Biografia
Vanessa's journey into cerebrovascular research began in 2011 as a research fellow at the University of Coimbra, where she established in vitro and ex vivo models of the blood-brain barrier and neurogliovascular unit in both human and rodent systems. To further enhance her expertise, she secured a Luso-American Foundation Fellowship in 2017, relocating to the USA at the Medical University of South Carolina, where she acquired skills in surgery and 2-photon live imaging. During her postdoctoral period at the Seattle Children’s Research Institute/University of Washington, Vanessa investigated cerebrovascular changes induced by early-life chronic intermittent hypoxia, employing high-resolution live imaging techniques. In December 2022, she returned to Portugal to commence independent work funded by a La Caixa Junior Leader Fellowship and a Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship.