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Gonçalo José Martins Afonso started his scientific studies in the "Licenciatura" in Biochemistry in the University of Coimbra, Portugal, concluded in 2018, having developed a project about the impact of Rebaudioside A, a steviol glycoside obtained from the Stevia plant, regarding its effect in oxidative stress and impact in metabolism, in the CA3 area of the hippocampus in murine brain slices. After the conclusion of this course, he was invited to continue this study, to allow for its conclusion and publication. In 2020, he concluded the Master's degree in Biochemistry, in the same university, having developed a thesis about the impact of Rebaudioside A in the metabolism of human dermal fibroblasts and breast cancer cell lines Hs578t and MCF7, also addressing its potential to be used in chemotherapeutic strategies. He was awarded a research grant, under the initiative "Summer Course in Interdisciplinary Research, Development and Innovation in Cellular and Molecular Metabolism" (15-20/7/245), funded by FCT. Being actively involved in research since 2017, he has a special interest in mitochondrial bioenergetics and oxidative stress. He is experienced in using different methods and equipment due to the work developed over the years, such as cell culture methodologies, cell viability assays (e.g. resazurin, SRB), metabolic profiling (Seahorse XFe96, NMR, metabolic phenotype microarrays (Biolog Mitoplates), fluorimetric assays (e.g. H2DCFDA, autofluorescence), bioinformatics, data-analysis and others. Despite having concluded his Master's degree recently, he already has one paper as first author in a scientific journal in the first quartile of its area, as well as two oral presentations in international conferences and one conference abstract, having still some of his recently concluded work to be submitted for publication. He has a proactive profile, having been a member of the "Núcleo de Estudantes de Bioquímica da Universidade de Coimbra", and has been part of the organization of the "IX - ENEBIOQ 2016 - Encontro Nacional de Estudantes de Bioquímica".

Affiliation

University of Coimbra, Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, Doctoral Programme in Experimental Biology and Biomedicine (PDBEB), Portugal

Publications

Information about journal articles, updated at 06-07-2025, from platform CIÊNCIAVITAE.

Urine-derived stem cells in neurological diseases: current state-of-the-art and future directions

Cavaleiro, Carla; Afonso, Gonçalo J. M. (shared first authorship); Oliveira, Paulo J.; Valero, Jorge; Mota, Sandra I.; Ferreiro, Elisabete, Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience. 16. 2023. http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnmol.2023.1229728 . 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1229728 . Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience

Recent Advances in Extracellular Vesicles in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Emergent Perspectives

Gonçalo J. M. Afonso; Carla Cavaleiro; Jorge Valero; Sandra I. Mota; Elisabete Ferreiro, Cells. 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12131763 . 10.3390/cells12131763 . Cells

NRF2 and Mitochondrial Function in Cancer and Cancer Stem Cells

Emiliano Panieri; Sónia A. Pinho; Gonçalo J. M. Afonso; Paulo J. Oliveira; Teresa Cunha-Oliveira; Luciano Saso, Cells. 2022. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells11152401 . 10.3390/cells11152401 . Cells

Mitochondrial and metabolic remodelling in human skin fibroblasts in response to glucose availability

Sónia A. Pinho; Cláudio F. Costa; Cláudia M. Deus; Sonia L. C. Pinho; Inês Miranda-Santos; Gonçalo Afonso; Olivia Bagshaw; et al, The FEBS Journal. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1111/febs.16413 . 10.1111/febs.16413 . published The FEBS Journal

ROS changes evoked by the natural sweetener Rebaudioside A in a neuronal system

Afonso, G.J.M.; Silva, J.B.; Santos, R.M.; Rosário, L.M.; Quinta-Ferreira, R.M.; Quinta-Ferreira, M.E., Energy Reports. 909 - 914. 6. 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2019.12.003 . 10.1016/j.egyr.2019.12.003 . published Energy Reports

All projects

Information of exclusive responsibility of the researcher 06-07-2025 , from platform CIÊNCIAVITAE.

2022/05/29 - 2025/12/31

NeuroTool4ALS - Human Neuronal Cells Differentiated from Urine-derived Stem Cells as a Platform for Personalized Medicine in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

PTDC/BTM-ORG/0055/2021

Research Fellow

Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular

Funders: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

2021/10/01 - 2022/02/28

UID/04539/2020

Researcher

2020/07/01 - 2020/10/31

Summer Course in Interdisciplinary Research, Development and Innovation in Cellular and Molecular Metabolism

15-20/7/245-685463

Research Fellow

Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular

Funders: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

2019/09/01 - 2021/12/05

MitoScreening - Development and validation of innovative screening methods for mitochondrial health modulators

PTDC/BTM-SAL/29297/2017

Researcher

Universidade de Coimbra; Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular

Funders: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

2017/03/01 - 2019/08/31

POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007440

UID/NEU/04539/2013

Other

Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular

Funders: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

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Gonçalo Afonso

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