Pulido Valente Science Prize 2018 awarded to two Researchers

Joana Sacramento, researcher at the Center for Chronic Disease Studies (CEDOC) of NOVA Medical School|Faculty of Medical Sciences in Lisbon, and Rúben Pereira, researcher at i3S - Institute for Health Research and Innovation of the University of Porto, are the winners of the Pulido Valente Science Award 2018. The award ceremony will take place on March 7, at 18h00, at 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 Dr. Sílvia Conde, aimed to evaluate the effect of a bioelectronic application on the carotid sinus nerve, the nerve connecting 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 as well as 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 around the world.

"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 fabrication of artificial skin substitutes and in vitro 3D models, through the combination of advanced biomaterials, 3D bioprinting and human cells. This study demonstrates the potential of a multidisciplinary 3D bioprinting-based strategy for the automated fabrication of skin substitutes that can be patient-specific and with application in regenerative medicine. It also allows the development of in vitro 3D models of the skin as fundamental tools for testing new products and therapies, as well as for better understanding the mechanisms that cells use in response to injury, whether chronic or acute, to promote new tissue formation.

The Pulido Valente Science Award aims to distinguish the best article published in an area of Biomedical Sciences, which describes the results of research conducted by a researcher under 35 years old at the date of submission of the application, in a national R&D institution. Awarded annually, the amount of this Prize is 10 thousand Euros, co-financed by the Professor Francisco Pulido Valente Foundation and the Foundation for Science and Technology, according to the Protocol established between the two institutions.