UC researchers awarded L'Oréal Portugal Medals of Honour for Women in Science

UC researchers Cláudia Deus and Laetitia Gaspar have been distinguished for their research at the 20th edition of the L'Oréal Portugal Medals of Honour for Women in Science. Each will receive a grant of 15,000 euros to support their ongoing research into Parkinson's disease and obstructive sleep apnoea.

The L'Oréal Portugal Medals of Honour for Women in Science is an initiative of L'Oréal Portugal, in partnership with the National Commission of UNESCO and the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology. This initiative aims to promote the participation of women in science by encouraging the most promising young scientists at the beginning of their careers to pursue advanced studies in the fields of science, engineering and technology for health or the environment.

Cláudia Deus, a researcher at the Multidisciplinary Institute of Ageing (MIA-Portugal), has dedicated her research to finding answers to improve therapies and deepen her knowledge of Parkinson's disease. In previous studies, Cláudia Deus has shown that the metabolic and mitochondrial changes typical of the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons observed in Parkinson's patients are also present in their skin cells. She has also shown that the expression of the Nrf2 gene is reduced in Parkinson's disease. Nrf2 is a gene that can directly and indirectly regulate about 250 other genes involved in the cells' defense mechanisms against oxidative stress.

Her project aims to test extracellular vesicles as a new means of transport and delivery of synthetic mRNA for the Nrf2 gene in cells. The MIA-Portugal researcher explains, "Extracellular vesicles are nanometric vesicles (around 100 nm) released by all cells in our body, and which are responsible for transmitting biological information between cells." If successful, this innovative delivery system could change the progression of Parkinson's disease".

Laetitia Gaspar, a scientist at the UC Centre for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC-UC), is studying the relationship between obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome, the ageing process and the onset of various diseases - such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and depression, among others - that are observed when this sleep disorder is left untreated.
"We intend to study different types of changes related to the ageing process in blood samples taken from patients with sleep apnoea compared to those without the disorder," she explains, "and we will assess how these changes respond to treatment with continuous positive airway pressure, the most common treatment for sleep apnoea.

Laetitia Gaspar also intends to study potential indicators of the disease in the blood, which could lead to new diagnostic strategies and patient follow-up.

This year's medals were also awarded to Sara Silva Pereira, from the Católica Biomedical Research Centre, and Mariana Osswald, from the Institute for Research and Innovation in Health at the University of Porto. The four winning researchers were chosen from dozens of candidates based on the relevance of the projects they presented in 2023. All have a PhD and are aged between 31 and 37. Each will receive an individual prize of 15,000 euros.

Translation: Diana Taborda