Ongoing and past projects

2016-2020       mitoFOIE GRAS: Non-invasive Profiling of Mitochondrial Function in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, financiado pela European Commission, Horizon 2020, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks (Member of research team).

2016-2019       Bioenergetic Remodeling in the Pathophysiology and Treatment of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, financiado pela European Commission, Horizon 2020, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks (Member of research team).

2016-2019       Exercising obesity - the role of exercise against endoplasmic reticulum stress in obesity-induced liver disease, financiado pela Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (PTDC/DTP-DES/7087/2014) (Member of research team).

2016-2019       EXERCISING THE FUTURE: Voluntary Exercise During Gestational Diabetes as a Means to Improve Mitochondrial Function in the Offspring, financiado pela Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (PTDC/DTP-DES/1082/2014) (Member of research team).

2012/2019       Red Iberoamericana de Medicina y Fisiologia de Altura (ALTMEDFIS): Programa Iberoamericano de Ciência y Tecnologia para el Desarrollo (CYTED), Espanha (Member of research team).

2013-2015      Effects of life-long physical activity on brain function in Alzheimer Disease and Aging - Relevance of mitochondrial-mediated mechanisms, supported by Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (PTDC/DTP-DES/1246/2012) (Principal Investigator)

2013-2015      Exercise-induced cardioprotection - Effect of life-span voluntary exercise against anti-cancer therapy-induced cardiac and mitochondrial dysfunction, supported by Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT - PTDC/DTP-DES/1071/2012) (Principal Investigator)

2012-2014      IJUP - University of Porto, Effect of life-span voluntary exercise against anti-cancer therapy-induced cardiac, endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial dysfunction (Principal Investigator).

2011-2014       Can physical exercise be advantageous for the prevention of liver injury-related diseases? Role for mitochondrial-mediated mechanisms, supported by Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT - PTDC/DES/113580/2009) (Principal Investigator).

2010-2011       IJUP - University of Porto, Effect of endurance treadmill training on liver mitochondrial bioenergetic impairments, apoptosis and endoplasmic reticulum stress characterizing rat hepatic steatosis (Principal Investigator).

2010-2011       IJUP - University of Porto, Impact of chronic intermittent hypobaric hypoxia exposure combined with endurance training on rats’ cardiac function. In vivo and in vitro evidence (Member of research team).

2006/2008      Novel mitochondrial mechanisms of Doxorubicin selective cardiotoxicity, supported by Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT - PTDC/SAU-OSM/64084/2006) (Member of research team).

2002/2006      Role of apoptosis in skeletal muscle atrophy induced by the disuse in animal model, supported by Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT - POCI/DES/58772/2004) (Member of research team).

2002/2003      Effects of endurance training on cardiac tolerance to increased oxidative stress induced by in vivo Doxorubicin treatment, granted by Projecto de Apoio e Financiamento à Investigação em Desporto (PAFID - 22572004) Principal Investigator.

Current Research Interests

Basic research interests include the study of:

i) Impact of physical exercise on redox balance, activity and inactivity on endogenous antioxidants and apoptotic signaling in skeletal, cardiac, hepatic, brain and renal tissues and isolated mitochondria;

ii) Exercise-induced cardioprotection against the toxic effects of the hyperglycemic condition, doxorubicin treatment and ischemia-reperfusion;

iii) Hypoxia-induced oxidative stress, damage and apoptosis – evidence on tissue and isolated mitochondria;

iv) Biochemical, functional and structural alterations induced by exercise on skeletal muscle, heart, liver, kidney and brain mitochondria submitted (in vivo and/or in vitro) to deleterious mitochondrial stimuli (diabetes, doxorubicin, ischemia-reperfusion, obesity, severe exercise, anoxia-reoxygenation, pro-oxidant treatments, permeability transition pore inducers);

Applied research on Exercise Physiology includes the study of the impact of exercise-induced neuromuscular fatigue on performance of humans.