has served on the Editorial Boards of several Journals. Supervisor and/or co-supervisor of many pos-doc, PhD, MSc and undergraduate students (over 100). Author and/or co-author of about 110 peer-reviewed journal articles, reviews and book chapters. M. Aureliano @“World Ranking of Top 2% Scientists”: Career and year (2020; 2021). ORCID: 0000-0003-4858-3201; Ciência Vitae: AA14-3490-DC5E.

Adjunct Secretary
Ana Magalhães
ICBAS, University of Porto
amagalhaes@ipatimup.pt
Ana Magalhães is an Assistant Professor at Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, where she lectures Biochemistry. She is a researcher at the Glycobiology in Cancer group at Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto. Her scientific research focuses on addressing the role that glycans and glycoconjugates play in cancer cell signalling and extracellular communication, with the aim of understanding the glycosylation-mediated molecular mechanisms controlling tumour initiation and progression. ORCID: 0000-0003-4863-6668. Scopus Author ID: 55069336800.

Consulting Committee

Former SPB president
Graça Soveral
Faculty of Pharmacy, iMed.UL
University of Lisbon
gsoveral@ff.ul.pt

 

President of SPBP
Teresa Lino Neto
School of Sciences
University of Minho
tlneto@bio.uminho.pt

 

President of SPBf
Armindo Salvador
Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC)
University of Coimbra
salvador@cnc.uc.pt