Throughout my scientific career, I have been bridging clinical psychiatry and translational neuroscience with an integrative and transdimensional approach to understand brain function in psychiatric disorders with a focus in depression. During my PhD I explored the neuroplastic mechanisms in animal models of depression, showing that hippocampal adult neurogenesis is not required for the behavioral actions of antidepressants. Taking advantage of the clinical experience as a psychiatrist in Hospital de Braga and 2CA-Braga and the neuroimaging expertise in our team, I coordinated a project exploring a novel multimodal predictive approach of the effects of antidepressants in the recovery, remission and relapse of depression and different clinical trials, namely a phase 3b clinical trial in patients with treatment-resistant depression and a phase 1 trial with an experimental new compound. In the School of Medicine, University of Minho, I had the
opportunity to develop my academic career as Associate Professor of Psychiatry, coordinating the preclinical teaching activities of Psychiatry to medical students and the post-graduate courses of
Introduction to Psychiatry and the Applied Clinical Psychopharmacology. In the research unit ICVS, I had the opportunity to play the role of Coordinator of the Neuroscience Scientific Domain (2018-
2021). Recognition of my scientific expertise and leadership in Psychiatry and Neuroscience was reflected in invitations to be Ambassador of ECNP in Portugal (2013-2017) and a member of several
evaluation panels and juris for national and international prizes. In 2020 I was elected President of Sociedade Portuguesa de Psiquiatria e Saúde Mental (SPPSM) for 2023-2025.
Throughout my scientific career, I have been bridging clinical psychiatry and translational neuroscience with an integrative and transdimensional approach to understand brain function in psychiatric disorders with a focus in depression. During my PhD I explored the neuroplastic mechanisms in animal models of depression, showing that hippocampal adult neurogenesis is not required for the behavioral actions of antidepressants. Taking advantage of the clinical experience as a psychiatrist in Hospital de Braga and 2CA-Braga and the neuroimaging expertise in our team, I coordinated a project exploring a novel multimodal predictive approach of the effects of antidepressants in the recovery, remission and relapse of depression and different clinical trials, namely a phase 3b clinical trial in patients with treatment-resistant depression and a phase 1 trial with an experimental new compound. In the School of Medicine, University of Minho, I had the
opportunity to develop my academic career as Associate Professor of Psychiatry, coordinating the preclinical teaching activities of Psychiatry to medical students and the post-graduate courses of
Introduction to Psychiatry and the Applied Clinical Psychopharmacology. In the research unit ICVS, I had the opportunity to play the role of Coordinator of the Neuroscience Scientific Domain (2018-
2021). Recognition of my scientific expertise and leadership in Psychiatry and Neuroscience was reflected in invitations to be Ambassador of ECNP in Portugal (2013-2017) and a member of several
evaluation panels and juris for national and international prizes. In 2020 I was elected President of Sociedade Portuguesa de Psiquiatria e Saúde Mental (SPPSM) for 2023-2025.
Publications:
1. Reis, J.V.*, Vieira, R*., Portugal-Nunes, C., Coelho, A., Magalhães, R., Moreira, P., Ferreira, S., Picó-Pérez, M., Sousa, N., Dias, N., & Bessa, J. M. (2022). Suicidal ideation is associated with reduced functional connectivity and white matter integrity in drug-naïve patients with major depression. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13(838111), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.838111 *Co-first Authorship.
2. Vieira R, Coelho A, Reis J, Portugal-Nunes C, Magalhães R, Ferreira S, Moreira PS, Sousa N and Bessa JM (2021) White Matter Microstructure Alterations Associated With Paroxetine Treatment Response in Major Depression. Front. Behav. Neurosci. 15:693109. https://doi.org/110.3389/fnbeh.2021.693109
3. Portugal-Nunes C, Reis J, Coelho A, Moreira PS, Castanho TC, Magalhães R, Marques P, Soares JM, Amorim L, Cunha PG, Santos NC, Costa P, Palha JA, Sousa N, Bessa JM. The Association of Metabolic Dysfunction and Mood Across Lifespan Interacts With the Default Mode Network Functional Connectivity. Front Aging Neurosci. 2021 Aug 2;13:618623. https://doi.org/110.3389/fnagi.2021.618623.
4. Morais, M.; Patrício, P.; Mateus-Pinheiro, A.; Alves, N.D.; MacHado-Santos, A.R.; Correia, J.S.; Pereira, J.; et al. "The modulation of adult neuroplasticity is involved in the mood- improving actions of atypical antipsychotics in an animal model of depression". Translational Psychiatry 7 6 (2017). https://doi.org/1 10.1038/tp.2017.120
5. Bessa, J.M.; Morais, M.; Marques, F.; Pinto, L.; Palha, J.A.; Almeida, O.F.X.; Sousa, N.. "Stress-induced anhedonia is associated with hypertrophy of medium spiny neurons of the nucleus accumbens.Translational Psychiatry 3 (2013) https://doi.org/110.1038/tp.2013.39
6. Bessa JM, Ferreira D, Melo I, Marques F, Cerqueira JJ, Palha JA, Almeida OF, Sousa N. The mood-improving actions of antidepressants do not depend on neurogenesis but are associated with neuronal remodeling. Mol Psychiatry. 2009 Aug;14(8):764-73, 739. https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2008.119.
Prizes
1. Prémio Jovens Empreendedores 2013 da Associação Nacional de Jovens Empreendedores – Behavioural and Molecular Lab.
2. Prémio Artigo Destaque 2009 da Sociedade Portuguesa de Neurociências: Bessa JM, Ferreira D, Melo I, Marques F, Cerqueira JJ, Palha JA, Almeida OFX, Sousa N (2009). The mood-improving actions of antidepressants do not depend on neurogenesis but are associated with neuronal remodeling.
3. “Pain Grünenthal Prize” in Basic Research, Grünenthal Foundation, 2007.
Projects
1. Principal Investigator of the Scientific Project PTDC/DTP-PIC/6936/2014 – Fundação para Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT). “A novel multimodal predictive approach of the effects of antidepressants in the recovery, remission and relapse of depression“
Depression is a highly prevalent mood disorder that inflicts a heavy burden in depressed patients and a significant social and economic impact worldwide…
Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide with a great personal, social, and economic impact. It is the most common disorder at the time of death by suicide, which is a major public health concern…
Depression affects around 16% of the world population and is the leading cause of disability worldwide. This means that around 300 million people are now living with depression…
The adult mammalian brain harbors different forms of neural plasticity, ranging from neuronal synapto-dendritic rearrangements to the generation of new neuronal…
Since the moment we wake up, we are continuously flooded with sensory information of variable relevance. Therefore, our brains evolved to filter information…
Through evolution, animals gained the remarkable ability to respond with sub second precision to environmental stimuli and to learn to associate those with positive or negative outcomes…
Phone: +351 253 604 967
Fax: +351 253 604 809
Email: icvs.sec@med.uminho.pt
Life and Health Sciences
Research Institute (ICVS)
School of Medicine,
University of Minho,
Campus de Gualtar
4710-057 Braga
Portugal
Copyright ©2022 ICVS. All Rights Reserved
Copyright ©2022 ICVS. All Rights Reserved
Life and Health Sciences
Research Institute (ICVS)
School of Medicine,
University of Minho,
Campus de Gualtar
4710-057 Braga
Portugal
Copyright ©2022 ICVS. All Rights Reserved
Life and Health Sciences
Research Institute (ICVS)
School of Medicine,
University of Minho,
Campus de Gualtar
4710-057 Braga
Portugal
