Overexpression of P-glycoprotein (Pgp/ABCB1) in cancer is a marker of overall poor chemotherapy response and prognosis. This computational project builds on previous studies lead by the PI and Co-PI on multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancer by using computational models and simulations for gaining information about the inner dynamics, structural features and drug-Pgp interaction and mode of action.
The human Pgp conformations deposited recently on the Protein Data Bank revealed a new inward facing conformation that may represent either the closing of a gate region or an artifact derived from lateral compression in a too small size nanodisc, used to stabilize the transporter. Using a simpler model, we have done preliminary investigations pointing for the presence of an artifact in the experimental protocol (DOI:10.1101/692988).
However, this hypothesis can only be tested and settled using molecular dynamics simulations at very long time scales with complete atomistic description of the biochemical system, impossible to match using in-house resources. Knowing if there is an artifact on the human structures or if this new structures correspond to a yet to be confirmed meta-stable intermediary state is of capital importance since further computational studies of Pgp can only produce reliable information when using Pgp structures representative of its correct native fold.
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Targeting β-cell dysfunction as a therapeutic strategy for diabetes: a multi-omics approach
No Acronym
2023.01737.BDANA
FCT
2024-03-01
2028-03-31
Ongoing
The project aims (a) to provide novel insights on the molecular targets and mechanisms underlying β-cell dysfunction, uncovering molecular targets for potentiating transdifferentiation of α-cells to β-cell-like insulin producers, and (b) to explore the beneficial health effects of small molecule (poly)phenol metabolites (SMPM) in modulating these targets to restore metabolic homeostasis.
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The European Union has set important growth targets for the 2014-2020 programming period. Among these, those most relevant to our project are those related to raising the employment rate in a Europe marked by the severe economic situation in which it fell at the end of the first 10 years of the new millennium. In this regard, the Commission presented “the agenda for new skills and jobs”, where the aim is to lay the foundations for modernizing labour markets and increase employment levels.
Our project intends to make new teaching models structural and permanent (based on digital platforms with multi-linear teaching paths, ranging from e-learning to serious gaming, able to customize the teaching procedures and offer tools for informal learning from the perfect scalability) and new training profiles (such as the media educator, indispensable for the creation of an educational system in line with the needs and opportunities offered by the labour market) to integrate, and not make disappear, the skills of classical knowledge and our cultural heritage with the productive, artistic and media forms of contemporary life.
Today educational institutions, training institutes and companies are facing the complex and radical transformations caused by the increase and impact of digital media. Leading them in the transition to the digital age and towards innovative approaches is essential to keep Europe competitive on the international scene. Through a trans-sectorial approach, which promotes cooperation between organizations in various sectors, the project intends to invest in the development of skills, both to increase the employment potential and the career prospects of students and to improve and strengthen the quality of the teaching and learning.
Training the Educators to Facilitate the Teaching and Assessment of Abstract Syllabus by the Use of Serious Games
TEGA
2020-1-UK01-KA203-079248
Erasmus +
2020-10-19
2020-10-19
Past
Occupations of the future have been changing rapidly and the knowledge and skills acquired today are not foreseen to be sufficient while preparing our students for life. It is emphasized about these occupations that 21st-century skills such as digital skills, critical thinking, cooperation, team spirit, innovative and analytical thinking are required. TEGA project aims to develop and implement innovative game-based teaching practices to capacitate HE professionals in the enhancement of their students’ learning process and ease the acquisition of crucial skills, such as decision-making, problem-solving, conflict resolution, or stakeholder management skills.
The goal is to transform the traditional lecturer-centered education in a more equalitarian pedagogical approach, where all the students have better access to abstract concepts through game-based teaching strategies. This intends to foster students’ equal participation in the class, and in the educational process in general. This methodology will be created in partnership of four HEI, each with their own unique experience in applying serious games in teaching. The developed material and tools will be available online.
The project will develop a methodology where abstract syllabus can be addressed using game-based strategies, and concrete materials, such as building blocks.
Transdisciplinary Learning Methodology in the fields of Performing Arts and Technology to promote Critical Thinking and Innovativeness on Digitalization in Higher Education
TRANSPER
2025-1-ES01-KA220-HED-000354146
Erasmus +
2025-09-24
2027-09-13
Ongoing
TRANSPER addresses key Erasmus+ priorities by promoting digital transformation in higher education through the development of digital competences, critical thinking and innovation among students and academic staff. It adopts a transdisciplinary STEAM approach that brings together performing arts and technology students in collaborative learning experiences inspired by the STARTS.eu initiative, while actively encouraging greater participation of women in STEM disciplines. The project further supports innovative teaching and learning practices by developing and disseminating a transferable methodology and practical handbook, enabling its replication across higher education institutions and adaptation to different educational contexts, thereby fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, digital readiness and more inclusive, future-oriented learning environments.
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Transforming Diabetes: Novel Strategies Centered on Pancreatic Cell Plasticity
TRANSCEND
COFAC/ILIND/CBIOS/1/2025
Seed Funding
2026-01-01
2027-06-30
Ongoing
Diabetes is a major global health challenge, with nearly 578 million adults projected to be affected by 2030 and 700 million by 2045. The disease carries substantial human and economic burdens, and current therapies often fail to fully restore metabolic control. The TRANSCEND project aims to address this by investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying pancreatic β-cell dysfunction and the capacity of α-cells to transdifferentiate into insulin producing β-like cells. Harnessing this cellular plasticity could lead to novel, targeted diabetes therapies. TRANSCEND employs a multi-omics, integrative approach combining clinical, biochemical, and molecular data with advanced bioinformatics tools. The study profiles individuals with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes alongside healthy controls, collecting detailed sociodemographic, anthropometric, lifestyle, dietary, cardiovascular, and metabolic biomarker data. This enables mapping of clinical features to β-cell function, revealing disease mechanisms and potential early warning signals.
A key objective is to identify novel molecular targets involved in β-cell dysfunction and α-to-β transdifferentiation. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells and fecal samples from a selected subpopulation will undergo transcriptomic, epigenomic, and microbiota analyses. This will uncover changes in gene expression, DNA methylation, histone modifications, and microbial composition that influence pancreatic cell behavior. Integration with public datasets will strengthen findings and identify robust, biologically meaningful targets.
Expected outcomes include discovery of genes, pathways, and non-coding RNAs regulating pancreatic cell function, and insights into how gut microbiota and metabolic factors affect β-cell health. The project also explores sex-specific differences, supporting personalized diabetes interventions. Correlating molecular findings with clinical data may identify minimally invasive biomarkers, reducing reliance on direct pancreatic assessment.
Beyond knowledge generation, TRANSCEND focuses on translation, disseminating results through publications, conferences, and social media to ensure broad impact. In summary, TRANSCEND integrates multi-omics and clinical insights to uncover therapeutic targets, biomarkers, and translational strategies, with the potential to transform diabetes care and enable more effective, personalized treatments.
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-To enhance the ability of students and academic staff to identify fake information and manipulative tactics by analyzing thei r core fundamental values, which are frequently targeted by manipulators -To equip academic staff with a unique, specially designed educational tool (a training program) that they can integrate into t heir teaching practices -To foster digital readiness, resilience, and capacity by improving critical thinking, media literacy, and adaptability among st udents and educators
Understanding transfersomes’ structure to conquer (trans)dermal drug delivery
No Acronym
2021-11-01
2022-02-28
Past
The development of ceramide-enriched transfersomes may be a valuable strategy for the topical management of inflammatory skin disorders, such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. The inflammatory cascade of these diseases leads to the reduction of the ceramide content of the stratum corneum, causing an increase in transepidermal water loss due to the disturbed barrier function. In this sense, ceramide-enriched transfersomes would repair the barrier function of the stratum corneum, as previously demonstrated for ceramide or pseudoceramide-enriched creams. Moreover, the encapsulation of anti-inflammatory drugs in these nanocarriers may improve their transdermal delivery, reducing the need for the systemic application of glucocorticoids with huge costs in terms of toxicity. Understanding the effects of adding ceramides and anti-inflammatory drugs to the bilayer structure of transfersomes is of utmost importance to rationally design these advanced vesicular systems. The main objective of this project is to describe, at a molecular level, the effect of functional excipients and bioactive compounds on the lipid bilayer structure of transfersomes. Various functional ingredients will be studied, namely EAs, ILs, and ceramides, as well as various bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory properties (glucocorticoids and phytochemicals). These studies will be of upmost importance to optimize innovative transfersomal formulations for (trans)dermal applications.
The idea of development is currently under intense scrutiny (Macedo, 2021). Despite the promotion of so many development plans, both in the North and the South, we are still a long way from achieving the objectives they set out to achieve, including: eradicating poverty and the various social inequalities and guaranteeing quality of life for the population. Thinking about development implies analyzing the different geographical, economic and social contexts, since inequalities are diverse. From this perspective, it is recognized by academic research, civil society organizations and public policies (such as the Sustainable Development Goals and the National Strategy for Equality and Non-Discrimination 2018-2030 “Portugal + Igual”) that gender asymmetries continue to mark the various societies, and that these should be analyzed according to a matrix that incorporates the various social belonging. The persistence of gender asymmetries creates barriers to women's participation in building the future of societies and therefore calls into question the very dynamics of development processes.
It is precisely on the basis of these findings that this project aims to understand and problematize the participation of women in development processes in Portugal, relating their intervention in local communities to the social impact of this intervention.
It is a project based on an action research methodology and triangulates the production of knowledge with action in the field and training, involving the protagonists linked to the development sphere in Portugal.
It is based on a dialectical logic in which the voices of women and other stakeholders linked to the area of development are a constituent part of the development of all the research.
The research begins with focus groups, along with a review of the literature in the area, which serve as the basis for preparing a training course. This is also followed by an analysis which aims to contribute to knowledge in the area and which serves as a pillar for the design of the action-research network to be created to meet the needs identified throughout the research. In this sense, the project culminates in the construction of a working network between Lusófona University and professionals working in the area of implementing public policies for development. In addition to its clear sustainability, it has scientific and social relevance in the national context, in which research and intervention projects and initiatives in the area of development and with an intersectional gender approach are still scarce.
The proposal features an interdisciplinary team, bringing together experienced researchers from different institutions within Lusófona University and a junior element, also contributing to the training of young researchers.
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WIRE FilmEU: Widening + Innovation & Research Excellence in FilmEU
No Acronym
HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ACCESS-03/101136627
Horizon Europe
2023-12-31
2028-12-30
Ongoing
WIRE is promoted by all eight HEIs currently members or soon to be members in the FilmEU Alliance. FilmEU fully represents Europe’s geographical, cultural, and linguistic differences, combined with the diversity and richness of its European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and its Research Area (ERA). WIRE integrates five out of eight academic partners each coming from widening countries, a majority of less research-intensive institutions and is led by an institution from a widening country. All WIRE activities are centered in widening countries, and it is these countries and less research-intensive HEIs that are beneficiaries of the of the project. WIRE’s main objective is to catalyse a step change in the excellence and innovation of the science and value creation activities carried out by and across the FilmEU Alliance via its capacity building and the promotion of several reforms across the HEIs in widening countries participating in the Alliance. WIRE will capacitate the FilmEU Alliance Research and Innovation R&I dimensions, notably by focusing on management and administrative competencies, for the benefit of its members in widening countries, and through that increase the overall competitiveness of the Alliance. WIRE will achieve this through deeper and more geographically inclusive cooperation between all members of the Alliance. WIRE will contribute significantly to the expected outcomes of the call via the consolidation of an inclusive Alliance of HEIs which mostly (5 of 8) come from widening countries. Through collaboration between themselves and with other actors in local ecosystems, they will promote institutional and country-level reforms and upgrades, facilitate an embedded culture of excellence and value creation driven by artistic research, and focus on the cultural and creative industries, in view of increased competitiveness and accelerated institutional reforms in their R&I dimension.
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