I'm currently a Research assistant at the Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging, Nice (IRCAN), working on telomeres biology of cnidarians. I earned my Bachelor (BS) of Biology and Master (MSc) of Development and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Lisbon, Portugal. During this period I expanded my research and formation horizons with 3 periods of studies abroad, in Poland (Łódź), Austria (Vienna) and France (Lyon). Shortly after my graduation I obtained a Portuguese governmental fellowship (FCT) to pursue a Ph.D. at the Pierre and Marie Curie University – Sorbonne University, France. My Ph.D. focused on the role of Retinoic Acid during the development of chordates animals and its evolutionary implications. After my Ph.D., I decided to switch gears and I obtained my own Postdoc fellowships from the Fondation pour la Recherche Medicale and later from the Côte d'Azur University to work on a passionate question, the relationship between whole-body regeneration and longevity.
Research Interests
- Longevity, Aging and Senescence
- Stem cells and Regeneration
- Neurobiology and Neurodegenerative disease
- Telomeres and Telomerase
- Marine and molecular biology
- Invertebrate biology (life cycles, reproduction)
- CRISPR/Cas9
- Evolutionary and Developmental biology (EvoDevo)
- Cnidarians (e.g. sea anemones)
- Amphioxus (i.e. lancelets)
- Open science and outreach
CV
Education
2013 – 2017 Doctoral degree (Ph.D.). Pierre and Marie Curie University (Paris VI) - Sorbonne University, France. Ecole Doctorale Complexité du Vivant
2009 – 2012 Master’s degree (MSc) in Evolutionary and Developmental Biology. University of Lisbon, Portugal. Faculty of Science
2011 – 2012 Erasmus placement (Master thesis research project). Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, France
2010 – 2011 Erasmus exchange (Genetics and Developmental Biology program). University of Vienna, Austria. Life Sciences Faculty
2006 – 2009 Bachelor degree (BS) in Biology. University of Lisbon, Portugal. Faculty of Science
Research Experience
Post-doctoral fellow / Research assistant
Advisor: Dr. Eric Röttinger. Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging Nice, France. Stress-response, Regeneration & Longevity Team. Funding: Full-time individual fellowship from UCA (Université Côte d'Azur)
2021 – 2022*
* expected date of contract termination
Post-doctoral fellow / Research assistant
Advisor: Dr. Eric Röttinger. Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging Nice, France. Stress-response, Regeneration & Longevity Team. Funding: Full-time individual fellowship from FRM (Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale)
2018 – 2020
Ph.D. student
Advisor: Dr. Michael Schubert. Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer (LBDV), France. EvoInSiDe team. Funding: Full-time individual fellowship from FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology)
2013 – 2017
Research assistant
Advisor: Dr. Michael Schubert. Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer (LBDV), France. Funding: Full-time contract CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)
2012
Undergraduate researcher
Advisors: Dr. Vincent Laudet & Dr. Michael Schubert. Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon (IGFL), France. Molecular Zoology group. Funding: Full-time intern CNRS and Erasmus placement
2011 – 2012
Undergraduate researcher
Advisors: Dr. Mingliu Du & Dr. Florian Raible. Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Computational and Structural Biology, Vienna, Austria. Raible Lab. Funding: Erasmus stipend
2010 – 2011
Undergraduate researcher
Advisor: Dr. Katarzyna Szafrańska. University of Łódź, Poland. Department of Ecophysiology and Plant Development. Funding: IAESTE fellowship
2009
Undergraduate researcher
Advisor: Dr. José Feijo. Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC), Oeiras, Portugal. Plant Development Group. Funding: University of Lisbon and Amadeu Dias Foundation
2008 – 2009
Teaching & Mentoring
02/2021 – 07/2021 Frida Cnossen, Master student; Côte d'Azur University
02/2021 – present Aurore Vullien, Ph.D student, Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris and Côte d'Azur University
02/2020 – 06/2020 Soline Malkas, Master student; Côte d'Azur University
01/2020 – 06/2020 Victoria Nicolini, Master student; Côte d'Azur University
10/2019 – present Adrien Poquet, Ph.D. student; Côte d'Azur University
02/2019 – 06/2019 Mathilde Dabrowski, Master student; Côte d'Azur University
01/2019 – 06/2019 Olivier Cristini, Master student; Côte d'Azur University
02/2018 – 06/2018 Daisy Graça, Master student; Sophia-Antipolis University
01/2017 – 03/2017 Rafath Chowdhury, Master student; Pierre and Marie Curie University - Sorbonne University
01/2016 – 06/2016 Tom Lemonnier, Master student; Pierre and Marie Curie University - Sorbonne University
01/2015 – 01/2017 François Lahaye, lab technician; Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer