Cármen Vieira holds a Master’s degree in Neurobiology and a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry, from the University of Porto. Cármen is currently a PhD student in Health Sciences from University of Minho (School of Medicine), under the direct guidance of Dr. Andreia Teixeira-Castro, within the Translational Neurogenetics team at ICVS, and in cooperation with Prof. Kamran Khodakhah (Albert Einstein College of Medicine, USA). She is particularly interested in uncovering new molecular targets relevant for disease intervention, using complementary model systems and techniques, as well as assessing how neuronal circuitry (dys)function is contributing to neurodegenerative disorders, namely Machado-Joseph Disease (MJD), with the ultimate goal of finding novel therapeutics for these disorders. Importantly, she worked on a project that unveiled that both dopamine and serotonin receptors are responsible for the aripiprazole-mediated suppression of MJD pathogenesis in C. elegans. This work not only strengthened a mechanistic link between serotonin and suppression of toxic protein aggregation but also suggested that an imbalance and possible dysfunction of the serotonergic system is relevant to MJD and constitutes a therapeutic target.
Cármen has published four original research papers (one as first-author and three as co-author) in international peer-reviewed journals. She is also actively involved in science outreach activities and co-organized the International Rare Disease Day initiative at ICVS (2021 – present) and Brain Awareness Week (2023 – present) event at ICVS aimed to children from preschool years.