UC Women in Science: Manuela Grazina
The researcher from the UC Centre for Neuroscience and Cell Biology and professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra is the 'UC Women in Science' featured guest for January.
Manuela Grazina knew from an early age that she "wanted to be a scientist," but the journey was made as opportunities arose. Her path has always been guided by a fascination for discovery and "a strong desire to contribute to greater knowledge in the health area."
A professor and researcher at the University of Coimbra's Faculty of Medicine, she started her journey with a degree in biochemistry. From there, it was just a step to biomedicine, a field that "has to do with all the chemical, biochemical, and cellular reactions related to health and disease," she explains."
"It's about understanding the mechanisms involved, with a common long-term goal: "to treat diseases more effectively and to have more knowledge, not only for clinicians but also for people to understand their diseases better," says Manuela Grazina.
Today, she heads the Mitochondrial Biomedicine and Theranostics Laboratory, where she works directly with mitochondria, the "energy factories of cells," as she calls them.
(English subs available soon)
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Manuela Grazina obtained her PhD in biomedical sciences in 2006, specialising in quality, biochemistry, neuroscience, biochemical genetics, human genetics, bigenomics and precision laboratory medicine. She is currently a professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra, a researcher at the Centre for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC-UC) and director of the Mitochondrial and Theranostic Biomedicine Laboratory, which she founded.
Grazina is a scientific mentor at the Coimbra Surgical Centre, a full member of the Portuguese Biologists Association and an accredited teacher recognised by the Pedagogical Council for Continuing Education in Health Sciences. An active researcher, she is the author of numerous publications and has been awarded with the "Best Professor" prize. In May 2023, she wrote the book "The Malfunctions of the Energy Factory" as a tool for science and health literacy, supported by an EEA grant (Mit.OnOff project).
Manuela Grazina is a dynamic science communicator and science and health literacy advocate. She firmly believes that education and knowledge are the best tools for development, for preparing better professionals and for improving people's health, and she is an advocate of science for all.