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MSc in Biochemistry, by the University of Coimbra. Scientific domain in Molecular and Cell Biology field, with emphasis on gene-editing.
Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Frederico Mendes e Pena

Citation names

  • Pena, Frederico

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
761D-3F40-32F1

Telephones

Mobile phone
  • 966822060 (Personal)

Addresses

  • Rua Beco da Estremeira, nº15, 3080-443, Figueira da Foz, Coimbra, Portugal (Personal)

Websites

Knowledge fields

  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Cell Biology
  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Molecular Biology

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
Portuguese (Mother tongue)
English Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1)
Education
Degree Classification
2021/10/01 - 2025/10/01
Ongoing
 Biologia Experimental e Biomedicina (Doutoramento)
Major in Biotecnologia e Saúde
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
2017 - 2018
Concluded
 Bioquímica (Mestrado)
Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Ciencias e Tecnologia, Portugal
"CRISPR-mediated pre-transcriptional silencing of ATXN3, the gene involved in Machado-Joseph disease." (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 17
2013 - 2016
Concluded
 Biologia (Licenciatura)
Universidade de Coimbra Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Portugal
 13
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2018/11/26 - 2019/12/29 Researcher (Research) Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
2017/09/11 - 2018/09/11 Research Trainee (Research) Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
2017/05 - 2017/06 Research Trainee (Research) Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal

Others

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2020/05 - 2021/09/01 Technician Universidade de Coimbra - Laboratório de Análises Clínicas, Portugal
Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
Projects

Contract

Designation Funders
2018/11/26 - 2019/12/31 Tackling cancer stem cells: a challenge and an opportunity to advance in anti- cancer therapy
CANCEL_STEM, POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016390
Research Fellow
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
 Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional
Outputs

Publications

Conference poster
  1. Henriques, Daniel; Moreira, Ricardo; Pena, Frederico; Perdigão, PRL; Kirkeby, Agnete; Nóbrega, Clévio David Rodrigues ; Pereira de Almeida, Luis ; Mendonça, Liliana. "Strategies to enhance stem cell migration and differentiation upon cerebellar transplantation". Paper presented in 35th Annual Symposium of the Network for European CNS Transplantation and Restoration - NECTAR 2025, 2025.
  2. Pena, Frederico; Fernandes, Ana Rita; Lopes, Miguel; Núñez, Jisette; Faro, Rosario; Pires, Mariana; Pereira, Ana Maria; et al. "Establishment of a scalable neuronal reporter model of Machado-Joseph disease based on gene-edited patient cells as a platform for high-throughput drug repurposing". Paper presented in 32nd European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy COngress, 2025.
  3. Henriques, Daniel; Moreira, Ricardo; Pena, Frederico; Perdigão, PRL; Kirkeby, Agnete; Pereira de Almeida, Luis ; Mendonça, Liliana. "Generating Cerebellar Neuronal Progenitors for cerebellar transplantation in Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3)". Paper presented in International Congress for Ataxia Research (ICAR), 2024.
  4. Fernandes, Ana Rita; Diana Adão; Lopes, Sara M. ; Henriques, Daniel; Pena, Frederico; Dias, Miguel; Santana, Magda M; Perdigão, PRL; Pereira de Almeida, Luis. "Engineering isogenic neuronal models of ATXN3 knockout in Machado-Joseph Disease patient cells by CRISPR/Cas9". Paper presented in 30th European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy Congress, 2024.
  5. Fernandes, Ana Rita; Diana Adão; Lopes, Sara M. ; Pena, Frederico; De Luca, Pasqualino; Henriques, Daniel; Mendonça, Liliana; et al. "Engineering of patient-derived isogenic neuronal models by CRISPR/Cas9 to unravel the impact of ATXN3 knockout in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3". Paper presented in International Congress for Ataxia Research 2024, 2023.
  6. Perdigão, PRL; Dias, Miguel; Lopes, Sara M. ; Fernandes, Ana Rita; Pena, Frederico; Miguel M. Lopes; Nobre, Rui Jorge; Gaj, Thomas; Pereira de Almeida, Luis. "Engineering CRISPR-Based Editors for Treatment of Machado-Joseph Disease". Paper presented in ASGCT 26th Annual Meeting, 2023.
  7. Matos, C.A.; Pena, Frederico; Conceição, A.; Lopes, S.; Duarte, S.; Miranda, C.; de Almeida, L.P.. "CRISPR-Cas9-mediated pre-transcriptional silencing of mutant ATXN3 decreases motor impairments of an in vivo Machado-Joseph disease model". Paper presented in 22nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT), 2019.
  8. Matos, C.A.; Conceição, A.; Pena, Frederico; Lopes, S.; Duarte, S.; Miranda, C.; de Almeida, L.P.. "Transcriptional repression of mutant human ATNX3 using CRISPR interference mitigates the pathological phenotype of an in vivo Machado-Joseph disease model". Paper presented in XVI Meeting of the Portuguese Society for Neuroscience (SPN), 2019.
  9. Lopes, Sara; Matos, Carlos; Pena, Frederico; Conceição, André; Lopes, M.; Nobre, Rui; Nóbrega, Clévio; et al. "CRISPR-Cas9 systems targeting ATXN3 as therapeutic approaches for Machado-Joseph disease". Paper presented in 3rd International Ataxia Research Conference (IARC), 2019.
  10. Lopes, S.; Matos, C.; Conceição, André; Pena, Frederico; Lopes, M.; Nobre, R.; Nóbrega, C.; et al. "CRISPR-Cas9 systems targeting ATXN3 as therapeutic approaches for Machado-Joseph disease". Paper presented in 2019 International Machado-Joseph Research Disease Conference, 2019.
Newspaper article
  1. Ana M. Cardoso; Catarina M. Morais; Pena, Frederico; Tânia Marante; Pedro P. Cunha; Amália S. Jurado; Maria C. Pedroso de Lima. "Differentiation of glioblastoma stem cells promoted by miR-128 or miR-302a overexpression enhances senescence-associated cytotoxicity of axitinib", Human Molecular Genetics, 2021, https://academic.oup.com/hmg/advance-article/doi/10.1093/hmg/ddab011/6089139?guestAccessKey=dd59c80e-c55c-4bda-8da3-23ae702af8d3.
Thesis / Dissertation
  1. Pena, Frederico. "CRISPR-mediated pre-transcriptional silencing of ATXN3, the gene involved in Machado-Joseph disease". Master, Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Ciencias e Tecnologia, 2018.

Intellectual property

Provisional application for patent
  1. 2025. "Modelo Reporter MJD".
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2020 CRISPR-mediated silencing of mutant ataxin-3 ameliorates motor symptoms of a Machado-Joseph disease model in vivo. XLX Meeting of the Portuguese Society of Pharmacology (SPF)
Portuguese Society of Pharmacology (Coimbra)
2019 CRISPR-Cas9-mediated pre-transcriptional silencing of mutant ATXN3 decreases motor impairments of an in vivo Machado-Joseph disease model. 22nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT)
(Washington, D.C, United States)
2019 CRISPR-Cas9 systems targeting ATXN3 as therapeutic approaches for Machado-Joseph Disease International Machado-Joseph Research Disease Conference
(Washington, DC., United States)
2019 CRISPR interference-mediated silencing of mutant ATXN3 decreases motor impairments of an in vivo Machado-Joseph disease model 53rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the European Society for Clinical Investigation (ESCI)
(Coimbra, Portugal)
2018 CRISPR-Cas9-mediated pretranscriptional silencing of mutant ataxin-3. XLVIII Reunião Anual da Sociedade Portuguesa de Farmacologia (SPF)
(Lisboa, Portugal)
Distinctions

Award

2025 SPGH Award for Basic Research - Oral Communication
Sociedade Portuguesa de Genética Humana, Portugal