2018 Pulido Valente Science Award presented to two researchers

Joana Sacramento, researcher at the Center for Chronic Disease Studies (CEDOC) at NOVA Medical School|Faculty of Medical Sciences in Lisbon, and Rúben Pereira, researcher at i3S – Institute for Research and Innovation in Health at the University of Porto, are the winners of the 2018 Pulido Valente Science Award. The award ceremony will take place on March 7, at 6:00 p.m., at the Palácio das Laranjeiras, in Lisbon.

Joana Sacramento was awarded for her article “Bioelectronic modulation of carotid sinus nerve activity in the rat: a potential therapeutic approach for type 2 diabetes,” published in the journal Diabetologia in 2018. This study, led by Professor Sílvia Conde, aimed to evaluate the effect of a bioelectronic application on the carotid sinus nerve, the nerve that connects the carotid body to the brain, in diabetic rats. Bioelectronic modulation was tested by implanting electrodes in the carotid sinus nerve of animals with type 2 diabetes. These experiments demonstrated that it is possible to restore insulin sensitivity and achieve glycemic control in these animals without significant side effects. This work opens the door to the development of a new therapy for type 2 diabetes, a disease that affects more and more people worldwide.

"A single component hydrogel bioprinting of bioengineered 3D constructs for dermal tissue engineering" is the title of the article authored by researcher Rúben Pereira, also distinguished by the jury. In this work, the researcher developed a multidisciplinary strategy for the automatic manufacture of artificial substitutes and in vitro 3D models of skin, through the combination of advanced biomaterials, 3D bioprinting, and human cells. This study demonstrates the potential of a multidisciplinary strategy based on 3D bioprinting for the automatic manufacture of skin substitutes, which can be specific to each patient and applied in regenerative medicine. It also enables the development of in vitro 3D skin models as fundamental tools for testing new products and therapies, as well as for better understanding the mechanisms that cells use in response to chronic or acute injury to promote the formation of new tissue.

The Pulido Valente Science Award aims to recognize the best article published in the field of Biomedical Sciences, describing the results of research carried out by a researcher under the age of 35 at the time of application, at a national R&D institution. Awarded annually, the prize is worth €10,000, jointly funded by the Professor Francisco Pulido Valente Foundation and the Foundation for Science and Technology, in accordance with the protocol established between the two institutions.