Scientific Highlights
Papers:
Soares-Cunha C, Domingues AV, Correia R, Coimbra B, Vieitas-Gaspar N, de Vasconcelos NAP, Pinto L, Sousa N, Rodrigues AJ. (2022). Distinct role of nucleus accumbens D2-MSN projections to ventral pallidum in different phases of motivated behavior. Cell Reports, 38,110380.
Domingues AV, Coimbra B, Correia R, Deseyve C, Floresco SB, Sousa N, Rodrigues AJ* & Soares-Cunha C* (2022) Prenatal glucocorticoid exposure alters effort decision making and triggers nucleus accumbens and anterior cingulate cortex functional changes. Transl Psychiatry, 12:338
Soares-Cunha C*, Vasconcelos NAP, Coimbra B, Domingues AV, Silva JM, loureiro-Campos E, Gaspar R, Sotiropoulos I, Sousa N, Rodrigues AJ. (2020). Nucleus accumbens medium spiny neurons subtypes signal both reward and aversion. Molecular Psychiatry, 25: 3241–3255.
Soares-Cunha C, Coimbra B, Domingues AV, Vasconcelos NAP, Sousa N & Rodrigues AJR (2018) Nucleus accumbens microcircuit underlying D2-MSN-driven increase in motivation. eNeuro 5(2): e0386-18.2018.
Soares-Cunha C, Coimbra B, David-Pereira A, Borges S, Pinto L, Costa P, Sousa N & Rodrigues AJ (2016) Activation of D2 dopamine receptor-expressing neurons in the nucleus accumbens increases motivation. Nat Commun 7:11829.
Soares-Cunha C, Coimbra B, Borges S, Carvalho MM, Rodrigues AJ & Sousa N (2014) The motivational drive to natural rewards is modulated by prenatal glucocorticoid exposure. Transl Psychiatry 4(6): e397.
Research Project as Principal investigator:
175/2020, funding agency – Bial Foundation (2021), amount funded – 45500€
2022.01467.PTDC, funding agency – FCT (2022), amount funded – 50000€
CEECIND/03887/2017, funding agency – FCT (2019), amount funded – 180.930,00€
Honors
• 2021 L’Oréal Portugal Honor Medals for Women in Science, attributed by FCT, the L’Oréal Portugal and the National Commission of UNESCO
• Fulbright Scholarship for Professors or Doctorate holder Researchers, Fulbright Portugal
Awards
• IBRO Early Career Award
• SPN Best Manuscript 2020, Portuguese Society for Neurosciences (SPN)