Internship Opportunities
Title: Gene editing therapies for Inherited Retinal Diseases
Investigador Principal: Henrique Alves
Grupo de Investigação: Retinal Dysfunction and Neuroinflammation Lab
Contacto: chalves@fmed.uc.pt
Descrição Oportunidade de Estágio:
We are excited to announce an internship opportunity in our lab focused on gene editing therapies for Inherited Retinal Diseases (IRDs). Our research aims to bridge the gap between fundamental science and clinical application, developing strategies that bring novel treatments closer to patients. We employ cutting-edge gene editing technologies, including CRISPR/Cas9, prime editing (PE), and base editing (BE), to precisely target disease-causing mutations. To model human retinal disorders and evaluate therapeutic approaches, we leverage advanced human disease models, such as human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), photoreceptor-like cells, and retinal organoids. This internship offers hands-on training in molecular biology, stem cell differentiation, and functional assays, providing students with an opportunity to contribute to translational research at the forefront of genetic medicine for vision restoration
Title: Cardiac and vascular dysfunction associated to cancer
Investigador Principal: Henrique Girão
Grupo de Investigação: Cellular and Translational Cardiology
Contacto: hmgirao@fmed.uc.pt
Descrição Oportunidade de Estágio:
Recent compelling evidence from population-based studies have shown that cancer survivors present a higher risk of developing CVD, including heart failure and cardiomyopathy. However, the mechanistic link between cancer and CVD remains largely unknown. With this translational proposal, we aim to elucidate the mechanisms whereby tumor growth elicits cardiac damage, resorting to cell-based approaches and pre-clinical models, which will prompt the identification of novel biomarkers of cancer-associated heart lesion in a human cohort. Prognostic value of circulating metabolites, extracellular vesicles and inflammatory and immune cues will be investigated. We aim to elucidate the mechanisms and signals linking breast cancer and cardiac malfunction can pave the way for the identification of new markers to allow more personalized approaches, including risk stratification and therapeutic decisions.
Title: A new role for lysosome disfunction in cardiac amyloidosis
Investigador Principal: Henrique Girão
Grupo de Investigação: Cellular and Translational Cardiology
Contacto: hmgirao@fmed.uc.pt
Descrição Oportunidade de Estágio:
Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA) is a slow heart-related condition causing stiffness, irregular heartbeats and heart failure. It happens due to aggregated proteins in heart, leading to serious problems. Early detection is difficult without invasive tests, so it's often missed in heart patients. However, new imaging methods show it's more common than previously thought, especially in older people. The triggers that lead to this pathology are not known, which makes finding treatments difficult. In this project we will explore how aging affects cells' ability to eliminate these harmful proteins due to loss of lysosomal function. We will also search for drugs that might improve lysosomal dysfunction, using a large library of approved compounds which will be tested on mice with a similar condition to see if they improve heart function and reduce protein buildup. Our team includes multidisciplinary experts working together to tackle this complex issue.