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Inês C. R. Graça obtained her bachelor's degree in Biochemistry (2021) at University of Coimbra, followed by a MSC in Molecular Biomedicine (2023) at University of Aveiro. Currently, Inês is a Research Fellow at CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro, working in characterizing the osteogenic differentiation of human stem cells through Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) metabolomics, work developed within the scope of BetterBone project (Metabolite-activated 3D stem cell differentiation into bone, 2022.04286.PTDC), under the supervision of Professor Ana M. Gil.
Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Inês Catarina Rosa Graça

Citation names

  • Graça, Inês
  • Inês C.R. Graça
  • Graça, Inês C. R.

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
7E1F-EB0E-198D
ORCID iD
0009-0007-4804-5215

Knowledge fields

  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Biochemistry
  • Medical and Health Sciences - Medical Biotechnology

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
English Upper intermediate (B2) Advanced (C1) Upper intermediate (B2) Advanced (C1)
Portuguese (Mother tongue)
Education
Degree Classification
2025/10/01 - 2029
Ongoing
 Bioquímica (Doutoramento)
Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal
2024/05 - 2025/07
Ongoing
 Curso Avançado em Investigação Científica (Outros)
Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal
2021/10 - 2023/12/14
Concluded
 Biomedicina Molecular (Mestrado)
Universidade de Aveiro Departamento de Ciências Médicas, Portugal
"Effects of isometric handgrip exercise on protein homeostasis among older patients with high normal blood pressure or hypertension" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 17
2018/09 - 2021/06/29
Concluded
 Bioquímica (Licenciatura)
Universidade de Coimbra Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Portugal
 14,4
Affiliation

Others

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2024/05/01 - 2025/04/30 Bolseira de Investigação Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal
Universidade de Aveiro CICECO, Portugal
2020/07/01 - 2020/09/15 Estagiária de Verão Universidade de Coimbra Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Portugal
Projects

Contract

Designation Funders
2024/05/01 - Current BetterBone - Metabolite-activated 3D stem cell differentiation into bone
10.54499/2022.04286.PTDC
Research Fellow
Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal

Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Ongoing
2024/02/01 - 2025/12/31 CICECO – Instituto de Materiais de Aveiro
LA/P/0006/2020
10.54499/LA/P/0006/2020
Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal

Universidade de Aveiro CICECO, Portugal
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Concluded
2020/01/01 - 2024/12/31 CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials
UIDP/50011/2020
10.54499/UIDP/50011/2020
Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal

Universidade de Aveiro CICECO, Portugal
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Concluded
Outputs

Publications

Conference poster
  1. Graça, Inês C. R.; Tavares, F. Diana; Silva, Eduarda; Bispo, Daniela S. C.; Mano, Joao F.; Oliveira, M. B.; Gil, Ana M.. Corresponding author: Gil, Ana M.. "NMR-based Exometabolomic Profiling of MSC Spheroids during Osteogenic Differentiation". Paper presented in 6th Meeting of Young Biophysicists – "Biophysics Festival 2026", 2026.
  2. Rodrigues, João A.; Maurício, Tatiana; Graça, Inês C. R.; Bispo, Daniela S. C.; Oliveira, M. B.; Mano, Joao F.; Domingues, Pedro; Gil, Ana M.. "Uncovering Donor-Dependent Exoproteome Dynamics During MSC Osteogenic Differentiation". Paper presented in Jornadas CICECO 25, 2025.
  3. João T. S. Martins; Nolasco, Mariela; Rodrigues, João A.; Martins, Clara B.; Graça, Inês C. R.; Ana L. M. Batista de Carvalho; Bispo, Daniela S. C.; et al. "Stem Cell Osteogenic Differentiation Probed by Atomic Force Microscopy-Infrared Nanospectroscopy: Sub-cellular Biochemical Characterization". Paper presented in Jornadas CICECO 2025, 2025.
  4. Bispo, Daniela S. C.; Penelope M. Tsimbouri;; Jennifer H. Haggarty; Graça, Inês C. R.; Rodrigues, João A.; Oliveira, M. B.; Mano, Joao F.; Matthew J. Dalby; Gil, Ana M.. "Advancing Chemical-Free Bone Regeneration: The Contribution of Metabolomics to Nanokicking-Driven Osteodifferentiation". Paper presented in Jornadas CICECO 2025, 2025.
  5. Bispo, Daniela S. C.; Rodrigues, Joao E.A.; Graça, Inês; Correia, Marlene C.; Jesus, Catarina S. H.; Oliveira, Mariana B.; Mano, Joao F.; Gil, Ana M.. "Exploring MSCs Donor Heterogeneity with Non-Invasive ExoMetabolomics to Find Universal Osteogenic Signatures". Paper presented in XXII National Congress of Biochemistry, 2024.
  6. Bispo, Daniela S. C.; Rodrigues, João E.; Graça, Inês C. R.; Jesus, Catarina S. H.; Correia, Marlene; Duarte, Iola F; Goodfellow, Brian J.; et al. "Metabolites Report on Early Stem Cell Osteodifferentiation: New Markers for Effective Bone Regeneration". Paper presented in Jornadas CICECO 2024, 2024.
  7. Bispo, Daniela S. C.; João A. Rodrigues; Graça, Inês; Jesus, Catarina S. H.; Correia, Marlene C.; Oliveira, Mariana B.; Mano, Joao F.; Gil, Ana M.. "Non-invasive Detection of Universal Osteodifferentiation Signatures through Untargeted NMR Exometabolomics". Paper presented in Ciência 2024, 2024.
Journal article
  1. Paiva Coelho, Margarida; Rodrigues, João E.; Costa, Teresa; Dias, Aureliano; Graça, Inês C. R.; Rocha, Hugo; Vilarinho, Laura; Martins, Esmeralda; Gil, Ana M.. Corresponding author: Paiva Coelho, Margarida. "NMR-based urinary biomarkers in pediatric primary mitochondrial disorders and chronic kidney disease: shared mitochondrial dysfunction, diverging biosignatures". Metabolomics 22 1 (2026): https://doi.org/10.1007/s11306-025-02363-8.
    Open access • Published • 10.1007/s11306-025-02363-8
  2. Bispo, Daniela S.C.; Graça, Inês; Haggarty, Jennifer H.; Reis, Aliana; McCormick, Michael P.; Bartlome, Sara; Oliveira, Mariana B.; et al. Corresponding author: Gil, Ana M.. "Global metabolomics identifies new extracellular biomarkers of nanovibration-driven mesenchymal stem cells osteodifferentiation". Biomaterials Advances (2025): 214567. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioadv.2025.214567.
    Open access • Published • 10.1016/j.bioadv.2025.214567
  3. Bispo, Daniela S.C.; Graça, Inês C. R.; Jesus, Catarina S.H.; Rodrigues, João E.; Goodfellow, Brian J.; Oliveira, Mariana B.; Mano, João F.; Gil, Ana M.. Corresponding author: Gil, Ana M.. "Lipid metabolic adaptations of multi-donor mesenchymal stem cells during osteodifferentiation". Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids 1870 (2025): 159680. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbalip.2025.159680.
    Open access • Published • 10.1016/j.bbalip.2025.159680
  4. Bispo, Daniela S.; Graça, Inês C. R.; Rodrigues, João A.; Martins, João T. S.; Nolasco, Mariela M.; Marques, Maria P. M.; Nogueira, Helena I. S.; et al. Corresponding author: Gil, Ana M.. "Exploring In Vitro Mesenchymal Stem Cell Osteodifferentiation via Vibrational Microspectroscopy: A Review". Stem Cell Reviews and Reports (2025): https://doi.org/10.1007/s12015-025-10943-3.
    Published • 10.1007/s12015-025-10943-3
  5. Bispo, Daniela S. C.; Graça, Inês C. R.; Jesus, Catarina S. H.; Rodrigues, João E.; Correia, Marlene C.; Atella, Sabrina; Duarte, Iola F.; et al. Corresponding author: Mano, João F.. "Metabolic markers detect early ostedifferentiation of mesenchymal stem cells from multiple donors". Stem Cell Research & Therapy 16 1 (2025): https://doi.org/10.1186/s13287-025-04419-x.
    Published • 10.1186/s13287-025-04419-x
  6. Graça, Inês C. R.; Martins, Cláudia; Ribeiro, Fernando; Nunes, Alexandra. Corresponding author: Nunes, Alexandra. "Understanding Hypertension: A Metabolomic Perspective". Biology 14 4 (2025): 403. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14040403.
    10.3390/biology14040403
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2025/12/09 MAP-RAS: Plataforma de monitorização metabólica para melhoria da sustentabilidade e segurança alimentar em aquacultura Prémio Inovação Expo Fish Portugal 2025
Docapesca - Portos e Lotas, S.A. (Ílhavo, Portugal)

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event 		Event name
Institution / Organization
2025/10/09 - Current Attendance at Jornadas CICECO 25
Conference
 Jornadas CICECO 25
Universidade de Aveiro CICECO, Portugal
2026/06/11 - 2026/06/12 Attendance and poster presentation at the "6th Meeting of Young Biophysicists – "Biophysics Festival 2026""
Meeting
 6th Meeting of Young Biophysicists – "Biophysics Festival 2026"
Sociedade Portuguesa de Biofísica, Portugal
2025/02/06 - 2025/02/06 Participated as a speaker in the workshop "Unlocking Stem Cell Secrets: Free Statistical Tools for Vibrational Spectroscopy Data Analysis". My presentation " Practical Use in Stem Cell Research" focused on the use of QUASAR software on several examples to show how this software can be applied to different dataset and namely in FTIR spectra of Stem Cells.
Workshop
 Unlocking Stem Cell Secrets: Free Statistical Tools for Vibrational Spectroscopy Data Analysis
Universidade de Aveiro CICECO, Portugal
2024/10/30 - 2024/11/01 Participation in a 3-days hands-on workshop on the use of the QUASAR software, a user-friendly and open-source software for IR data from hyperspectral analysis to nanospectroscopy
Workshop
 InfraRed Data Analysis Workshop on QUASAR 2024
Diamond Light Source Ltd, United Kingdom
2024/10/24 - 2024/10/26 Attendance and poster presentation at the "XXII National Congress of Biochemistry: Next-Gen Biochemical Challenges Across Borders"
Congress
 XXII National Congress of Biochemistry
Sociedade Portuguesa de Bioquímica, Portugal

Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal
2024/09/27 - 2024/09/27 2024 European Researchers' Night, Aveiro, Portugal, with the activity titled "The effectiveness of drugs and stem cells in health - metabolism studies"
Other
 2024 European Researchers' Night
Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal
2024/02/27 - 2024/02/27 E-learning course entitled "ICH Good Clinical Practice E6 (R2)" by The Global Health Network. Completed with a 94% score in February 2024.
Other
The Global Health Network, United Kingdom
2023/05/25 - 2023/05/26 Attendance at the "VI iBiMED Symposium: From Fundamental Research to Clinical Practice"
Symposium
 VI iBiMED Symposium: From Fundamental Research to Clinical Practice
Universidade de Aveiro Departamento de Ciências Médicas, Portugal

Universidade de Aveiro Instituto de Biomedicina, Portugal
2022/03/04 - 2022/03/04 Attendance at the “8th Molecular and Cell Biology Symposium” via online.
Symposium
 8th Molecular and Cell Biology Symposium
Universidade do Porto Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal
2020/09/17 - 2020/10/05 Collaboration on the exhibition "Microrganismos de Estimação" that was on display at the UC Exploratório - Centro Ciência Viva de Coimbra
Exhibition
 Microrganismos de Estimação
Associação Exploratório Infante D Henrique, Portugal

UC Exploratório - Centro Ciência Viva de Coimbra , Portugal

Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
2020/05/04 - 2020/05/29 Participation in an online conference series titled "Bioeconomy for a Sustainable Future," organized by the Núcleo de Estudantes de Bioquímica (Biochemistry Students' Association) of the University of Coimbra and Académica Start UC.
Other
 Bioeconomy for a Sustainable Future
Universidade de Coimbra Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Portugal

Mentoring / Tutoring

Topic Student name
2026/02/01 - 2026/06/30 Metabolomics data analysis Luciano Amato
2026/02 - 2026/06 Metabolomics data analysis Matilde Novo
2026/01 - 2026/06 Cell Culture Eva Vinhas
2026/01 - 2026/06 Cell Culture & Metabolomics data analysis Rúben Pimentel
2025/02 - 2025/06 Metabolomics data analysis Mariana Silva

Other jury / evaluation

Activity description Institution / Organization
2026/03/04 - Current Júri nos concursos de Posters Científicos e Mapas Metabólicos integrados no evento "XVII Biochemistry Day - O contributo da Bioquímica ao longo dos 50 anos de existência do Departamento de Química da Universidade de Aveiro" realizado no dia 4 de março de 2026. Evento organizado pelo NEQ-AAUAv e pela comissão organizadora do XVII Biochemistry Day. Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal