About me
Professor of Molecular Physiology and Principal Investigator of the Molecular and Cellular Exercise Physiology research group.
After receiving my Pharm.D. degree from the University of Lisbon, I moved to Karolinska Institutet (KI) for my doctoral studies. During that time I investigated how cellular oxygen levels can regulate adaptive gene expression, and in 2005 received my Ph.D. in Medical Sciences.
In 2006 I moved to Boston to pursue postdoctoral studies at the Division of Metabolism and Chronic Disease at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. During this period I focused on the study of transcriptional networks that control skeletal muscle physiology.
In July 2011 I setup my research group at the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at KI, became Associate Professor in 2016, and Professor of Molecular Physiology in 2020. My group aims to identify the molecular mediators of the health benefits of exercise and to use this knowledge to develop novel disease therapies.
Research description
Research in our laboratory is aimed at understanding the molecular mechanisms that mediate skeletal muscle adaptations to diverse challenges and their local and systemic consequences. We are particularly interested in understanding how exercised or sedentary skeletal muscle can crosstalk with other organs, and how it can affect individual health and disease.
Teaching portfolio
I teach several subjects to the Medicine and Biomedicine programs at KI, and participate as lecturer in diverse doctoral courses. I am also an invited professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon.
Academic honours, awards and prizes
2022 The Med. Dr. Axel Hirsch Prize 2022
2019 Novo Nordisk Foundation Ascending Investigator, Endocrinology and Metabolism
2017 The Leif C. Groop Award for Outstanding Diabetes Research
2016 Swedish Research Council Consolidator Grant
2015 Senior Researcher Award from Karolinska Institutet
2014 Human Frontier Science Program Young Investigator Award
2013 Malin and Lennart Philipson Prize (link to ki.se/news)
Jorge Ruas - award winner 2013-2015 (link to Malin and Lennart Philipson's foundation website)
2012 Novo Nordisk Fonden Excellence Project Award
2012 Marie Curie Career Integration Grant
2011 Assistant Professor Grant from the Swedish Research Council
2011 Young Investigator Award in Diabetes. Strategic Research Programme in Diabetes at Karolinska Institutet (Sweden).
2006 Wenner Gren Fellow