Scientists win three more prestigious ERC Studentships for Portugal

The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded three Studentships Starting Grants to Portuguese research. Two Portuguese scientists and one Israeli scientist, carrying out research in Portugal, have seen their projects distinguished through the award of these prestigious Studentships, which fund up to 1.5 million euros per project, for a period of 5 years. The results were officially communicated by the ERC on December 4th.

Vanessa Morais e Cláudio Francoboth FCT researchers, carry out their research projects at the Institute of Molecular Medicine of the University of Lisbon. Noam Shemesh is a researcher at the Champalimaud Center for the Unknown.

Vanessa Morais is investigating the quality control and conservation of mitochondria in synapses - the junctions between nerve cells - based on the hypothesis that synaptic mitochondria have acquired specific localized stress control mechanisms and that disruption of these mechanisms contributes to neurodegeneration. Her study therefore aims to reveal the specific molecular properties of synaptic mitochondria and provide the necessary knowledge to better understand their role in neurodegenerative diseases. Vanessa Morais says that "this Studentship Starting Grant from the ERC guarantees me the necessary resources to form my own research team, become a more autonomous researcher, dedicate myself fully to science and go further in my passion to understand and unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration".

Cláudio Franco is investigating the importance of the polarization and movement of the cells lining the blood vessels in the formation of the hierarchical vascular network of arteries, veins and capillaries. Given the relevance of the hierarchical structure of the vascular network in human physiology - aneurysms and diabetic retinopathies, for example, result from anomalies in the establishment of the vascular network - this research will allow us to define bases for the development of new therapies for diseases associated with vascular disorders. For Cláudio Franco "it is a great honor to be a beneficiary of the ERC Starting Grant, because it guarantees me the means and freedom to develop challenging research projects, with the prospect of having a lasting impact on society".

The Studentship Starting Grant awarded to Noam Shemesh is due to his contribution to an innovative application of Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging to the study of neuronal function in states of illness and health. The researcher will continue his work to modify the technique so that it is possible to follow the activity of nerve cells directly. Noam Shemesh's research aims to answer the question "how does our brain generate behavior?" by studying the relationship between behavior and the underlying neurological circuitry.

In this Call, the European Research Council (ERC) awarded 291 projects (out of 2920 applications received), which amounted to a total of 429 million euros in funding for scientific research in Europe. Since the ERC Calls began in 2007, 56 ERC Studentships have been awarded to researchers based in Portuguese research centers: 33 Starting Grants (for researchers with between 2 and 7 years of post-doctoral experience); 13 Consolidator Grants (for researchers with between 7 and 12 years of post-doctoral experience) and 10 Advanced Grants (for senior researchers, internationally established in their area of research).

(Image credits: Institute of Molecular Medicine and Champalimaud Center for the Unknown)