About me
Head of unit, Autoradiography Core Facility (ARG). Neuro division, CNS.
Admin/co-ordinator, Strategic Research Program in Neuroscience (StratNeuro)
I started working at KI in late 2010, where I first did a postdoc in neuropsychophamacology at Per Svenningsson's lab, and later was a Senior lab manager in this group for 7 years.
Research description
The autoradiography facility (ARG) is a core facility for radioligand binding and autoradiography, critical components in pharmacology and cellular signalling research, as well as for development of ligands for usage in positron emission tomography (PET).
Autoradiography is a method to visualize and quantify the binding of radioactive molecules in tissue sections and is commonly used for mapping of G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and transporters in brain from pathologic conditions and in animal models. The method is extensively applied as a tool for validation of novel radioligands for PET since it provides high resolution image correlates that may aid the interpretation of data obtained in PET studies. Moreover, an initial characterization of tracer affinity, selectivity, and non specific binding using autoradiographic methods in vitro may predict suitability of the tracer application in vivo.
Teaching portfolio
- 2011-Present: Organizer of the doctoral course in Neuropsychopharmacology (KI).
- 2017: Lectured in the "Making the most of behavioral methods in rat and mouse" doctoral course (KI). Title: "Behavioral tests for measuring depression"
- 2011-2013: Lectured on the "Frontiers in Translational Medicine" course (KI). Title: "pre-clinical models of depression"
- 2008-2010: Lectured on the Masters degree in Biochemistry and Neuroscience program (University of Lisbon). Title: "cannabinoid pharmacology".
- 2007-2010: Assistant lecturer and demonstrator on the practical course 'Neuroscience', 3rd year of the Medical degree (University of Lisbon). Title: "measuring neurotransmitter release"
Education
- BSc. Hon, Neuroscience - Faculty of Biomedical and Life Sciences, The University of Glasgow (2005)
- PhD, Neuroscience - Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon (2010)
- Postdoc - Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet (2014)
Academic honours, awards and prizes
Grants received:
- 2013- Grant from the Rut and Arvid Wolff Memorial Foundation
- 2012- Postdoctoral stipend from The Wenner-Gren Foundation
- 2010- Research network grant from the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST)
- 2006 - PhD grant from the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)