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Margarida Brás is a true enthusiast for immunology, regenerative medicine, stem cell biology and cell therapies and she is currently a research assistant at Filipe Pereira's Lab at the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC-Coimbra). She holds a Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Aveiro. Throughout that period, she interned at the iBiMED Institute and was also involved in the organization of scientific events as part of a multidisciplinary team in the junior enterprise Scientific Junior Value. She completed her master´s degree in Molecular Genetics and Biomedicine at Nova University Lisbon in 2022. During the master's program, she had the opportunity to develop her dissertation project focused on the mechanisms of immune modulation during skeletal muscle regeneration at the Aging and Tissue Repair joint lab, Institute of Molecular Medicine (iMM), Lisbon. After finishing this project, she became a research fellow in the same lab, gaining further hands-on experience in cell culture, flow cytometry, microscopy, molecular biology, and data analysis. Her research at the Aging and Tissue Repair Lab contributed to two distinct publications, exposing her to the rigorous and challenging process of research article submission and peer review. She joined Filipe Pereira’s Immune Cell Reprogramming Lab at CNC as a research assistant in 2024. In her current lab, she enhanced her technical expertise, learning about cell reprogramming approaches and related techniques such as molecular cloning and viral production. She also improved her literature review and scientific writing skills by developing a review manuscript as first author and co-reviewed a manuscript for Science, a challenge that stimulated critical thinking and attention to detail. For 3.5 months, she joined the Pereira Lab team in Lund (Sweden), gaining experience in embryonic stem cell culture and improving her molecular biology expertise. Additionally, over the past years, she has participated in different courses and workshops to further improve her expertise, including training in flow cytometry and data analysis, iPSCs culture, Immunology, and Laboratory Animal Science.
Identification

Personal identification

Full name
MARIA MARGARIDA FERREIRA BRÁS
Date of birth
1999/04/28
Gender
Female

Citation names

  • Margarida F. Brás

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
701C-23A8-8156
ORCID iD
0000-0003-4155-8249

Email addresses

  • mmfbras@gmail.com (Professional)
  • mbras@medicina.ulisboa.pt (Professional)
  • mbras@uc.pt (Professional)

Websites

  • www.linkedin.com/in/margarida-brás-4b58371a9 (Social media)

Knowledge fields

  • Medical and Health Sciences
  • Medical and Health Sciences - Basic Medicine - Immunology
  • Medical and Health Sciences - Medical Biotechnology - Gene-based Diagnostics and Therapeutic Interventions

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
Portuguese (Mother tongue)
English Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1)
Spanish; Castilian Intermediate (B1) Intermediate (B1) Intermediate (B1) Intermediate (B1)
Education
Degree Classification
2024/01/05 - 2025/12
Ongoing
Clinical Investigator European Certificate - CLIC 1 e 2 (Curso de Especialização Tecnológica)
Universidade Nova de Lisboa Medical School, Portugal

Universidade de Aveiro Associação para a Formação Profissional e Investigação, Portugal
2025/03/17 - 2025/06/12
Ongoing
1st SPI Advanced Immunology Course (Outros)
Sociedade Portuguesa de Imunologia, Portugal
2024/11 - 2025/06
Ongoing
Training in Laboratory Animal Science (LAS) - Rodents and Lagomorphs (Outros)
Lunds universitet Medicinska fakulteten, Sweden
2024/11/18 - 2024/11/22
Concluded
Handling, maintenance and understanding of human Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) (Outros)
Lunds universitet Medicinska fakulteten, Sweden
2023/05/08 - 2023/05/12
Concluded
Basic & Advanced module of FLxFlowCourse: Principles and Applications of Flow Cytometry (Outros)
Fundação Champalimaud, Portugal
2020/09 - 2022/11/29
Concluded
Genética Molecular e Biomedicina (Mestrado)
Universidade NOVA de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Portugal
""Mechanisms of immune modulation mediated by Mesencephalic Astrocyte-derived Neurotrophic Factor"" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
19
2017/09 - 2020/06/29
Concluded
Ciências Biomédicas (Licenciatura)
Major in Biologia Molecular
Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal
18
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution
Employer
2024/02/01 - Current Research Assistant (Research) Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Inovação em Biomedicina e Biotecnologia, Portugal
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Inovação em Biomedicina e Biotecnologia, Portugal
2024/09/03 - 2024/12/18 Visiting Researcher (Research) Lunds universitet Medicinska fakulteten, Sweden
Lunds universitet Institutionen för laboratoriemedicin, Sweden
2022/11/07 - 2023/12/31 Research Assistant (Research) Universidade de Lisboa Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Portugal
Universidade de Lisboa Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Portugal
2019/06 - 2019/09 Research Trainee (Research) Universidade de Aveiro Instituto de Biomedicina, Portugal
Universidade de Aveiro Instituto de Biomedicina, Portugal
Projects

Grant

Designation Funders
2024/02/01 - Current CiNTech - Technological Hub for Innovation, Translation and Industrialization of Complex Injectable Drugs
C644865576-00000005
Research Fellow
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Inovação em Biomedicina e Biotecnologia, Portugal
Governo da República Portuguesa
Ongoing
2022/11 - 2023/12/31 Mechanisms of tissue ageing and repair: roadblocks to stem cell-based therapies
IG4448
Research Fellow
Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Portugal
Concluded
Outputs

Publications

Journal article
  1. Sousa, Neuza S.; Bica, Marta; Brás, Margarida F.; Sousa, Ana C.; Antunes, Inês B.; Encarnação, Isabel A.; Costa, Tiago M.; et al. "The immune landscape of murine skeletal muscle regeneration and aging". Cell Reports 43 11 (2024): 114975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114975.
    10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114975
  2. Sousa, Neuza S.; Brás, Margarida F.; Antunes, Inês B.; Lindholm, Päivi; Neves, Joana; Sousa-Victor, Pedro. "Aging disrupts MANF-mediated immune modulation during skeletal muscle regeneration". Nature Aging 3 5 (2023): 585-599. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-023-00382-5.
    Published • 10.1038/s43587-023-00382-5
Thesis / Dissertation
  1. "Mechanisms of immune modulation mediated by Mesencephalic Astrocyte-derived Neurotrophic Factor". Master, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, 2022. http://hdl.handle.net/10362/155872.
Activities

Event organisation

Event name
Type of event (Role)
Institution / Organization
2020 - 2020/05 Scale Up- Build Your Own Future (Online) (2020/05/13 - 2020/05/16) Scientific Junior Value,, Portugal
2020 - 2020 Aveiro Tech Business (Online) (2020/07/03 - 2020/07/03)
Conference (Member of the Organising Committee)
Scientific Junior Value,, Portugal
2019 - 2019 BrainLoad - Power Up Your Knowledge! (2019/11/27 - 2019/11/27) Scientific Junior Value,, Portugal

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event
Event name
Institution / Organization
2022/03/31 - 2022/04/01 Seminar and training attendance "Cytometry Data Analysis in FlowJo v10" An event organized by FLxFlow - The Lisbon Flow Cytometry Network. Attendance in both sessions, "Intro to FlowJO v10" and "Advanced Tools & Plugins," given by Serena Di Cecilia, PhD
Workshop
Cytometry Data Analysis in FlowJo v10
Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Portugal
2019/03/27 - 2019/04/03 Scale UP - Build Your Own Future: A career development event designed to enhance participants' general skills and prepare them for the job market. Day 1: Focuses on teamwork and strategy development, culminating in a competition where the winning team earns internships at companies represented by the jury. Day 2: Starts with lectures on soft skills development, followed by practical job simulations with invited companies (including GSK). This event is a unique opportunity for networking, skill-building, and potential career opportunities Scale UP - Build Your Own Future
Scientific Junior Value,, Portugal
2019/03/13 - 2019/03/16 X National Biomedical Sciences Symposium
Congress
X National Biomedical Sciences Symposium
Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal
2018/11/20 - 2018/11/20 Signaling Afternoon- Event organized by students of the master's degree in molecular biomedicine Signaling Afternoon
Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal
2018/11/18 - 2018/11/18 BrainLoad - Power Up Your Knowledge! The event showcases advancements in scientific research, with a special focus on Biosciences, taking place in Portugal's most prestigious research centers and laboratories. It features lectures where researchers present their scientific projects, followed by a roundtable discussion that allows participants to ask questions and debate controversial topics.
Conference
BrainLoad - Power Up Your Knowledge!
Scientific Junior Value,, Portugal

Ad Hoc journal article review

Journal title (ISSN) Publisher
2024/11/20 - 2024/12/20 Science ( 0036-8075)

Association member

Society Organization name Role
2019/04/01 - 2020/07/31 Junior Enterprise Scientific Junior Value Organization of Scientific Events - Member of Scientific Affairs Department

Mentoring / Tutoring

Topic Student name
2019/09 - 2020/06 Mentor of 1st year students within the Tutoring Program of the University of Aveiro 3 Students
Distinctions

Award

2020 Caixa Geral de Depósitos Award for Best Student in Biomedical Sciences in 2019/2020
Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal

Caixa Geral de Depositos, Portugal

Other distinction

2019 Academic merit Scholarship 2019
Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal
2018 Academic Merit Scholarship 2018
Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal
2017 Academic Merit Scholarship 2017
Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal