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Maria I. R. Alfaiate is a research fellow at Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Portugal. She has a bachelor in Biology and a Master in Biochemistry, both by the University of Coimbra. Her master thesis focused on the analysis of the efficacy and safety of spermicides with cationic surfactants as active principles. Currently, she works as an investigator in a project that research the impact of heavy metals exposure in male fertility, meanwhile analyzing the toxicity of phthalates in human sperm. She is co-authored of one submitted scientific paper and has attended multiple scientific meetings where she presented her work in poster or oral presentation format. The most frequent terms in the context of her scientific outputs are: Male (in)fertility; Endocrine disruptors; Biology of reproduction; Sperm quality and function; Male reproductive health; Chemical contraception.
Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Maria Inês Rodrigues Alfaiate

Citation names

  • Alfaiate, MIR

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
4413-66E3-0DE2
ORCID iD
0000-0003-4503-9972

Email addresses

  • maria.alfaiate@cnc.uc.pt (Professional)

Addresses

  • Universidade de Coimbra, IIIUC, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, Celas, 3004-504, Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal (Professional)

Websites

Knowledge fields

  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Reproductive Biology
  • Medical and Health Sciences - Clinical Medicine - Andrology
  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Biochemistry
  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Biochemical Research Methods
  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Biology
  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Cell Biology

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
Portuguese (Mother tongue)
English Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Advanced (C1) Proficiency (C2) Advanced (C1)
Education
Degree Classification
2021/07 - 2025/06
Ongoing
Biologia Experimental e Biomedicina (Doutoramento)
Major in Biology of Reproduction
Universidade de Coimbra Instituto de Investigação Interdisciplinar, Portugal
2023/10/23 - 2023/10/27
Concluded
Biotech Transfer Step-by-Step (Outros)
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Inovação em Biomedicina e Biotecnologia, Portugal
2022/03 - 2022/05
Concluded
InnoCore – Core Technologies for Education and Innovation in Life Sciences (Outros)
Fundación Parque Tecnológico de Ciencias de la Salud de Granada, Spain
2021/01/18 - 2021/01/29
Concluded
Curso de Formação em Estatística com SPSS (Outros)
Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Medicina, Portugal
Aprovado
2019/10/04
Concluded
How to Get Published (Outros)
Elsevier, Netherlands
2017/08/18 - 2019/09/12
Concluded
Biochemistry (Mestrado)
Major in Sem especialização
Departamento de Ciências da Vida da Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
"Analysis of the Efficacy and Safety of Spermicides with Benzalkonium Cholride and Myristalkonium Chloride as Active Principles" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
18
2019/02/12 - 2019/05/27
Concluded
English for Academic Purposes II (Outros)
Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Letras, Portugal
17
2018/09/04 - 2018/09/04
Concluded
Introduction to Laboratory Safety, organized by Lab Safety Workplace (Outros)
Lab Safety Workplace, Portugal
2018/04/30
Concluded
Princípios OCDE das Boas Práticas Laboratoriais (BPL) (Outros)
CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Portugal
2018/03/08 - 2018/03/08
Concluded
Gestão de Hospitalares Perigosos - Triagem e Acondicionamento (Outros)
Ambiwaste, Portugal
2014/09/11 - 2017/06/26
Concluded
Biology (Licenciatura)
Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Ciencias e Tecnologia, Portugal
14
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution
Employer
2019/12/02 - Current Researcher (Research) Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Medicina, Portugal
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
2018/09/01 - Current Research Trainee (Research) CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Portugal
Projects

Grant

Designation Funders
2021/07/01 - Current Role of cholesterol in male fertility: Modulation of store-operated channels to improve sperm function
2020.05337.BD
PhD Student Fellow
Ongoing
2021/01 - Current Reproduction@Estarreja: is female reproductive potential at risk? OHM-E/2020/Proj.5
OHM-E/2020/Proj.5
Researcher
LabEx DRIIHM - Dispositif de Recherche Interdisciplinaire sur les Interactions Hommes-Milieux, France
LabEx DRIIHM - Dispositif de Recherche Interdisciplinaire sur les Interactions Hommes-Milieux
Ongoing

Contract

Designation Funders
2019/12/02 - Current MEN’S HEALTH ESTARREJA – evaluation of the reproductive health of men living in a heavily industrialized area
OHM-E/2019/Proj.3
Research Fellow
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
LabEx DRIIHM - Dispositif de Recherche Interdisciplinaire sur les Interactions Hommes-Milieux
Ongoing
2020/01/01 - 2021/06/30 HEALTHYAGING 2020
CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-000012
Research Fellow
Concluded
2020/10 - 2021/02 BioBlock COVID
53456
Researcher
Ongoing
2018/09 - 2019/07/31 INNOTECH 2015
INNOTECH 2015
Other
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
Laboratoire INNOTECH International
Concluded
Outputs

Publications

Conference abstract
  1. Alfaiate, MIR; António Santos, Rita; Ana Paula Sousa; Almeida-Santos, Teresa: AT Santos; Ramalho-Santos, João; Tavares, Renata S.. Corresponding author: Alfaiate, MIR. "No loss, no gain: Lack of cholesterol efflux and tyrosine phosphorylation in overweight and obese men". Paper presented in 57th anual Scientific meeting of the European Society of Clinical Investigation (ESCI), Prague, 2023.
    Published
  2. Tavares, Renata S.; Alfaiate, MIR; António Santos, Rita; Ana Paula Sousa; Almeida-Santos, Teresa: AT Santos; Ramalho-Santos, João. Corresponding author: Tavares, Renata S.. "It ­takes ­two­ to ­tango:­ The ­involvement ­of­ certain ­environmental ­endocrine-­disrupting ­chemicals ­in ­male ­infertility­ aetiology". Paper presented in 56th anual Scientific meeting of the European Society of Clinical Investigation (ESCI), Bare, 2022.
    Published
  3. Alfaiate, MIR; António Santos, Rita; Carola, Carolina; Ana Paula Sousa; Almeida-Santos, Teresa: AT Santos; Ramalho-Santos, João; Tavares, Renata S.. "Effects of heavy metal contamination in male reproductive status - A preliminary study". Paper presented in 21st European Testis Workshop, 2021.
    Published
  4. Alfaiate, MIR; António Santos, Rita; Ana Paula Sousa; Ana Teresa Almeida Santos; Ramalho-Santos, João; Tavares, Renata S.. "Empowering women: In vitro safety and efficacy of cationic surfactants as active principles for potential vaginal contraceptives.". Paper presented in European Journal of Clinical Investigation (ESCI), Coimbra, 2019.
    Published
Conference poster
  1. António Santos, Rita; Alfaiate, MIR; Ana Paula Sousa; Almeida-Santos, Teresa: AT Santos; Ramalho-Santos, João; Tavares, Renata S.. Corresponding author: Tavares, Renata S.. "And what about antidepressants: do they affect human spermatozoa?". Paper presented in 57th anual Scientific meeting of the European Society of Clinical Investigation (ESCI), 2023.
  2. Alfaiate, MIR; António Santos, Rita; Ana Paula Sousa; Almeida-Santos, Teresa: AT Santos; Ramalho-Santos, João; Tavares, Renata S.. Corresponding author: Alfaiate, MIR. "No loss, no gain: Cholesterol efflux and sperm function deficit after capacitation in overweight and obese men". Paper presented in European Testis Workshop, 2023.
  3. Tavares, Renata S.; Alfaiate, MIR; António Santos, Rita; Carola, Carolina; Ana Paula Sousa; Almeida-Santos, Teresa: AT Santos; Ramalho-Santos, João. Corresponding author: Tavares, Renata S.. "It takes two to tango: The involvement of endocrine disruptors in male infertility aetiology". Paper presented in Fertility 2023, 2023.
  4. Tavares, Renata S.; Alfaiate, MIR; António Santos, Rita; Carola, Carolina; Ana Paula Sousa; Almeida-Santos, Teresa: AT Santos; Ramalho-Santos, João. Corresponding author: Tavares, Renata S.. "It Takes Two to Tango: the Involvement of Certain Environmental Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals in Male Infertility Aetiology". Paper presented in 56th anual Scientific meeting of the European Society of Clinical Investigation (ESCI), 2022.
  5. Alfaiate, MIR; António Santos, Rita; Carola, Carolina; Ana Paula Sousa; Almeida-Santos, Teresa: AT Santos; Ramalho-Santos, João. "Effects of heavy metal contamination in male reproductive status - A preliminary study". Paper presented in 21st European Testis Workshop, 2021.
  6. Alfaiate, MIR; António Santos, Rita; Ana Paula Sousa; Ana Teresa Almeida Santos; Ramalho-Santos, João; Tavares, Renata S.. "MEN’S HEALTH ESTARREJA evaluation of the reproductive health of men living in a heavily industrialized area". Paper presented in 7 eme Colloque de Restitution do OHM Estarreja, 2020.
  7. Alfaiate, MIR; António Santos, Rita; Ana Paula Sousa; Ana Teresa Almeida Santos; Ramalho-Santos, João; Tavares, Renata S.. "Empowering women: in vitro safety and efficacy of cationic surfactants as active principles for potential vaginal contraceptives". Paper presented in 53rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the European Society for Clinical Investigation (ESCI), 2019.
  8. António Santos, Rita; Alfaiate, MIR; Ana Paula Sousa; Ana Teresa Almeida Santos; Ramalho-Santos, João; Tavares, Renata S.. "Avaliação da Segurança e Eficácia de Surfactantes Catiónicos para Potencial Utilização em Contracetivos Vaginais". Paper presented in 7º Congresso Português de Medicina da Reprodução, 2019.
Journal article
  1. Alfaiate, MIR; António Santos, Rita; Silva, Andreia; Ana Paula Sousa; Almeida-Santos, Teresa: AT Santos; Gendron, Célia; Jabbour, Violaine; et al. "Comparative in vitro study on the local tolerance and efficacy of benzalkonium chloride, myristalkonium chloride and nonoxynol-9 as active principles in vaginal contraceptives". The European Journal of Contraception and Reproductive Health Care (2021):
    Published • 10.1080/13625187.2021.1900563
Thesis / Dissertation
  1. Alfaiate, MIR. "Analysis of the Efficacy and Safety of Spermicides with Benzalkonium Chloride and Myristalkonium Chloride as Active Principles". Master, Departamento de Ciências da Vida da Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de Coimbra, 2019.
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2023/06/24 No loss, no gain: Lack of cholesterol efflux and tyrosine phosphorylation in overweight and obese men 57th anual Scientific meeting of the European Society of Clinical Investigation (ESCI)
European Society of Clinical Investigation (Prague, Czech Republic)
2023/06/24 And what about antidepressants: do they affect human spermatozoa? 57th anual Scientific meeting of the European Society of Clinical Investigation (ESCI)
European Society of Clinical Investigation (Prague, Czech Republic)
2023/06/18 No loss, no gain: Cholesterol efflux and sperm function deficit after capacitation in overweight and obese men European Testis Workshop 2023
(Montreux, Switzerland)
2022/11/24 Environmental Pollution: The Implication Of Certain Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals In Male Fertility Aetiology 30th World Congress on Controversies in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Infertility (COGI)
(Amsterdam, Netherlands)
2022/06/05 Poluição Ambiental: O Envolvimento De Determinados Disruptores Endócrinos (EDs) Na Etiologia Da Infertilidade Masculina Sociedade Portuguesa de Andrologia (SPA)
Sociedade Portuguesa de Andrologia (Portugal)
2022/06 It Takes Two to Tango: the Involvement of Certain Environmental Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals in Male Infertility Aetiology 56th anual Scientific meeting of the European Society of Clinical Investigation (ESCI)
European Society of Clinical Investigation (Bari, Italy)
2021/06 Os Efeitos da exposição a Metais Pesados na Saúde Reprodutiva Masculina - Dados Preliminares XVII Congresso Nacional da Sociedade Portuguesa de Andrologia / XV Reunião Ibérica de Andrologia Medicina Sexual e Reprodução
Sociedade Portuguesa de Andrologia (Portugal)
2021/05 Effects of Heavy Metal Contamination in Male Reproductive Status - A Preliminary Study European Testis Workshop 2020 (ETW) - Postponed to May 2021
European Testis Workshop (Virtual)
2021/01/22 Men's Health Estarreja - Evaluation of the reproductive health of men living in a heavily industrialized area 8eme Colloque de Restitution OHM
OHM (Virtual, Portugal)
2021/01/22 REPRODUCTION@ESTARREJA: Is Female Reproductive Potential At Risk? eme Colloque de Restitution OHM
OHM (Portugal)
2019/09/20 Capacitar a mulher: análise in vitro da segurança e eficácia de surfatantes catiónicos como princípios ativos a utilizar em contracetivos vaginais. 9° Reunião Nacional da Sociedade Portuguesa da Contraceção
Sociedade Portuguesa de Contraceção (Lisboa, Portugal)
2019/05/22 Empowering women: in vitro safety and efficacy of cationic surfactants as active principles for potential vaginal contraceptives 53rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the European Society for Clinical Investigation (ESCI)
(Coimbra, Portugal)

Event organisation

Event name
Type of event (Role)
Institution / Organization
2023/09/01 - Current European Researchers' Night (2023/09/29)
Other (Other)
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Inovação em Biomedicina e Biotecnologia, Portugal
2023/01/02 - Current Quorum, Theater, Part of the Equality Days (2023/05/30)
Festival (Other)
Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
2023/02/01 - 2023/10/31 Member of the organization committee of the “Workshop Reprodução e Fertilidade” (2023/09/12 - 2023/09/30)
Workshop (Member of the Organising Committee)
Associação Portuguesa de Professores de Biologia e Geologia (APPBG), Portugal
2018/03/03 - 2018/03/04 Member of the organization committee of the Meet.Lab II, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, Portugal. Organization of the workshop "Avaliação da Qualidade Seminal & Estratégias Contracetivas", by Doutora Renata Tavares. (2017/03/03 - 2017/03/03)
Congress (Member of the Organising Committee)
Núcleo de Estudantes de Biologia, Associação Académica de Coimbra (NEB|AAC), Portugal
2017/03/03 - 2017/03/03 Member of the organization committee of the Meet.Lab I, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, Portugal. Organization of the workshop "Desenvolvimento e Prevenção da Fertilidade", by Doutora Paula Mota. (2016/03/03 - 2016/03/03)
Congress (Member of the Organising Committee)
Núcleo de Estudantes de Biologia, Associação Académica de Coimbra (NEB|AAC), Portugal
2016/04 - 2016/04 Member of the organization committee of the XIX Encontro Nacional de Estudantes de Biologia (ENEB) (2016/04 - 2016/04)
Meeting (Member of the Organising Committee)
Núcleo de Estudantes de Biologia, Associação Académica de Coimbra (NEB|AAC), Portugal

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event
Event name
Institution / Organization
2020/09/20 - 2020/09/30 Attended the ESCI Virtual Meeting 2020 | Covid19 Edition. ESCI Virtual Meeting 2020 | Covid19 Edition
European Society for Clinical Investigation, Netherlands
2020/07/08 - 2020/07/12 SSR Virtual – Society for the Study of Reproduction
Congress
SSR Virtual
Society for the Study of Reproduction, United States
2020/07/05 - 2020/07/08 ESHRE virtual 36th Annual Meeting
Congress
ESHRE virtual 36th Annual Meeting
European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, Belgium
2020/03/01 - 2020/05/31 Volunteering at the Clinical Analysis Lab of the University of Coimbra for SARS-CoV2 detection in oronasal samples
Other
Universidade de Coimbra Laboratório de Análises Clínicas, Portugal
2019/09/30 - 2019/12/06 Volunteer Internship in Embryology and Andrology Laboratories at CHUC
Other
Volunteer Internship in Embryology and Andrology Laboratories at CHUC
Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra - CHUC, Portugal
2019/10/04 - 2019/10/04 Participation in the workshop: How to Get Published, organized by Elsevier
Workshop
How to Get Published
Elsevier, Netherlands
2019/09/27 - 2019/09/27 Science dissemination activitie "Noite Europeia dos Investigadores"
Exhibition
Noite Europeia dos Investigadores (NEI)
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
2019/07/02 - 2019/07/02 Women Health Forum - Coimbra A debate in the scope of Global Health, with a special focus on Women Leadership and Women and Girl's health in the context of vulnerable populations.
Symposium
Women Health Forum
Coimbra Health - Coimbra Academic Clinical Center CHUC-UC, Portugal

Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal

Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra - CHUC, Portugal
2019/07/02 - 2019/07/02 Participation in the workshop: Sexual and Reproductive Rights: A public health approach towards women empowerment
Workshop
Women Health Forum
Coimbra Health - Coimbra Academic Clinical Center CHUC-UC, Portugal

Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal

Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra - CHUC, Portugal
2019/06/03 - 2019/06/03 Science dissemination activitie "Escola Ciência Viva"
Workshop
Escola Ciência Viva
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
2019/05/20 - 2019/05/20 Participation in the workshop: Mitochondrial Assay, organized by BiOLOG
Workshop
Mitochondrial Assay
BiOLOG, Inc., United States
2018/09/28 - 2018/09/28 Science dissemination activitie "Noite Europeia dos Investigadores"
Exhibition
Noite Europeia dos Investigadores (NEI)
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
2018/09/14 - 2018/09/15 II Jornadas Internacionais de Andrologia Reprodutiva. Congress in Urology/Andrology in PMA centers.
Congress
II Jornadas Internacionais de Andrologia Reprodutiva
Sociedade Portuguesa de Andrologia, Portugal
2018/04/23 - 2018/04/26 Participation in the workshop: R Workshop, organized by JEST
Workshop
R Workshop
Junior Enterprise for Science and Technology - JEST, Portugal
2017/11/01 - 2017/12/31 Laboratory rotation in the Biology of Reproduction and Stem Cells group (CNC|UC)
Other
Laboratory rotation
CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Portugal
2017/07/01 - 2017/08/31 Summer volunteer internship, in biology and conservation of marine living resources, working with barnacle’s larvae (Pollicipes pollicipes) in CIEMAR, University of Évora. Collection and monitoring of barnacle’s larvae in the “Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina”.
Other
Summer volunteer internship
Universidade de Évora Laboratório de Ciências do Mar, Portugal
2015/11/14 - 2015/11/14 Encontro de Bioética 2015. Debate of bioetic politics in Portugal and its impact in science researche
Meeting
Encontro de Bioética 2015
Universidade do Porto, Portugal

Committee member

Activity description
Role
Institution / Organization
2023/09/11 - 2023/09/30 Workshop Reprodução e Fertilidade for High School professor, in collaboration the Associação Portuguesa de Professores de Biologia e Geologia (APPBG)
Member
Associação Portuguesa de Professores de Biologia e Geologia (APPBG), Portugal

Course / Discipline taught

Academic session Degree Subject (Type) Institution / Organization
2023/09 - Current Análise Funcional do Gâmeta Masculino (Outros) Associação Portuguesa de Professores de Biologia e Geologia (APPBG), Portugal
2023/11/06 - 2023/11/07 Sperm quality and function Biologia da Reprodução (Mestrado) Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
2023/03/01 - 2023/03/08 “A (in)fertilidade humana: da investigação à prática clínica.” Curso Avançado Biotecnologia e Saúde: Do Laboratório à Indústria (Ensino secundário) Associação Portuguesa de Professores de Biologia e Geologia (APPBG), Portugal
2020/10/10 - 2020/10/10 Estratégias e mecanismos de ação de espermicidas: como transformar o potencial de fertilização em potencial contracetivo Estratégias e mecanismos de ação de espermicidas: como transformar o potencial de fertilização em potencial contracetivo (Outros) Núcleo de Estudantes de Biologia, Associação Académica de Coimbra (NEB|AAC), Portugal
Distinctions

Award

2022 Best poster presentation ar the 56th anual Scientific meeting of the European Society of Clinical Investigation (ESCI)
2022 InnoCore Challenge: Core Technologies for Education and Innovation in Life Sciences
Erasmus Plus, Belgium
2019 Best free oral communication at the 9th Meeting of Sociedade Portuguesa da Contracepção
Sociedade Portuguesa da Contracepção, Portugal