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I am an early career team leader at the ICVS, School of Medicine/University of Minho. I hold a BSc in Biology, and an MSc in Health Sciences. I did my PhD training at Dr. Ana João Rodrigues and Prof. Nuno Sousa Lab (ICVS), with training at Karl Deisseroth's Lab (Stanford University, USA), where I focused on understanding brain circuits of reward. I found a concurrent role of distinct striatal neurons in reward processing [Nature Communications, 2016]. As a postdoctoral researcher, I worked at the Ana Joao Rodrigues Lab (ICVS) and Rui Costa Lab (Zuckerman Institute/Columbia University, USA), focusing my research in deciphering the neural circuits of reward and aversion and self-paced operant behaviors, using 1-photon miniaturized microscopes and optogenetics [Molecular Psychiatry, 2020; Cell Reports, 2022]. I published 42 articles in international journals (7 as first author; 4 as corresponding/senior author), with an accumulated impact factor of 287 (average IF of 7), 1278 citations and h-index (Scopus) of 20. I am principal investigator of 6 ongoing projects (BIAL Foundation, FCT, FEBS, IBRO) and team member of 4 ongoing projects ("La Caixa" Foundation, ERC, FCT). Currently, I supervise a team of 2 post-doctoral fellows, 1 master student, 3 PhD students and 1 research assistant. I have received several prestigious awards, such as the Fulbright Grant for Professors or Doctorate holder researchers, L'Oréal Honor Medal for Women in Science, IBRO Early Career Award, Maria de Sousa Award (BIAL Foundation), FEBS Excellence Award (Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS)) and Career Development Grant (International Society for Neurochemistry). My Team currently uses a high-throughput multidisciplinary approach - viral tracing, single nucleus RNA-sequencing, calcium imaging and optogenetics - to define the intricate neurobiological basis of associative learning under physiological conditions and in brain dysfunction.
Read full resume ↓
Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Carina Soares-Cunha

Citation names

  • Soares-Cunha, Carina
  • Cunha, Carina

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
7F1C-F110-2DBA
ORCID iD
0000-0001-9470-644X
Researcher Id
T-5091-2018
Scopus Author Id
54961007000

Email addresses

  • carinacunha@med.uminho.pt (Professional)

Telephones

Telephone
  • 253604831 (Professional)

Websites

Knowledge fields

  • Medical and Health Sciences - Basic Medicine
  • Medical and Health Sciences - Health Sciences - Substance Abuse
  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Behavioural Sciences Biology

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
French Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1)
English Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1)
Portuguese Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2)
Education
Degree Classification
2016/11/22
Concluded
 PhD in Health Sciences (Doutoramento)
Major in PhD in Health Sciences
Universidade do Minho Escola de Medicina, Portugal
"Role of nucleus accumbens dopamine D1- and D2-expressing neurons in reward and motivation" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 Very Good (best classification)
2012/07/26
Concluded
 Master in Health Sciences (Mestrado)
Universidade do Minho Escola de Medicina, Portugal
"Pavlovian and instrumental behaviour in a model of prenatal exposure to glucocorticoids: an integrative approach" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 17
2010/07/31
Concluded
 Applied Biology (Licenciatura)
Universidade do Minho Escola de Ciências, Portugal
"Applied Biology" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 16
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2019 - Current Contracted Researcher (Research) Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
2024 - 2030 Auxiliary Researcher (Research) Universidade do Minho, Portugal
2019 - 2020 Postdoc (Research) Columbia University Mortimer B Zuckerman Mind Brain Behaviour Institute, United States
Columbia University Mortimer B Zuckerman Mind Brain Behaviour Institute, United States
2017 - 2019 Postdoc (Research) Laboratório Associado ICVS 3B's, Portugal
Laboratório Associado ICVS 3B's, Portugal
2013 - 2013 Visiting Researcher (Research) Howard Hughes Medical Institute - Stanford University, United States
Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, United States
2011/01/01 - 2011/03/31 Researcher (Research) Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
Laboratório Associado ICVS 3B's, Portugal
2009 - 2010 Research Trainee (Research) Universidade do Minho Centro de Biologia Molecular e Ambiental, Portugal

Teaching in Higher Education

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2014 - Current Invited Assistant (University Teacher) Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal

Others

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2011/06/07 - Current Accreditation from Direcção Geral de Alimentação e Veterinária (DGAV) as competent person (investigator) for animal experimentation (Category C). Direcção-Geral de Alimentação e Veterinária, Portugal
2020/04/02 - 2021/12/31 Volunteer in the COVID-19 diagnosis service Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
2012/09/13 - 2016/11/22 PhD student in the Inter-University Doctoral Programme in Ageing and Chronic Disease (PhD ESC) Universidade do Minho, Portugal
2013/05/01 - 2013/05/31 Laboratory Rotation Universidade Nova de Lisboa Centro de Estudos de Doenças Crónicas, Portugal
Universidade Nova de Lisboa Centro de Estudos de Doenças Crónicas, Portugal
2013/03/01 - 2013/03/31 Laboratory Rotation Associação para a Investigação Biomédica e Inovação em Luz e Imagem, Portugal
Associação para a Investigação Biomédica e Inovação em Luz e Imagem, Portugal
Projects

Grant

Designation Funders
2021 - 2026 Challenging current models of valence encoding in the mammalian brain
ERC Consolidator 101003187 - VALENCE
Researcher
European Research Council
Ongoing
2023/01/01 - 2025/12/31 Novel tools for selective targeting of neuronal ensembles encoding valence
FEBS_CC
Principal investigator
Federation of European Neurochemical Societies
Ongoing
2023 - 2024 Genetic and functional maps of neuronal ensembles encoding natural rewards versus drugs of abuse
2022.01467.PTDC
Principal investigator
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Ongoing
2023 - 2024 Mapping neuronal ensembles of associative learning in the nucleus accumbens
MS_CC
Principal investigator
Fundação Bial

Ordem dos Médicos
Ongoing
2021 - 2024 The role of nucleus accumbens in the perception of natural rewards
175/20
Principal investigator
Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
 Fundação Bial
Ongoing
2021 - 2024 Defining how cocaine alters laterodorsal tegmentum to nucleus accumbens inputs and relevance for the development of natural reward deficits
PTDC/SAU-TOX/6802/2020
Researcher
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Ongoing
2021 - 2024 Neuronal circuits of reward and aversion: where do endogenous opioids stand?
PTDC/MED-NEU/4804/2020
Researcher
Laboratório Associado ICVS 3B's, Portugal
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Ongoing
2020/12/15 - 2023/12/14 Encoding Reward and Aversion in the mammalian brain: the overlooked role of endogenous opioids
HR20-01000
Researcher
Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
 Fundação "La Caixa"
Ongoing
2022/12/01 - 2023/11/30 Decoding the anatomical, genetic and functional maps of reward and aversion learning in the nucleus accumbens
IBRO_CC
Principal investigator
International Brain Research Organization
Ongoing
2022 - 2023 Nucleus accumbens neuronal ensembles encoding reward and aversion
PID21517
Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI)
EASI Genomics
Ongoing
2021 - 2022 Intermittent fasting as a novel therapeutic strategy for SCAs
none
Researcher
National Ataxia Foundation
Concluded
2017/07/01 - 2021/06/30 REWSTRESS - Impact of prenatal stress in the reward system: from depression to addiction and back
PTDC/MED-NEU/29071/2017
Researcher
Laboratório Associado ICVS 3B's, Portugal
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Concluded
2016/06/01 - 2020/01/01 Exploring the neural basis of motivation
30/2016
Researcher
Laboratório Associado ICVS 3B's, Portugal
 Fundação Bial
Concluded
2010/01/01 - 2014/12/31 Programming Genes, Brain & Behavior: Understanding the long-term consequences of early life stress
Janssen Neuroscience Prize
Researcher
Johnson and Johnson
Concluded
2012/02/01 - 2012/08/31 Searching for the neurobiological targets through which prenatal corticosteroids program adult social and affective behaviors
ISAN_Sousa 2010
Research Fellow
Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
 The Institute for the Study of Affective Neuroscience (ISAN)
Concluded
2010/12/01 - 2011/05/31 Therapeutic strategies for Machado-Joseph disease: study in a mouse model
PTDC/SAU-GMG/64076/2006
Research Fellow
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Concluded
2008/09/01 - 2008/12/31 Molecular biology of the monocarboxylic acids permeases in yeast: from functional to structural analysis (PERMYEAST)
POCI/BIA/BCM/57812/2004
Universidade do Minho Centro de Biologia Molecular e Ambiental, Portugal
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Concluded

Contract

Designation Funders
2019/05/02 - 2025/04/30 From nucleus accumbens to ventral pallidum and back: a step further in understanding the reward circuit
CEECIND/03887/2017
Principal investigator
Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Ongoing
2017/02/01 - 2019/04/30 MEDPERSYST - Synaptic networks and personalized medicine approaches to understand neurobehavioural diseases across the lifespan
SAICTPAC/0010/2015
Post-doc Fellow
Laboratório Associado ICVS 3B's, Portugal
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Concluded

Other

Designation Funders
2022/03/22 - Current Identifying novel genetic and functional targets of drug-and natural-reward experiences
MEDALHONOR/CC
Principal investigator
Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

L'Óreal Poortugal

Comissão Nacional da UNESCO
Ongoing
2019/08/01 - 2020/04/30 Decoding the role of nucleus accumbens to ventral pallidum (and reciprocal) projections in reward
N/A
Principal investigator
Columbia University Mortimer B Zuckerman Mind Brain Behaviour Institute, United States
 Fulbright Association
Concluded
Outputs

Publications

Conference abstract
  1. Soares-Cunha, Carina. "Impact of selective manipulation of nucleus accumbens local microcircuits on D2-medium spiny neurons (MSN)-dependent increase in motivation". Paper presented in European Neuropsychopharmacology, Amsterdam, 2017.
    Published • 10.1016/S0924-977X(17)31204-X
  2. Soares-Cunha, C.; Coimbra, B.; David-Pereira, A.; Pinto, L.; Costa, P.; Sousa, N.; Rodrigues, A.. "Activation of D1 and D2-expressing neurons in the nucleus accumbens enhances motivation". 2016.
    10.1016/s0924-977x(16)31020-3
  3. Silva, J.; Rodrigues, S.; Marques, M.; Soares-Cunha, C.; Ludovico, P.; Sousa, N.; Sotiropoulos, I.. "The “stressed” autophagy: chronic stress exacerbates Tau pathology by blocking autophagy clearance system". 2016.
    10.1016/s0924-977x(16)30924-5
  4. Soares-Cunha, C.; Coimbra, B.; Borges, S.; Rodrigues, A.J.; Sousa, N.. "The modulation of reward-responses is dependent on dopamine D2 receptor activation in the nucleus accumbens". 2015.
    10.1016/s0924-977x(15)30201-7
Journal article
  1. Eraslan, Evren; Castelhano-Carlos, Magda J.; Amorim, Liliana; Soares-Cunha, Carina; Rodrigues, Ana J.; Sousa, Nuno. "Physiological and behavioral contagion/buffering effects of chronic unpredictable stress in a socially enriched environment: A preliminary study". Neurobiology of Stress 30 (2024): 100635. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100635.
    10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100635
  2. Duarte-Silva, Sara; Da Silva, Jorge Diogo; Monteiro-Fernandes, Daniela; Costa, Marta Daniela; Neves-Carvalho, Andreia; Raposo, Mafalda; Soares-Cunha, Carina; et al. "Glucocorticoid receptor-dependent therapeutic efficacy of tauroursodeoxycholic acid in preclinical models of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3". Journal of Clinical Investigation 134 5 (2024): http://dx.doi.org/10.1172/jci162246.
    10.1172/jci162246
  3. Deseyve, Catarina; Domingues, Ana Verónica; Carvalho, Tawan T. A.; Armada, Gisela; Correia, Raquel; Vieitas-Gaspar, Natacha; Wezik, Marcelina; et al. "Nucleus accumbens neurons dynamically respond to appetitive and aversive associative learning". Journal of Neurochemistry 168 3 (2024): 312-327. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jnc.16063.
    10.1111/jnc.16063
  4. Domingues, Ana Verónica; Carvalho, Tawan T. A.; Martins, Gabriela J.; Correia, Raquel; Coimbra, Bárbara; Gonçalves, Ricardo; Wezik, Marcelina; et al. "Dynamic representation of appetitive and aversive stimuli in nucleus accumbens shell D1- and D2-medium spiny neurons". Neuron (2024):
    Under revision • 10.1101/2024.02.22.581563
  5. Mendes-Pinheiro, Bárbara; Campos, Jonas; Marote, Ana; Soares-Cunha, Carina; Nickels, Sarah L.; Monzel, Anna S.; Cibrão, Jorge R.; et al. "Treating Parkinson¿'isease with Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell Secretome: A Translational Investigation Using Human Brain Organoids and Different Routes of In Vivo Administration". Cells 12 21 (2023): 2565. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/cells12212565.
    10.3390/cells12212565
  6. Ana Verónica Domingues; Ana João Rodrigues; Carina Soares-Cunha. "A novel perspective on the role of nucleus accumbens neurons in encoding associative learning". FEBS Letters (2023): https://doi.org/10.1002/1873-3468.14727.
    10.1002/1873-3468.14727
  7. Correia, Raquel; Coimbra, Bárbara; Domingues, Ana Verónica; Wezik, Marcelina; Vieitas-Gaspar, Natacha; Gaspar, Rita; Sousa, Nuno; et al. Corresponding author: Soares-Cunha, Carina. "Involvement of nucleus accumbens D2–medium spiny neurons projecting to the ventral pallidum in anxiety-like behaviour". Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience 48 4 (2023): E267-E284. http://dx.doi.org/10.1503/jpn.220111.
    10.1503/jpn.220111
  8. Eraslan, Evren; Castelhano-Carlos, Magda João; Amorim, Liliana; Soares-Cunha, Carina; Rodrigues, Ana João; Sousa, Nuno. "Home-cage behavior is impacted by stress exposure in rats". Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 17 (2023): http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1195011.
    10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1195011
  9. Gomes, Patrícia A.; Bodo, Cristian; Nogueras-Ortiz, Carlos; Samiotaki, Martina; Chen, Minghao; Soares-Cunha, Carina; Silva, Joana M.; et al. "A novel isolation method for spontaneously released extracellular vesicles from brain tissue and its implications for stress-driven brain pathology". Cell Communication and Signaling 21 1 (2023): http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12964-023-01045-z.
    10.1186/s12964-023-01045-z
  10. Soares-Cunha, Carina; Heinsbroek, Jasper A.. "Ventral pallidal regulation of motivated behaviors and reinforcement". Frontiers in Neural Circuits 17 (2023): http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fncir.2023.1086053.
    10.3389/fncir.2023.1086053
  11. Ana Verónica Domingues; Bárbara Coimbra; Raquel Correia; Catarina Deseyve; Natacha Vieitas-Gaspar; Stan B. Floresco; Nuno Sousa; Ana Joã Rodrigues; Carina Soares-Cunha. "Prenatal dexamethasone exposure alters effort decision making and triggers nucleus accumbens and anterior cingulate cortex functional changes in male rats". Translational Psychiatry (2022): https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-022-02043-4.
    10.1038/s41398-022-02043-4
  12. Gaspar, Rita; Soares-Cunha, Carina; Domingues, Ana Verónica; Coimbra, Bárbara; Baptista, Filipa I.; Pinto, Luísa; Ambrósio, António F.; Rodrigues, Ana João; Gomes, Catarina A.. "The Duration of Stress Determines Sex Specificities in the Vulnerability to Depression and in the Morphologic Remodeling of Neurons and Microglia". Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 16 (2022): http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2022.834821.
    10.3389/fnbeh.2022.834821
  13. Soares-Cunha, Carina; Domingues, Ana Verónica; Correia, Raquel; Coimbra, Bárbara; Vieitas-Gaspar, Natacha; de Vasconcelos, Nivaldo A.P.; Pinto, Luísa; Sousa, Nuno; Rodrigues, Ana João. Corresponding author: Soares-Cunha, Carina. "Distinct role of nucleus accumbens D2-MSN projections to ventral pallidum in different phases of motivated behavior". Cell Reports 38 7 (2022): 110380. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211124722001012.
    Open access • 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110380
  14. Loureiro-Campos, Eduardo; Mateus-Pinheiro, António; Patrício, Patrícia; Soares-Cunha, Carina; Silva, Joana; Sardinha, Vanessa Morais; Mendes-Pinheiro, Bárbara; et al. "Constitutive deficiency of the neurogenic hippocampal modulator AP2¿ promotes anxiety-like behavior and cumulative memory deficits in mice from juvenile to adult periods". eLife 10 (2021): http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/elife.70685.
    10.7554/elife.70685
  15. Correia, Joana Sofia; Neves-Carvalho, Andreia; Mendes-Pinheiro, Bárbara; Pires, Joel; Teixeira, Fábio Gabriel; Lima, Rui; Monteiro, Susana; et al. "Preclinical Assessment of Mesenchymal-Stem-Cell-Based Therapies in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3". Biomedicines 9 12 (2021): 1754. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines9121754.
    10.3390/biomedicines9121754
  16. Mendes-Pinheiro, Bárbara; Soares-Cunha, Carina; Marote, Ana; Loureiro-Campos, Eduardo; Campos, Jonas; Barata-Antunes, Sandra; Monteiro-Fernandes, Daniela; et al. "Unilateral Intrastriatal 6-Hydroxydopamine Lesion in Mice: A Closer Look into Non-Motor Phenotype and Glial Response". International Journal of Molecular Sciences 22 21 (2021): 11530. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms222111530.
    10.3390/ijms222111530
  17. Bárbara Coimbra; Ana Verónica Domingues; Carina Soares-Cunha; Raquel Correia; Luísa Pinto; Nuno Sousa; Ana João Rodrigues. "Laterodorsal tegmentum–ventral tegmental area projections encode positive reinforcement signals". Journal of Neuroscience Research (2021): https://doi.org/10.1002/jnr.24931.
    10.1002/jnr.24931
  18. Gaspar, Rita; Soares-Cunha, Carina; Domingues, Ana Verónica; Coimbra, Bárbara; Baptista, Filipa I.; Pinto, Luísa; Ambrósio, António F.; Rodrigues, Ana João; Gomes, Catarina A.. "Resilience to stress and sex-specific remodeling of microglia and neuronal morphology in a rat model of anxiety and anhedonia". Neurobiology of Stress 14 (2021): 100302. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100302.
    10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100302
  19. Soares-Cunha, Carina; de Vasconcelos, Nivaldo A. P.; Coimbra, Bárbara; Domingues, Ana Verónica; Silva, Joana M.; Loureiro-Campos, Eduardo; Gaspar, Rita; et al. "Nucleus accumbens medium spiny neurons subtypes signal both reward and aversion". Molecular Psychiatry 25 12 (2020): 3241-3255. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41380-019-0484-3.
    10.1038/s41380-019-0484-3
  20. Monteiro, Susana; Pinho, Andreia G.; Macieira, Mara; Serre-Miranda, Cláudia; Cibrão, Jorge R.; Lima, Rui; Soares-Cunha, Carina; et al. "Splenic sympathetic signaling contributes to acute neutrophil infiltration of the injured spinal cord". Journal of Neuroinflammation 17 1 (2020): http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12974-020-01945-8.
    10.1186/s12974-020-01945-8
  21. Nastaran Lotfi; Antonio J. Fontenele; Thaís Feliciano; Leandro A. A. Aguiar; Nivaldo A. P. de Vasconcelos; Carina Soares-Cunha; Bárbara Coimbra; et al. "Signatures of brain criticality unveiled by maximum entropy analysis across cortical states". Physical Review E 102 1 (2020): https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.102.012408.
    10.1103/PhysRevE.102.012408
  22. Monteiro-Fernandes, Daniela; Silva, Joana Margarida; Soares-Cunha, Carina; Dalla, Christina; Kokras, Nikolaos; Arnaud, François; Billiras, Rodolphe; et al. "Allosteric modulation of AMPA receptors counteracts Tau-related excitotoxic synaptic signaling and memory deficits in stress- and Aß-evoked hippocampal pathology". Molecular Psychiatry 26 10 (2020): 5899-5911. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41380-020-0794-5.
    10.1038/s41380-020-0794-5
  23. Rodrigues, José A.; Pimenta, Sara; Pereira, José P.; Gomes, Nuno M.; Souto, Márcio R.; Fernandes, Helena C.; Caetano, Inês; et al. "Low-cost silicon neural probe: fabrication, electrochemical characterization and in vivo validation". Microsystem Technologies 27 1 (2020): 37-46. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00542-020-04898-3.
    10.1007/s00542-020-04898-3
  24. Coimbra, Bárbara; Soares-Cunha, Carina; Vasconcelos, Nivaldo A P; Domingues, Ana Verónica; Borges, Sónia; Sousa, Nuno; Rodrigues, Ana João. "Role of laterodorsal tegmentum projections to nucleus accumbens in reward-related behaviors". Nature Communications 10 1 (2019): http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-11557-3.
    10.1038/s41467-019-11557-3
  25. Soares-Cunha, Carina. "Criticality between Cortical States.". Physical review letters (2019): https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.208101.
    10.1103/physrevlett.122.208101
  26. Duarte, Joana Mendes; Gaspar, Rita; Caetano, Liliana; Patrício, Patrícia; Soares-Cunha, Carina; Mateus-Pinheiro, António; Alves, Nuno Dinis; et al. "Region-specific control of microglia by adenosine A2A receptors: uncoupling anxiety and associated cognitive deficits in female rats". Glia 67 1 (2018): 182-192. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/glia.23476.
    10.1002/glia.23476
  27. Soares-Cunha, Carina. "Dysregulation of autophagy and stress granule-related proteins in stress-driven Tau pathology.". Cell death and differentiation (2018): https://doi.org/10.1038/s41418-018-0217-1.
    10.1038/s41418-018-0217-1
  28. Soares-Cunha, Carina. "Endolysosomal degradation of Tau and its role in glucocorticoid-driven hippocampal malfunction.". The EMBO Journal (2018): https://doi.org/10.15252/embj.201899084.
    10.15252/embj.201899084
  29. Soares-Cunha, Carina. "Mild Prenatal Stress Causes Emotional and Brain Structural Modifications in Rats of Both Sexes.". Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience (2018): http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC6043801.
    10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00129
  30. Duarte-Silva S; Neves-Carvalho A; Soares-Cunha C; Silva JM; Teixeira-Castro A; Vieira R; Silva-Fernandes A; Maciel P. "Neuroprotective effects of creatine in the CMVMJD135 mouse model of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3.". Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society (2018): http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/29570846.
    10.1002/mds.27292
  31. Soares-Cunha C; Coimbra B; Domingues AV; Vasconcelos N; Sousa N; Rodrigues AJ. "Nucleus Accumbens Microcircuit Underlying D2-MSN-Driven Increase in Motivation.". eNeuro (2018): http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/29780881.
    10.1523/eneuro.0386-18.2018
  32. Soares-Cunha, Carina. "Impairments in laterodorsal tegmentum to VTA projections underlie glucocorticoid-triggered reward deficits.". eLife (2017): http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/28837419.
    10.7554/elife.25843
  33. De Vasconcelos, N.A.P.; Soares-Cunha, C.; Rodrigues, A.J.; Ribeiro, S.; Sousa, N.. "Coupled variability in primary sensory areas and the hippocampus during spontaneous activity". Scientific Reports 7 (2017): http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85017325439&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1038/srep46077
  34. Soares-Cunha, Carina. "Effect of Levodopa on Reward and Impulsivity in a Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease.". Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience (2017): http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/28848409.
    10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00145
  35. Caetano L; Pinheiro H; Patrício P; Mateus-Pinheiro A; Alves ND; Coimbra B; Baptista FI; et al. "Adenosine A2A receptor regulation of microglia morphological remodeling-gender bias in physiology and in a model of chronic anxiety.". (2016): http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/27725661.
    10.1038/mp.2016.173
  36. Ramalhosa, F.; Soares-Cunha, C.; Seixal, R.M.; Sousa, N.; Carvalho, A.F.. "The impact of prenatal exposure to dexamethasone on gastrointestinal function in rats". PLoS ONE 11 9 (2016): http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84991218266&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1371/journal.pone.0161750
  37. Duarte-Silva, S.; Silva-Fernandes, A.; Neves-Carvalho, A.; Soares-Cunha, C.; Teixeira-Castro, A.; Maciel, P.. "Combined therapy with m-TOR-dependent and -independent autophagy inducers causes neurotoxicity in a mouse model of Machado-Joseph disease". Neuroscience 313 (2016): 162-173. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84949481661&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.11.030
  38. Soares-Cunha, C.; Coimbra, B.; David-Pereira, A.; Borges, S.; Pinto, L.; Costa, P.; Sousa, N.; Rodrigues, A.J.. "Activation of D2 dopamine receptor-expressing neurons in the nucleus accumbens increases motivation". Nature Communications 7 (2016): http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84974793520&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1038/ncomms11829
  39. Soares-Cunha, C.; Coimbra, B.; Sousa, N.; Rodrigues, A.J.. "Reappraising striatal D1- and D2-neurons in reward and aversion". Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 68 (2016): 370-386. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84974795061&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.05.021
  40. Duarte-Silva, S.; Neves-Carvalho, A.; Soares-Cunha, C.; Teixeira-Castro, A.; Oliveira, P.; Silva-Fernandes, A.; Maciel, P.. "Lithium Chloride Therapy Fails to Improve Motor Function in a Transgenic Mouse Model of Machado-Joseph Disease". Cerebellum 13 6 (2014): 713-727. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84911805605&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1007/s12311-014-0589-9
  41. Soares-Cunha, C.; Coimbra, B.; Borges, S.; Carvalho, M.M.; Rodrigues, A.J.; Sousa, N.. "The motivational drive to natural rewards is modulated by prenatal glucocorticoid exposure". Translational Psychiatry 4 (2014): http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84901982896&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1038/tp.2014.45
  42. Silva-Fernandes, A.; Duarte-Silva, S.; Neves-Carvalho, A.; Amorim, M.; Soares-Cunha, C.; Oliveira, P.; Thirstrup, K.; Teixeira-Castro, A.; Maciel, P.. "Chronic Treatment with 17-DMAG Improves Balance and Coordination in A New Mouse Model of Machado-Joseph Disease". Neurotherapeutics 11 2 (2014): 433-449. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84899493975&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1007/s13311-013-0255-9
  43. Borges, S.; Coimbra, B.; Soares-Cunha, C.; Miguel Pêgo, J.; Sousa, N.; João Rodrigues, A.. "Dopaminergic modulation of affective and social deficits induced by prenatal glucocorticoid exposure". Neuropsychopharmacology 38 10 (2013): 2068-2079. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84882451544&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1038/npp.2013.108
  44. Borges, S.; Coimbra, B.; Soares-Cunha, C.; Ventura-Silva, A.P.; Pinto, L.; Carvalho, M.M.; Pêgo, J.-M.; Rodrigues, A.J.; Sousa, N.. "Glucocorticoid programing of the mesopontine cholinergic system". Frontiers in Endocrinology 4 DEC (2013): http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84892156422&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.3389/fendo.2013.00190
  45. Becuwe, M.; Vieira, N.; Lara, D.; Gomes-Rezende, J.; Soares-Cunha, C.; Casal, M.; Haguenauer-Tsapis, R.; et al. "A molecular switch on an arrestin-like protein relays glucose signaling to transporter endocytosis". Journal of Cell Biology 196 2 (2012): 247-259. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84856731897&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1083/jcb.201109113
Preprint
  1. Domingues, Ana Verónica; Carvalho, Tawan T. A.; Martins, Gabriela J.; Correia, Raquel; Coimbra, Bárbara; Gonçalves, Ricardo; Wezik, Marcelina; et al. "Dynamic representation of appetitive and aversive stimuli in nucleus accumbens shell D1- and D2-medium spiny neurons". 2024. http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2024.02.22.581563.
    10.1101/2024.02.22.581563
  2. Deseyve, Catarina; Domingues, Ana Verónica; Carvalho, Tawan T. A.; Vieitas-Gaspar, Natacha; Pinto, Luísa; Sousa, Nuno; Coimbra, Bárbara; Rodrigues, Ana João; Soares-Cunha, Carina. Corresponding author: Soares-Cunha, Carina. "Nucleus accumbens neurons dynamically encode positive and aversive associative learning". 2023. http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2023.04.21.537763.
    10.1101/2023.04.21.537763
  3. Magalhães, Ricardo; Gonçalves, Nuno; Sousa, Rui; Coelho, Ana; Soares-Cunha, Carina; Moreira, Pedro; Marques, Paulo; et al. "Impact of prenatal synthetic glucocorticoid exposure on the adolescent brain". 2023. http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2023.04.14.536872.
    10.1101/2023.04.14.536872
  4. Correia, Raquel; Domingues, Ana Verónica; Coimbra, Bárbara; Vieitas-Gaspar, Natacha; Sousa, Nuno; Pinto, Luísa; Rodrigues, Ana João; Soares-Cunha, Carina. "Involvement of nucleus accumbens D2-MSN projections to the ventral pallidum in anxious-like behavior". 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2022.05.23.493058.
    10.1101/2022.05.23.493058
  5. Soares-Cunha, Carina; Correia, Raquel; Domingues, Ana Verónica; Coimbra, Bárbara; de Vasconcelos, Nivaldo AP; Pinto, Luísa; Sousa, Nuno; Rodrigues, Ana João. "Distinct role of nucleus accumbens D2-MSN projections to ventral pallidum in different phases of motivated behavior". 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2020.11.27.401042.
    10.1101/2020.11.27.401042
Thesis / Dissertation
  1. Soares-Cunha, Carina. "Role of nucleus accumbens dopamine D1- and D2-expressing neurons in reward and Motivation". PhD, Universidade do Minho, 2016.
  2. Soares-Cunha, Carina. "Pavlovian and Instrumental Behaviour in a model of prenatal exposure to glucocorticoids: an integrative approach". Master, Universidade do Minho, 2012.
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2024/03/13 Innovative Approaches for Visualizing and Manipulating Neural Circuits Mini-Symposium on Genetic manipulation of neuronal circuits
FMUP - University of Porto (Porto, Portugal)
2023/08/12 Functional maps of neuronal ensembles encoding associative learning ISN-ESN Meeting
(Portugal)
2023/07/12 Dynamics of cellular calcium signalling in neurosciences CellMed Meeting on Cellular membrane Dynamics
2023/05/23 The brain controls life: searching for the balance between reward and protection Pint of Science
2022/08/30 Involvement of nucleus accumbens neurons in cue-reward associative learning ISN-APSN Meeting
International Society for Neurochemistry (Honolulu, United States)
2021/09/04 Distinct role of nucleus accumbens D2-MSN projections to ventral pallidum in different phases of motivated behavior EMBO Practical course "Single-cell genomics: get started!"
EMBO (Braga, Portugal)
2021/06/05 The role of nucleus accumbens in the perception of natural rewards Ciência Falada
ICVS, University of Minho (Braga, Portugal)
2019/08/06 Convergence of reward and aversion processing in nucleus accumbens medium spiny neuron subtypes ISN-ASN Meeting
International Society for Neurochemistry (ISN) / America Society for Neurochemistry (ASN) (Montréal, United States)
2018/11/05 Nucleus accumbens microcircuit underlying D2-MSN-dependent increase in motivation Neuroscience 2018
Society for Neuroscience (SfN) (San Diego, United States)
2018/04/16 Nucleus accumbens microcircuit underlying D2-MSN-dependent increase in motivation Computational Neuroscience of Prediction, Spring Brain Conference 2018
Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) (Rungstedgaard, Denmark)
2017/03/05 The neural circuits of reward and motivation Optometry and Vision Undergrad
School of Sciences, University of Minho (Braga, Portugal)
2017/01/15 D2-expressing neurons in the nucleus accumbens modulate motivation PhDOC IV Anual Meeting
2016/10/10 Role of Nucleus accumbens dopamine D1- and D2-expressing neurons in reward and motivation PhDOC III Annual Meeting
2016/07/25 Role of Nucleus accumbens dopamine receptor D1- and D2-expressing neurons in reward and motivation Spoken Science
2014/12/11 Dopamine D2 receptors in the Nucleus accumbens regulates motivation I ICVS/3B's - Associate Laboratory Meeting
ICVS, University of Minho (Braga, Portugal)
2013/05/06 Prenatal glucocorticoid exposure disrupts Pavlovian-instrumental transfer: role of D2 dopamine receptor XII Meeting of the Portuguese Society for Neuroscience (SPN)
Portuguese Society for Neuroscience (SPN) (Luso, Portugal)

Supervision

Thesis Title
Role 		Degree Subject (Type)
Institution / Organization
2024/01/02 - 2028/01/31 Exploring the role of striatal dynorphin and enkephalin in motivated behaviors
Supervisor
 PhD in Health Sciences (PhD)
Escola de Medicina, universidade do Minho, Portugal
2022/10/01 - 2026/09/30 Genetic, functional and anatomic signature of nucleus accumbens neurons encoding valence
Supervisor
Escola de Medicina, universidade do Minho, Portugal
2021/12/01 - 2025/01/01 Neuronal ensembles encoding reward and aversion: a focus on nucleus accumbens to ventral pallidum circuitry
Supervisor
 PhD in Health Sciences (PhD)
Laboratório Associado ICVS 3B's, Portugal
2022/03/01 - 2023/10/31 Sensory processing in the nucleus accumbens
Supervisor
 Mestrado em Ciências da Saúde (Master)
Universidade do Minho Escola de Medicina, Portugal
2019/10/01 - 2023/09/30 Neuronal substrates of effort-based decision-making: integrating signals of the anterior cingulate cortex and nucleus accumbens
Supervisor
 PhD in Health Sciences (PhD)
Laboratório Associado ICVS 3B's, Portugal
2021/03 - 2022/10 The involvement of the nucleus accumbens in the perception of natural rewards
Supervisor
 Master in Health Sciences (Master)
Escola de Medicina, universidade do Minho, Portugal
2021/03/01 - 2021/12/15 Assessing the neuronal ensembles encoding reward and aversion in the Nucleus Accumbens
Supervisor
 Integrated masters in medicine (Master)
Escola de Medicina, universidade do Minho, Portugal
2020/09/01 - 2021/10/31 Valence in the Nucleus Accumbens - Identifying Neural Populations in Appetitive and Aversive Responses
Supervisor
 Masters in Health Sciences (Master)
Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
2021/02/15 - 2021/10/15 Role of endogenous opioids in reward and aversion
Supervisor
 Neuroscience (Master)
Università degli Studi di Trieste, Italy
2019/09/01 - 2020/10/31 Role of nucleus accumbens direct and indirect pathways in anxiety and depressive-like behaviors
Supervisor
 Master in Health Sciences (Master)
Escola de Medicina, universidade do Minho, Portugal
2014/09/01 - 2015/01/31 Stimulation of D2 neurons in the nucleus accumbens increases motivation in a model of in utero exposure to glucocorticoids
Co-supervisor
 Integrated Master in Medicine (Master)
Escola de Medicina, universidade do Minho, Portugal

Event organisation

Event name
Type of event (Role) 		Institution / Organization
2023/09/29 - Current 2023 European Researchers’ Night (2023/09/29 - 2023/09/29)
Festival (Member of the Organising Committee)
 Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
2012/03/01 - Current Brain awareness week - neuroscience (2012/03/01 - 2012/03/08)
2024/03/11 - 2024/03/15 Brain Awareness Week (2024/03/11 - 2024/03/15)
Seminar (Co-organisor)
 Universidade do Minho, Portugal
2024 - 2024 Advanced techniques and methodologies for brain circuit-level analysis (2024 - 2024)
Workshop (President of the Organising Committee)
 Escola de Medicina, universidade do Minho, Portugal
2023/08/03 - 2023/08/07 2023 ISN Advanced School (2023/08/03 - 2023/08/07)
Conference (Member of the Organising Committee)
 International Society for Neurochemistry, Switzerland
2021/06/01 - 2022/07/31 Advanced methods for imaging and manipulation of neuronal circuits in vivo (2022/04/26 - 2022/05/09)
Call (President of the Organising Committee)
 Escola de Medicina, universidade do Minho, Portugal
2017/06/01 - 2018/12/20 Forum Neuroscience - Anual Neuroscience Research Domain Meeting (2017/06/01)
Meeting (Member of the Organising Committee)
 Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
2017/07/01 - 2017/07/31 Summer on Campus (2017/07/01 - 2017/07/31)
Workshop (Member of the Scientific Committee)
 Universidade do Minho, Portugal
2017/05/01 - 2017/07/31 XV Meeting of the Portuguese Society for Neuroscience (SPN) (2017/05/01 - 2017/07/31)
Congress (Member of the Organising Committee)
 Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
2017/04 - 2017/05 Introduction to electrophysiology "An experimental approach" (2017/04 - 2017/05)
Workshop (President of the Organising Committee)
 Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
2009/09/30 - 2010/06/30 XI Jornadas de Biologia Aplicada (2009/09/30 - 2010/06/30)
Conference (President of the Organising Committee)
 Universidade do Minho Departamento de Biologia, Portugal

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event 		Event name
Institution / Organization
2023/09/29 - 2023/09/29 Alumni MSc and PhD Students
Round table
 Postgraduate Students Retreat MSc or PhD, Grab your Future
Escola de Medicina, universidade do Minho, Portugal
2023/03/08 - 2023/03/08 Talking to Researchers
Round table
 Launch of Book "Women in Science"
Ciência Viva, Portugal
2022/05/26 - 2022/05/26 25 years of FCT: Women in Science
Round table
 The future of Science in the 25 years of FCT, 1997-2022
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal

Jury of academic degree

Topic
Role 		Candidate name (Type of degree)
Institution / Organization
2024/02 Tau protein in CRH neurons as a modulator of memory consolidation
(Thesis) Arguer
 Romeu Alexandre Ribeiro Fernandes (Master)
Escola de Medicina, universidade do Minho, Portugal
2023/12/13 Noradrenergic Degeneration in a DJ-1 Knockout Mouse Model
(Thesis) Arguer
 Filipa Ferreira Antunes (Master)
Escola de Medicina, universidade do Minho, Portugal
2023/07/12 Effect of genetic polymorphisms on the efficiency of analgesic drugs: a systematic review
(Thesis) Arguer
 Ana Filipa de Barroso Carvalho (Master)
Escola de Medicina, universidade do Minho, Portugal
2023/07/12 Mapping social-related neuronal activity in the insular cortex of a chronic neuropathic pain rat model
(Thesis) Arguer
 Carina Gonçalves Monteiro (Master)
Escola de Medicina, universidade do Minho, Portugal

Ad Hoc journal article review

Journal title (ISSN) Publisher
2024/01 - Current eLife (2050-084X) eLife
2023/10/01 - Current Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience (1488-2434) CMAJ
2022/01 - Current Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology (2296-634X)
2021/01 - Current Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience (1662-5153) Frontiers

Association member

Society Organization name Role
2022/04/01 - Current Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS)
2021/09 - Current Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience Guest Associate Editor
2014/01/01 - Current Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Member
2013/05/01 - Current Portuguese Society for Neurosciences (SPN) Member
2017/01/01 - 2020/12/31 International Society of Neurochemistry (ISN) Member
2016/01/01 - 2020/12/31 Society for Neuroscience (SfN) Member

Committee member

Activity description
Role 		Institution / Organization
2023/10/11 - Current ISN Advanced School Committee
Member
 International Society for Neurochemistry, Switzerland
2023/06/01 - Current Co-Coordinator of Scientific Outreach Committee
Coordinator
 Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
2022/04/01 - Current Member of the Animal Welfare Body - ORBEA
Member
 Universidade do Minho, Portugal
2022/01/01 - Current Thesis (PhD) advisory Committee
Member
 Escola de Medicina, universidade do Minho, Portugal
2021/01/01 - Current Thesis (PhD) advisory committee
Member
 Escola de Medicina, universidade do Minho, Portugal
2019/06/02 - Current Evaluation committee of Projects of Master program in Health Sciences Escola de Medicina, universidade do Minho, Portugal
2017/01/01 - Current Scientific Council of the ICVS
Member

Course / Discipline taught

Academic session Degree Subject (Type) Institution / Organization
2023/09/21 - Current Foundations of Medicine 4 - Case-Based Learning (CBL) Medicine (Mestrado integrado) Escola de Medicina, universidade do Minho, Portugal
2023/09/15 - Current Foundations of Medicine 1 - Case-Based Learning (CBL) Medicina (Mestrado integrado) Escola de Medicina, universidade do Minho, Portugal
2021/09/07 - Current Fundamentals in Neurosciences Escola de Medicina, universidade do Minho, Portugal
2012/01/01 - Current Laboratory Animals Sciences Animals Sciences (Postgraduate Certificate) Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
2016/09/12 - 2019/02/28 From Clinics to Molecular Biology (DCBM) From Clinics to Molecular Biology 1 (DCBM1) (Licenciatura) Escola de Medicina, universidade do Minho, Portugal
2017/03/01 - 2018/03/31 Hands on the rodent Brain Experimental techniques to be applied in rodent research (Postgraduate Certificate) Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
2017/09/12 - 2018/02/28 Optometry and Vision Sciences Neurobiology (Licenciatura) Universidade do Minho, Portugal

Evaluation committee

Activity description
Role 		Institution / Organization Funding entity
2024/01/04 - Current Reviewer of projects
Evaluator
 Agence nationale de la recherche, France Agence nationale de la recherche
2023/12/18 - Current Evaluation and Selection committee of Fulbright Grants
Evaluator
 Fulbright Portugal, Portugal Fulbright Association
2023/10/11 - Current ISN Advanced School Committee.
Evaluator
 International Society for Neurochemistry, Switzerland International Society for Neurochemistry
2019/02 - Current Evaluation committee of Laboratory Animal Sciences Project
Evaluator
 Escola de Medicina, universidade do Minho, Portugal

Interview (tv / radio show)

Program Topic
2022/04/11 - Current Vamos Beber un Café e Falar Sobre Isso
2022/03/28 - 2022/03/28 Consultório
2022/03/23 - 2022/03/23 Interview RUM - Rádio Universitária Medalha de Honra L'Oréal

Journal scientific committee

Journal title (ISSN) Publisher
2022/08/08 - Current Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
2022/01/27 - Current Neurotoxicity Research (10298428, 14763524) Springer New York
2021/07/01 - Current Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience (1662-5153) Frontiers
2021/06/07 - Current Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology (2296634X) Frontiers

Mentoring / Tutoring

Topic Student name
2023/03/01 - 2023/03/31 Laboratory Animal Sciences Lab rotation - master program in Health Sciences Vítor Gonçalves
2023/02/01 - 2023/03/31 Neural circuits of Reward and Aversion Cármen Vieira
2021/03 - 2021/06 How opioids are released in the brain? Pedro Macedo
2021/03 - 2021/06 What distinguishes Reward from Aversion in the brain: an unexpected link: a focus on nucleus accumbens Rafaela Martins
2021/03 - 2021/06 What distinguishes Reward from Aversion in the brain: an unexpected link Carolina Pinheiro
2021/03 - 2021/06 Role of the brain reward circuit in anxiety and Depression: a focus on ventral palladium Cláudia Torres
2021/03 - 2021/06 Role of the brain reward circuit in anxiety and Depression: a focus on the ventral segmental area Sara Gomes
2021/03 - 2021/06 What distinguishes Reward from Aversion in the brain: an unexpected link: a focus on the amygdala Mariana Ferreira
2021/03 - 2021/06 What distinguishes Reward from Aversion in the brain: an unexpected link: a focus on the ventral palladium Anabela Ferreira
2021/03 - 2021/06 Role of the brain reward circuit in anxiety and Depression: a focus on the nucleus accumbens Margarida Pinheiro
2021/03 - 2021/06 Role of the brain reward circuit in anxiety Sara Batista
2019/05/01 - 2019/06/01 Laboratory rotation - PhD program in Health Sciences Eduardo Campos
2019/03/01 - 2019/03/31 Laboratory Animal Sciences Lab rotation - master program in Health Sciences Raquel Correia
2019/03/01 - 2019/03/31 Laboratory Animal Sciences Lab Rotation - Master program in Health Sciences Carlos Marques
2019/03/01 - 2019/03/31 Laboratory Animal Sciences Lab Rotation - Master program in Health Sciences Daniela Garcia
2018/03/01 - 2018/03/31 Laboratory Animal Sciences Lab Rotation - PhD program in Health Sciences Inês Caetano
2018/03/01 - 2018/03/31 Laboratory Animal Sciences Lab Rotation - Master program in Health Sciences Henrique Silva
2018/03/01 - 2018/03/31 Laboratory Animal Sciences Lab Rotation - Master program in Health Sciences Joana Sá
2017/03/01 - 2017/03/31 Laboratory Animal Sciences Lab Rotation - Master program in Health Sciences Laboratory Animal Sciences Lab Rotation - Master program in Health Sciences
2017/03/01 - 2017/03/31 Laboratory Animal Sciences Lab Rotation - Master program in Health Sciences Marta Lopes
2017/03/01 - 2017/03/31 Laboratory Animal Sciences Lab Rotation - Master program in Health Sciences Laura Silva
2017/01/01 - 2017/01/31 Laboratory Animal Sciences Lab Rotation - Master program in Health Sciences Ana Margarida Gonçalves
2016/04 - 2016/06 Mild Prenatal Stress Causes Structural Modifications in the BNST of Rats of Both Sexes Rita Macahdo
2016/04 - 2016/06 Mild Prenatal Stress Causes Structural Modifications in the Amygdala of Rats of Both Sexes Vitória Baptista
2016/01/01 - 2016/01/31 Laboratory Rotation - PhD program in Health Sciences Barbara Coimbra
2013/04 - 2013/06 Optogenetic activationn of D2-MSNs increases motivation for food Ana Patrícia Rodrigues
Distinctions

Award

2023 Career Development Grant
International Society for Neurochemistry, Switzerland
2022 L'Oréal Honor Medal for Women in Science
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal

L'Óreal Portugal, Portugal

Comissão Nacional da UNESCO, Portugal
2022 IBRO Early Career Award
International Brain Research Organization, France
2022 "Maria de Sousa" Award
Fundação Bial, Portugal

Ordem dos Médicos, Portugal
2022 FEBS Excelence Award
Federation of European Biochemical Societies, United Kingdom
2022 Travel Award to attend the ISN-APSN Meeting, Honolulu, USA
International Society for Neurochemistry, Switzerland
2021 Research Incentive Award
Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal

Escola de Medicina, universidade do Minho, Portugal
2021 SPN Best Manuscript 2020
Sociedade Portuguesa de Neurociências, Portugal
2020 IBRO International Travel Grant
International Brain Research Organization, France
2020 Research Incentive Award
Escola de Medicina, universidade do Minho, Portugal

Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
2019 Travel Grant to attend the FENS Regional Meeting, Belgrade, Serbia
Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS), Belgium
2019 Travel Award to attend the ISN-ASN Meeting, Montréal, Canada
International Society for Neurochemistry, Switzerland
2019 IBRO International Travel Grant
International Brain Research Organization, France
2019 Fulbright Scholarship for Professors or Doctorate holder researchers
Fulbright Association, United States
2018 Travel Grant to attend the 11th FENS Forum of Neuroscience, Berlin, Germany
2017 Travel Award to attend the ISN-ESN Meeting, Paris, France
International Society for Neurochemistry, Switzerland
2017 ECNP Best Poster Award
2016 Best poster award at the FENS SfN Summer School 2016 on Cellular mechanisms and networks in addiction, July 2016, Bertinoro, Italy
2016 Travel Grant to attend the 10th FENS Forum of Neuroscience, Copenhagen, Denmark
2016 Travel Award for the ECNP Annual meeting, Vienna, Austria
2016 IBRO/SfN Travel Grant
2015 Travel Award for the ECNP Workshop on Neuropsychopharmacology for Junior Scientists in Europe, Nice, France
2015 Travel Award for the ECNP Annual meeting , Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2015 Travel grant for the Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN), Chicago, USA
2014 Travel Grant to attend the 9th FENS Forum of Neuroscience, Milan, Italy
2012 Prize Professor Doutor Luís Archer (best poster award)
2008 School Achievement Award
Universidade do Minho, Portugal

Title

2019 Scientific Employment Stimulus (CEEC 1st Edition) - Junior Researcher
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal

Other distinction

2012 PhD scholarship
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal

Inter-University Doctoral Programme in Ageing and Chronic Disease (PhDOC), Portugal