Our Team
We are a multidisciplinary team of enthusiastic and determined researchers, dedicated to biomedical and health sciences
Principal Investigator
SANDRA VIEIRA
Sandra Vieira graduated in Biochemistry at the Institute for Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS) and Faculty of Sciences (University of Porto), after a training at Utrecht University (Netherlands). She holds a PhD in Biological Sciences (2006) from the University of Aveiro, on Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience topics. She is currently an Assistant Professor of the Department of Medical Sciences (University of Aveiro) and the PI of the Spark Lab. Her main research interests are on Regenerative Medicine topics, but also include Aging and age-associated diseases.
DÁRIO TRINDADE
Junior Researcher
Dário Trindade holds a Master in Molecular Genetics from the University of Minho (Braga, Portugal) and a PhD in Cellular and Health Biology / Biochemistry from the Universities of Minho and Bordeaux (France). After a post-doc fellowship at the Institute of Biomedicine (iBiMED/University of Aveiro) in neurodegeneration, he joined the Spark Lab as a junior Researcher. His main interests are ageing, neurodegeneration and regeneration, cell death, protein aggregation, in cellular models and clinical research.
PhD Student
PATRÍCIA CORREIA
Patrícia Correia holds a Master in Molecular Biomedicine by the University of Aveiro. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Biomedicine in the field of Neurobiology, in a collaboration between the Spark Lab and the Molecular Neurobiology Lab from Heinrich Heine University of Duesseldorf. Her main interests are neuroregeneration, spinal cord and peripheral nerve injury (animal and cellular models), regeneration associated genes (RAGs), signaling pathways, proteomics and transcriptomics.
BÁRBARA SOUSA
PhD Student
Bárbara Sousa is a MSc in Biochemistry (University of Aveiro, 2018), and was a Research Fellow in neuroregeneration (2019). She is currently developing her PhD in Biomedicine, on clinically-oriented neuroregeneration topics, in collaboration with the Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine (ISRM, Dusseldorf, Germany). Her main interests are neuroregeneration, osteoregeneration, electrical stimulation, cell therapy, biomaterials and personalized regenerative medicine.
PhD Student
MARIA RIBEIRO DA CUNHA
MR Cunha is a physiatrist (Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra), Coordinator of the Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Rehabilitation Unit of the North Rehabilitation Center (CRN – CHVNG/E; since 2014) and Director of the CHVNG/E Quality Management, Risk and Humanization Department. MR Cunha is pursuing a Ph.D in Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Aveiro, in clinical studies on traumatic SCI subacute patients, pre- and post-rehabilitation, involving OMICs and targeted analyses. Her main interests are SCI, neurogenic bladder and bowel, sexual dysfunction, microbiome and gut dysbiosis.
EMÍLIA MENDES
PhD Student
Emília has a Bachelor's Degree in Prosthetics and Orthotics (Escola Superior de Tecnologias de Saúde do Porto), a graduation in Prosthetics and Orthotics (Escola Superior de Tecnologias de Saúde de Lisboa) and a Master In Rehabilitation Sciences from the University of Strathclyde (Glasgow – Scotland). She is a PhD student in Rehabilitation Sciences (University of Aveiro), interested in studying potential early predictors of loss of BMD and function in lower limb amputees, derived from stump-prosthetic socket misfit.
MARISOL GOUVEIA
PhD Student co-supervised
Marisol Gouveia holds a Bachelor´s degree in Biochemistry and a Master’s degree in Applied Biochemistry, both from the University of Madeira. Currently a PhD student in Biomedicine, her thesis is focused on understanding the role of protein aggregation in patients with hypertension and heart failure (HF), and how exercise training can modulate protein homeostasis (proteostasis) in these patients.
MANUEL ALVES
PhD Student co-supervised
Manuel Alves holds a Master in Materials Science and Engineering from the São Paulo University (Brazil, 2020). He is currently developing his PhD on the 3D printing of dense and tough Li2O-SiO2 based glass-ceramics, with bactericidal properties, in a joint collaboration between CICECO/UA and iBiMED/UA. His main interests are biomaterials, glass-ceramics, additive manufacturing, glass sintering and materials functionalization.
PhD Student co-supervised
DIOGO NEVES
Diogo Neves holds a Bachelor´s degree in Biochemistry and a Master´s degree in Biochemistry, both from the University of Porto. Currently, as a PhD student in Biomedicine at iBiMED (UA), his thesis is focused in the study of NAD metabolism in the brain, in the fields of neuronal differentiation and injury, as well as in aging and protein aggregation.
PhD Student co-supervised
NELSON MANUEL
Nelson Manuel is medical doctor (Belgorod State University, Belgorod, Russia). Worked in Lobito Hospital (Angola) and is currently working at Belgorod University Hospital (Russia). Nelson is pursuing a Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Sciences (University of Aveiro) and is current interests are: stroke and stroke management; implementation of clinical good practices; early mobilization after stroke; patients’ functional recovery and improvement of quality of life.
PhD student co-supervised
BEATRIZ RIBEIRO
Beatriz holds a Master in Molecular Genetics and Biomedicine by NOVA School of Science and Technology (Caparica, Portugal) and is currently working at Sandra Vieira's "Spark Lab" as a post-graduate research fellow. Her main interests are neuroregeneration, spinal cord injury, molecular biology, gene editing and CRISPR-Cas9.
JOSÉ GABRIEL FIGUEIREDO
PhD student co-supervised
José holds a Master in Molecular Biomedicine by the University of Aveiro (2021). He is currently working as research fellow at Sandra Vieira's "Spark Lab" and his main interests are neuroregeneration, spinal cord injury, molecular biology, and animal and cellular models.
PhD Student
BRUNA CRUZ
Bruna graduated in Biomedical Sciences (2019) at the University of Aveiro and is currently pursuing her Master Degree in Molecular Biomedicine. Her main interests are on neuroregeneration, spinal cord injury (biomedical and clinical research), cell therapy.
ALEXANDRE PEREIRA
MSc Student
Alexandre Pereira graduated in Biotechnology (2020) at the University of Aveiro (Portugal) and is currently undergoing a Master degree in Molecular Biomedicine. His thesis addresses the role of chaperone-mediated autophagy in the control of G(alpha)o protein levels, in a neuronal model.
MSc Student completed
NUNO RIBEIRO
Nuno Ribeiro graduated in Biotechnology (2020) at the University of Aveiro (Portugal) and is currently undertaking a Master degree in Molecular Biomedicine. His thesis addresses the role of the G(alpha)o protein in neuronal differentiation and neuritogenic signaling pathways.
MANUEL TEIXEIRA
MSc Student completed
Manuel Teixeira holds a Master’s degree in Molecular Biomedicine from the University of Aveiro (Portugal). His thesis addressed proteostasis, inflammatory and vasoactive biomarkers in patients with hypertension. Currently, as a PhD student in Biomedicine at the University of Aveiro, he is trying to assess the pulmonary vascular response to acute exercise in patients with pulmonary hypertension.