Belém Marques.

Belém Sampaio Marques graduated in Biology from the University of the Azores in 2003 and obtained her PhD in Health Sciences from the University of Minho in 2012. Between 2013 and 2019, she conducted postdoctoral research dedicated to elucidating the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying aging and age-related diseases, using the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system to study neurodegenerative disorders, particularly Parkinson’s disease.

Since 2019, Belém has been a Junior Researcher at the Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS) and an Assistant Professor (20%) at the School of Medicine of the University of Minho. Her research focuses on uncovering the molecular pathways and cellular processes involved in aging and neurodegeneration. In June 2023, she expanded her research scope toward the development of advanced experimental models of Parkinson’s disease and the exploration of the therapeutic potential of the mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) secretome in neuroprotection and tissue repair.

Belém has built a solid and internationally recognized scientific track record, reflected in 63 publications in peer-reviewed international journals, accumulating over 3,700 citations and an h-index of 24 (Scopus), as well as two book chapters. She has supervised 3 PhD students (2 ongoing) and 12 MSc students (3 ongoing) and actively contributes to the scientific community as an ad hoc reviewer for more than 20 international journals and several funding agencies.

Her work has been distinguished with five awards and honors, underscoring her commitment to advancing research in aging and neurodegenerative diseases.