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MEMBERS

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carlacruz@fcsaude.ubi.pt

ccruz@ubi.pt

ORCID ID: 0000-0001-6630-1242

Researcher ID: I-7806-2013

CARLA CRUZ

Group Leader

Carla Cruz is  an Assistant Professor at Faculty of Sciences, Chemistry Department of University of Beira Interior. 

She graduated in Chemistry at University of Coimbra and did her PhD in Coordination and Supramolecular Chemistry at University of Aveiro and ITQB NOVA - Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica.

She did her posdoctoral in Biotechnology and Biochemistry at UBI. Her research interests are DNA and RNA G-quadruplex aptamers. Her RESEARCH TOPICS are focused on drug design, development and delivery, as well as on the optimization of biophysical/cellular and molecular methods to study nucleic acids, including DNA/RNA G-quadruplex (G4) structures, aptamers and protein targets towards cancer research. 

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Ciência ID: 6517-C3F7-6171

ORCID ID: 0000-0001-9853-0306

FCT Ref. 2020.05329.BD

JÉSSICA LOPES-NUNES

PhD Student in Biomedicine

The main project goals encompass the development of DNA nano-based drug carriers for antiviral and/or anticancer drugs with effect in precancerous cells infected by Human Papillomavirus.

Jéssica is supervised by Carla Cruz and co-supervised by Paula Oliveira from University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro - CITAB

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Ciência ID: 1916-0D73-4D2D

ORCID ID: 0000-0001-9787-3446

FCT Ref. 2021.04785.BD

ANDRÉ MIRANDA

PhD Student in Biochemistry

His work focuses on the biophysical and biochemical study of the non-canonical secondary structures of nucleic acids (G-quadruplex, i-motif and Triplex sequences) and their impact as a strategy for lung cancer therapy, using G4-ligands and polypurine reverse Hoogsteen hairpins (PPRH).

André is supervised by Carla Cruz and co-supervised by Jean-Louis Mergny, from École Polytechnique (Institut Polytechnique de Paris, Palaiseau), and Paula Oliveira from the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro - CITAB.

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Ciência ID: 4F10-DC5D-1E5E

ORCID ID: 0000-0001-7800-4632

FCT Ref. 2021. 07695.BD

DANIELA ALEXANDRE

PhD Student in Biochemistry

Her research focuses on the identification of biomarkers for the diagnosis of lung cancer through the processing of biological samples, and the development of synergistic therapeutic combination such as, AuNP-siRNA for oncomiRs silencing and AuNP-G4 ligands for oncomiRs precursors.

She is supervised by Carla Cruz and co-supervised by Pedro Viana Batista from NOVA University of Lisbon - UCIBIO.

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Ciência ID: 9212-DBEB-30EC

ORCID ID: 0000-0002-2403-7022

FCT Ref. PRT/BD/154597/2022

IZAMARA MAOCHA

PhD Student in Biomedicine

Her research focuses on the development of a DNA aptamer-based gel combined with essential oils for drug delivery to treat HPV-induced lesions.

Izamara is supervised by Carla Cruz and co-supervised by Pamela Borges coordinator of the Molecular Biology Laboratory at the Hospital Agostinho Neto University (Cabo Verde) and Rui Medeiros from the Portuguese Institute of Oncology of Porto -Research Center (CI-IPOP).

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Ciência ID: 8012-C0E3-7394

ORCID ID: 0000-0002-4579-3310

FCT Ref. 2023.02001.BD

DAVID MOREIRA

PhD Student in Biochemistry

His work focuses on finding a therapeutic approach to lung cancer taking advantage of aptamers and their ability to target specific overexpressed proteins.

David is supervised by Carla Cruz and co-supervised by Cândida Tomaz, both from UBI, and Yi Lu from the UTAustin (USA).

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Ciência ID: 071C-E24D-2A32 

ORCID ID: 0000-0002-1919-9553

PEDRO LOURENÇO

Research Fellow

Pedro Lourenço is a Master in Biochemistry at the University of Beira Interior. Pedro joined to G4 lab in 2022 to develop his master's project in the G4 field. At the moment, his research focuses on the analysis and characterization of compounds present in woods from around the world through techniques like NMR. He is supervised by Dr Carla Cruz in this project.

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Ciência ID: 

ORCID ID: 

ANDRÉ RICO

MSc Student in Biochemistry

André Rico is a Master's student in Biochemistry at the University of Beira Interior. He started working with the G-quadruplex team in his graduation project, which was entitled "Gold nanoparticles guided by G-quadruplex aptamer for drug delivery in cervical cancer cells".

At the moment, André is working under the supervision of Carla Cruz on a screening method that aims to detect miRNAs aberrantly expressed in lung cancer.

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Ciência ID: FF10-615D-7092

ORCID ID: 0009-0003-7204-7537

BEATRIZ OLIVEIRA

MSc Student in Biomedical Sciences

Beatriz Oliveira is a Master’s student in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Beira Interior, where she also got her bachelor’s in Biomedical Sciences.

She joined the G-quadruplex team in 2023, and is currently working on her master’s project entitled “Modulation of B-MYB oncogene in Lung Cancer: Antiproliferative and biological effects of G4 ligands”, under the supervision of Doctor Carla Cruz and Master André Miranda.

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Ciência ID: A213-534D-3AA1

ORCID ID: 0009-0002-3562-0771

MAURICIO PEREIRA

MSc Student in Biomedical Sciences

 Maurício Pereira completed his bachelor's in Biomedical Science at the University of Beira Interior and is now developing his master's thesis, continuing the path of Biomedical Science at the same institution. He started working with the G-quadruplex team in 2023 under the guidance of Doctor Carla Cruz, and the work enclosed in his current research focuses on identifying potential lung cancer biomarkers through the processing of biological samples and developing methods to viably diagnose the different stages and types of lung cancer with said biomarkers.

ALUMNI

Post-Doc

  • Dr. Jorge Ribeiro, October 2013 - April 2015

Facility Technician

  • MSc. Daniela Alexandre

  • Dr. Micael Silva

  • Dr. Sandra Bernardo

PhD Students

2020

  • Josué Carvalho

2022

  • Tiago Santos

2024

  • Joana Figueiredo

Master Students

2014

  • Lúcia Filipa Alves Amorim

  • Diana Santos

  • Soraia Ferreira

  • Cyrille Feijo

  • Zélia Proença

2015

  • Sara Raquel Lopes Cegonho

  • Sérgio Rodrigues

  • João Ferreira

  • Elisabete Alves

  • Carolina Costa

  • Sandrina Maçãs

2016

  • Cristina Lemos

2018

  • Henrique Martins

  • Rui Carrilho

  • Catarina Lopes

  • Francisca Antunes

  • Márcia Ribeiro

2020

  • André Miranda

2021

  • Izamara Maocha

  • Bernardo Teixeira

2022

  • Pedro Simões

2023

  • David Moreira

  • Karol Jiménez

  • Pedro Lourenço

  • André Alves

  • Beatriz Rosado

  • Melanie Lopes

  • Joana Polido

  • Daniela Leitão

2024

  • Carlos Gomes

BSc students

2019

  • André Rico, Biochemistry, Project DREAM

  • Ricardo Lopes Guerra, Biotecnology, Project DREAM

  • Bernardo Teixeira, Biotecnology, Project Biodevice

  • Raphael Figueira, Biotecnology

2020

  • Daniela Leitão, Biotechnology

  • Joana Polido, Biotechnology

2021

  • Matilde Bogalheiro, Biotechnology

  • Catarina Guimarães, Biotechnology

  • Beatriz Araújo, Biochemistry

2022

  • Matil

2023

  • Ma

2024

  • Diogo Dias, Biochemistry

  • Inês Venâncio, Biochemistry

  • Catarina Amaro, Biochemistry

Research Fellows

  • Thays Lizandra Fonseca Mendonça, September 2012 - August 2013

  • Élia Marília Mota, May 2012 - May 2015

  • Filipa João Fernandes Ramilo Gomes, March 2014 - December 2014

  • João Medeiros Silva, June 2014 - December 2014

  • Andreia Jardim, January 2019 - November 2019

  • André Miranda, June 2020 - May 2021

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