Prof. M. Helena Vasconcelos, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor at FFUP and Leader of the Cancer Drug Resistance Group at IPATIMUP/i3S

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M. Helena Vasconcelos is presently Assistant Professor at the Department of Biological Sciences of FFUP (Faculty of Pharmacy, University or Porto) and Leader of the Cancer Drug Resistance Group at i3S/IPATIMUP (Instituto de Investigação e InovaçãoemSaúdeUniversidade do Porto/ Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto). She obtained her first degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from FFUP, Portugal (1991), an MSc in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland (1992) and a PhD from the Department of Chemistry, University of Aberdeen, Scotland (1996). She then took up a post-doctoral position as temporary Researcher at the University of Cork, Ireland which was followed by another post-doc position at IPATIMUP, Portugal. She initiated her teaching career in 1999 while continuing her research career at IPATIMUP.

Helena's current research focuses on the identification and validation of biomarkers and therapeutic targets to overcome drug resistance in cancer. In addition, she studies the activity of novel small molecules to counteract drug resistance mechanisms, particularly in cancer stem cells. Her work has led to the validation of therapeutic targets and the identification of "hit" small molecules.

Helena has been the PI of national research grants and has also served as referee of research projects for both national and international funding agencies. She has been a member of numerous scientific and organizing committees of national and international Meetings, Conferences and Workshops. She was also Guest Editor of a Special Issue of the journal Molecules and is currently guest-editing another issue. Helena has also been a Management Committee Substitute Member of COST Action BM1202 “European Network on Microvesicles and Exosomes in Health and Disease”.

She has supervised or co-supervised 8 PhD students who have successfully completed their degree and is currently supervising another 3PhD students. She has supervised or co-supervised 11 MSc students and is currently supervising a further 2 MSc students. Helena has also guided 3 researchers at post-doctoral level with a further 4 currently ongoing and has trained numerous young researchers with initiation to research grants (BIs). She has published 3 book chapters and 87 peer-reviewed papers in prestigious journals such as Sci Reports, ACS Nano, BBA, Autophagy, Cancer Letters, Int J Cancer, Eur J Cancer, Eur J Med Chem orInt J Pharm, having over 2300 citations and an h-index of 25.

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Researcher ID: J-9547-2013

Scopus Author ID: 7006465065

Link to research group: http://www.i3s.up.pt/research-groups/cancer/cancer-drug-resistance