Team - PhasAGE

PHASAGE

PhasAGE – Excellence Hub on Phase Transitions in Aging and Age-Related Disorders

CORE TEAM

Sandra Macedo-Ribeiro

Project Coordinator

i3S

Sandra Macedo-Ribeiro

Project Coordinator

Sandra Macedo-Ribeiro is the coordinator of the PhasAGE Twinning project and an expert in Protein Crystallography and Structural Biology. Sandra leads the Biomolecular Structure and Function Group at IBMC/i3S, focused on exploring the role amino acid repeats on protein-protein interactions, protein self-assembly and amyloid formation. In particular, Sandra´s research group is interested in understanding the interplay between globular and disordered proteins regions on liquid-liquid phase separation and biomolecular condensate assembly in the context of neurodegenerative diseases

Salvador Ventura

Work Package Leader (WP1)

UAB

Salvador Ventura

Work Package Leader (WP1)

Salvador Ventura’s lab uses a multidisciplinary approach to address fundamental aspects of protein folding, misfolding and aggregation. In addition to define the basic mechanistic principles underlying these processes, we aim to understand how their deregulation leads to the onset of human conformational diseases and to develop innovative therapeutics to target these pathologies. Moreover, this knowledge should allow us to design and produce novel and better protein-based biopharmaceuticals as well as the development of new self-assembled materials for nanotechnology applications.

Silvio Tosatto

Work Package Leader (WP2)

UniPD

Silvio Tosatto

Work Package Leader (WP2)

BioComputing UP, Department of Biomedical Sciences of the University of Padua

Silvio Tosatto’s research covers several aspects of what is generally termed bioinformatics and computational biology. The lab’s main aim is to integrate the development of novel methods and their application to biologically relevant issues.

Elsa Logarinho

Work Package Leader (WP3)

i3S

Elsa Logarinho

Work Package Leader (WP3)

Since 2015 E. Logarinho (EL) leads the Aging & Aneuploidy group, dedicated to high-profile research on the mechanisms of cell cycle deregulation and genomic instability contributing to aging and age-related diseases. Her research disclosed chromosomal instability (CIN) as a hallmark of human aneuploid amniocytes [Elife 2015;Sci Rep 2016] and aged dermal fibroblasts [Nat Commun 2018;Embo Rep 2020]. Presently, her group applies interdisciplinary approaches to address how regulated instruction of proliferative fitness and genomic stability decelerates senescence in mouse models of Down syndrome, progeria and aging. Within i3S Cancer Program, EL is tackling the question on how aging is the major risk factor for tumorigenesis, with focus on CIN and senescence. EL is currently vice-coordinator of the Cancer Program and member of the Restrictive Scientific Council. EL co-authored 35 publications with 1114 citations (h-index 20), 25% on top journals. EL has secured >2.5M€ competitive funding.

Reto Gassmann

Work Package Leader (WP3)

i3S

Reto Gassmann

Work Package Leader (WP3)

Reto Gassmann is a group leader at the Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S) in Porto interested in cell division and microtubule-based intracellular transport. He studied biochemistry and molecular biology at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich and joined the group of Bill Earnshaw at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology in Edinburgh for graduate research on mitotic chromosome segregation. After postdoctoral research on mitosis in the group of Arshad Desai at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in San Diego, he joined the Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology in Porto (IBMC, now part of i3S) as a principal investigator in 2012. His group uses live-cell fluorescence microscopy, genetics, and biochemical approaches in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and human cultured cells to study the function and regulation of cytoplasmic dynein 1, the major microtubule minus end-directed motor in animal cells.

Peter Tompa

Work Package Leader (WP4)

VIB

Peter Tompa

Work Package Leader (WP4)

Peter Tompa research focuses on the phenomenon of the structural disorder of proteins. It has been recognized that regions of proteins or even full-length proteins exist and function without well-defined 3D structures, which challenged the classical structure-function paradigm and called for studies aiming at understanding this phenomenon in detail. These studies have shown that structural disorder is prevalent in eukaryotic proteomes, disordered proteins carry out unique functions and they play important roles in serious diseases, such as cancer and neurodegeneration. Recently, the focus of the lab turned to understanding the role of structural disorder in liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of proteins in cell physiology and disease, with a primary focus on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Ludo Van Den Bosch

Work Package Leader (WP4)

VIB

Ludo Van Den Bosch

Work Package Leader (WP4)

Ludo Van Den Bosch focuses on the mechanisms of acute and chronic axonal and neuronal degeneration and regeneration, aiming to contribute to the development of new therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative disorders. We intensively study motor neuron diseases (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and hereditary motor neuropathies), frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and stroke.

Catarina Neves

Work Package Leader (WP5)

i3S

Catarina Neves

Work Package Leader (WP5)

Since August 2019, Catarina Moniz Alves Neves is managing the International Funding Programmes at the Research and Innovation Unit of i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde. Catarina graduated in Applied Biology from University of Minho (Portugal) in 2001. She completed her PhD in Biomedical Engineering (2008) as a result of studies carried out at the University of Minho (3B´s Research Group, Portugal), University of Liverpool (UK) and at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (TX, USA). Catarina has carried out post-doctoral studies at University of Minho (3B´s Research Group) and at School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University (MA, USA). From 2016 to 2019, Catarina Moniz Alves Neves worked as a Research Manager at CINTESIS, especially focused on scientific and international funding sources and was an independent external expert for ANI, COST and EUREKA/Eurostars (Cut-offs 9 to 11). She authored or co-authored 17 international peer-reviewed publications, 7 book chapters and over 50 oral and poster presentations. In 2017, she concluded the Postgraduate Course in Project Management at EGP-Porto Business School and, in August 2018, she got certified as Project Management Professional (PMP®) by the Project Management Institute (PMI).

Rita Vilaça

Research Trainer and Communication Manager and Work Package Leader (WP5)

i3S

Rita Vilaça

Research Trainer and Communication Manager and Work Package Leader (WP5)

Rita Vilaça has a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from University of Porto and performed post-doc studies at Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology at University of Coimbra. She has a solid research background on cell signaling modulation in aging and age-related disorders, particularly lysosomal storage diseases and polyglutamine disorders. Rita has a strong know-how on science education and communication and has Trainer Accreditation in Biology and Health Sciences.

Catarina Ferreira

Project Manager and Work Package Leader (WP6)

i3S

Catarina Ferreira

Project Manager and Work Package Leader (WP6)

Catarina Ferreira has a PhD degree in Health Sciences by the University of Minho, and performed post-doc studies at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (New York, US). Catarina has a solid background on cellular plasticity mechanisms that regulate brain function in physiology, aging and age-related diseases, particularly focused on the interplay between the periphery and the brain. Catarina currently acts as the PhasAGE Project Manager in the Biomolecular Structure and Function group at i3S.

Participants

Alexandra Moreira

Task Leader

i3S

Alexandra Moreira

Task Leader

Alexandra Moreira is the leader of the Gene Regulation research group at i3S and an expert in molecular mechanisms of gene expression regulation at the RNA level. She holds a D. Phil. in Molecular Biology, University of Oxford and a degree in Biochemistry, University of Lisbon. A. Moreira's research group uses a multidisciplinary approach to study the molecular mechanisms involved in alternative polyadenylation. Her group focus in understanding the function of the 3’UTR and RNA binding proteins in gene expression regulation in those events that are physiologically relevant in disease. Together with her research activities, A. Moreira teaches Molecular Biology and RNA Biology for undergraduate, MSc and PhD students at the Biomedical Institute of the University of Porto.

Carlos Conde

Task Leader

i3S

Carlos Conde

Task Leader

Carlos Conde leads an independent line of research at i3S addressing fundamental questions on genome partitioning in order to understand why it fails so frequently in cancer. CC is focused on understanding the mechanisms underlying centromere structure, kinetochore-microtubule interactions and spindle assembly checkpoint signalling (SAC) and how defects in these processes impact on chromosomal instability (CIN) and tumorigenesis. To tackle these questions, CC combines in vitro biochemical and structural studies with functional analysis in human cells and Drosophila tissues.

Eurico Morais de Sá

Task Leader

i3S

Eurico Morais de Sá

Task Leader

Pedro Pereira

Principal Investigator

i3S

Pedro Pereira

Principal Investigator

Pedro Pereira is a Structural Biologist specializing in X-ray crystallography. Pedro leads the Macromolecular Structure group of IBMC/i3S that studies structure-function relationships in potential novel drug targets from human bacterial and fungal pathogens and in natural and engineered peptidic anticoagulants. In particular, Pedro's group is interested in understanding the molecular determinants of specificity, both for the recognition of small molecules and for protein-protein interactions.

Mónica Sousa

Principal Investigator

i3S

Mónica Sousa

Principal Investigator

Monica M Sousa graduated in Biochemistry and holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Porto. During her PhD she studied the biology of transthyretin, an aggregation-prone protein, and generated mouse models for familial amyloid polyneuropathy. As a postdoctoral fellow, Monica was a visiting scientist at the Department of Pathology, Columbia University- New York, where she studied neurodegeneration caused by amyloid fibrils. Currently her group is focused on the analysis of cytoskeleton organization and dynamics during axon growth and regeneration. Since 2010 Monica is a vice-director of the Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular- IBMC.

Maria João Saraiva

Principal Investigator

i3S

Maria João Saraiva

Principal Investigator

Maria João Mascarenhas Saraiva received a BSc in Biology from the University of Porto, Portugal, in 1976, and an MSc in Biochemistry from the University of London, in 1978. Between 1980 and 1984, she did a PhD in biochemistry at the University of Porto, and qualified as Professor of Biochemistry in the University of Porto in 1991. She worked for different periods as a Visiting Scientist at the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University, New York. She is Director of the Molecular Neurobiology Group at i3S and IBMC in Porto University. Maria J Saraiva was awarded the Seiva Prize for Services to Science by the City of Porto, in 1996, the Gulbenkian Prize in Science, in 2009 and a National Medal for Merrit in Science in 2019. She has published over 230 articles in peer reviewed journals, several reviews on the subject of molecular biology of misfolding diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system.

Helder Maiato

Principal Investigator

i3S

Helder Maiato

Principal Investigator

Helder Maiato graduated in Biochemistry and holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Porto. He was a visiting PhD student at the University of Edinburgh (UK) and a Post-doctoral Research Affiliate at the New York State Department of Health (USA). At present, he is Coordinating Investigator at the Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S) and Invited Auxiliary Professor (w/ Habilitation) at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto. He authored more than 100 scientific publications and has been invited to give seminars in more than 20 different countries, including major conferences in the field. His main research interest is the spatiotemporal control of chromosome segregation during cell division and has been the coordinator of two projects (Starting+Consolidator) from the European Research Council. Between 2012-2015 he served as National Counsellor for Science and Technology to the Portuguese Prime Minister. In 2015 he was honoured with the Young Investigator Award from the Louis-Jeantet Foundation (among ERC awardees), was elected EMBO Member in 2016 and was recognized with the Excellence in Scientific Research Award by the University of Porto in 2019. Together with his wife (a child psychologist), they founded Yscience (www.yscience.pt), a pilot project that brings together scientists to promote science education and the scientific method in young children.

Isabel Cardoso

Assistant Researcher

i3S

Isabel Cardoso

Assistant Researcher

Isabel Cardoso graduated in Biochemistry (1995) and soon started to develop research in neurodegeneration, electing the Familial amyloidotic Polyneuropathy (FAP) as PhD theme. The PhD thesis, which included work performed in Canada and in Switzerland, contributed to the understanding of the mechanism of TTR amyloid formation and to the design of therapeutic approaches to FAP (2002). A first post-doc provided in vivo evidence of the success of the therapeutic molecules tested during the PhD, and led to the identification of novel biomarkers in FAP. Isabel Cardoso develops her research at the Molecular Neurobiology Group, coordinating the team “Modulation in Neurodegenerative Disorders” (MiND)- IBMC/I3S since 2013. Team MiND studies factors that modulate or can be used to modulate neurodegenerative diseases, and is interested in understanding communication across brain barriers, and at identifying common denominators in protein aggregation disorders. Team MiND follows a research line on the neuroprotective role of the protein Transthyretin (TTR) in the Central Nervous System (CNS), centred on its protective action in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Team MiND produced the first evidence on the TTR-assisted Amyloid Beta (Aβ) peptide transport at the blood-brain barrier (BBB), confirming TTR not only as a transporter protein as well as a neuroprotective protein in the CNS. Very recent results, implicated for the first time, TTR in angiogenesis and in neurovascular protection in AD. Isabel Cardoso is part of a consortium that settled a drug discovery program targeting TTR that searches for small-molecule chaperones, that may improve the neuroprotective function of TTR, in AD.

Pedro Martins

Assistant Researcher

i3S

Pedro Martins

Assistant Researcher

I am Biophysicist at the Biomolecular Structure and Function (BMSF) group of Institute for Research and Innovation in Health, i3S. My scientific background is in Soft-Matter Physics applied to phase transition processes such as crystal growth, protein crystallization and pathological protein aggregation. From 2009 to 2015, I was full-time professor at Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar of University of Porto lecturing Biophysics and Drug Design subjects to Health Sciences students. At BMSF of i3S, we have been developing mathematical-based HTS assays targeting enzymes and non-amyloidogenic oligomers in neurodegenerative diseases. Since the biological targets assessed by these tools remain largely unexplored, two drug repositioning projects could be initiated, one in Machado-Joseph disease and the other in Parkinson’s disease. “Drug repositioning” in general refers to studying whether drugs already approved to treat one disease are safe and effective for treating other diseases. With this strategy, I seek to contribute to the general goal of delivering more cures, more quickly, with less risk, and at affordable prices to patients with rare and prevalent diseases.

Vítor Costa

Principal Investigator

i3S

Vítor Costa

Principal Investigator

Vítor Costa obtained a Biochemistry degree at Universidade do Porto and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences at Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto (ICBAS, UP). He currently holds a position as Associate Professor at ICBAS-UP and leads the Yeast Signalling Networks group at Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S). Using the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as model organism, his research focuses on the role of bioactive sphingolipids and nutrient signalling in the regulation of organelle function, redox homeostasis, and autophagy, and how deregulation of these signalling networks impacts on aging and cell death in the context of yeast models of human disease, namely Niemann Pick type C and seipinopathy. Vítor Costa co-authored 53 publications and 3 book chapters, and supervised 4 Post-docs (1 ongoing), 9 PhD students (2 ongoing) and 17 Master students (2 ongoing). He is member of the scientific committee of the Doctoral Programme in Molecular and Cell Biology and of the Master Degree in Environmental Contamination and Toxicology at ICBAS, member of the editorial board of Microbial Cell and vice-president of the Portuguese Biochemical Society.

Rosário Almeida

Principal Investigator

i3S

Rosário Almeida

Principal Investigator

Rosário Almeida graduated in Biochemistry, by the University of Porto (UP), in 1986. Entered the academic career and, in parallel, developed a PhD in Biomedical Sciences that was concluded in 1995, at Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar (ICBAS), UP. During her PhD she studied transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis in particular, characterized several TTR variants concerning structure and function. Currently, is Associate Professor of Biochemistry at ICBAS, and Principal Researcher at IBMC. Rosário Almeida main research interests aim to elucidate molecular mechanisms and pathophysiology of transthyretin amyloidosis and modulators of these processes. In this sense, investigates the effects of natural and synthetic compounds, in vitro and in vivo using animal models of familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) aiming their potential therapeutic application in disease.

Frederico Silva

Head of Biochemical and Biophysical Technologies Platform

i3S

Frederico Silva

Head of Biochemical and Biophysical Technologies Platform

Frederico Silva heads the Biochemical and Biophysical Technologies Platform of the IBMC/i3S, dedicated to the production and purification of recombinant proteins, and to molecular biophysics. He has been actively involved in the development of pan European communities in the fields of protein production and molecular biophysics. Frederico coordinates several postgraduate activities such as an EMBO practical course running every other year focusing in the study of molecular interactions and a yearly practical course on protein expression, purification and characterization of the MCBiology PhD program. He coordinates the Training and Human capacity Development section of the Association of Resources for Biophysical Research in Europe.

Diogo Castro

Principal Investigator

i3S

Diogo Castro

Principal Investigator

PhD by the Karolinska Institute (Stockholm, Sweden) and postgraduate training at IGBMC (Strasbourg, France) and the MRC National Institute for Medical Research (London, UK). Diogo S. Castro is a developmental Neurobiologist, working on vertebrate neurogenesis. He heads the Stems Cells & Neurogenesis group at i3S, focused on mechanisms governing maintenance and differentiation of neural stem cells. His group combines mouse genomics and genetics, to study gene regulatory networks that operate during development, and how these may be deregulated in neurological disorders. Google scholar: h-index 29; citations 6,077

Isabel Silveira

Principal Investigator

i3S

Isabel Silveira

Principal Investigator

Prinicipal Investigator (PhD 1997, University of Porto) and group leader of the Genetics of Cognitive Dysfunction group at IBMC/i3s. Research focuses on finding genes implicated in neurodegenerative diseases towards development of genetic diagnosis and treatment for these pathologies. In 2012, in collaboration with a Galician team (Spain), was involved in the finding of the hexanucleotide repeat expansion in NOP56 causing spinocerebellar ataxia type 36 (SCA36). More recently, her team has identified an ATTTC repeat in DAB1 causing SCA37 and is now investigating the molecular mechanisms causing spinocerebellar ataxia type 37 (SCA37) and therapeutic strategies. Scopus: h-index=28; No citations=2162.

Luís Gales

Senior Researcher

i3S

Luís Gales

Senior Researcher

Luís Gales is an Associate Professor of Biophysics at ICBAS, University of Porto. Lectures topics related to biophysics, biomaterials, structural biochemistry, biomechanics and medical imaging techniques to health sciences students. Uses X-ray crystallography complemented with other physical techniques to elucidate the atomic structure of biomolecules and to investigated molecular self-assembly in health (design of functional nanostructured biomaterials) and disease (amyloid formation by aberrant forms of proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases). Member of the Bioengineering & Synthetic Microbiology Group, IBMC/i3S. Published over 90 papers.

António José Ribeiro

Associate Researcher

i3S

António José Ribeiro

Associate Researcher

Associate researcher in the Genetics of Cognitive Dysfunction group, studying design and testing of biopharmaceuticals delivery systems based on micro/nanoencapsulation techniques such as ionic gelation and coacervation. Specialist on pharmaceutics by training he has a Scopus h-index= 34 (5317 citations)

scientific advisory board

Julie Greenfield

Head of Research

Ataxia - UK

Julie Greenfield

Head of Research

Dr Julie Greenfield is the Head of Research for Ataxia UK, a medical research charity and patient support organisation. She has been working for Ataxia UK since 2001 and in this time has gained substantial knowledge of research in the ataxia field as well as the issues being faced by people with ataxia. At Ataxia UK Julie is responsible for managing the research programme, funding grants, promoting and facilitating research on ataxia and organising International Ataxia Conferences in partnership with other ataxia Advocacy Groups. Julie is one of the patient group representatives on the Steering Committee of Ataxia Global Initiative which aims to facilitate trial readiness in the ataxias and on a partner in a number of European research networks. Julie has a background in scientific research in the biological sciences, having completed a PhD at the University of Bristol and a three-year postdoctoral research position at the University of Manchester.

Sheena Radford

Astbury Professor of Biophysics and Royal Society Professor

University of Leeds - UK

Sheena Radford

Astbury Professor of Biophysics and Royal Society Professor

Professor Sheena Radford, OBE, FRS, FMedSci, MAE, of the University of Leeds, leads a laboratory with 30 members, working on fundamental structural molecular biology, mainly on the folding and assembly of amyloid proteins and bacterial outer membrane proteins. She has published over 300 papers and given over 400 invited lectures across the world, and supervised more than 80 PhD students and 60 postdoctoral research fellows in her career to date. She is currently Astbury Professor of Biophysics, and Royal Society Research Professor. She has recently completed nine years as the Director of the highly successful interdisciplinary Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology at Leeds.

Anke Caßing

Principal

High-Tech Gründerfonds

Anke Caßing

Principal

Anke is Principal in the life sciences team of one of Europe’s most active early stage investment firms, the HTGF. She has many years of experience in business development, strategic marketing in medical technology, biotechnology and in pharmaceutics. She holds a doctorate in biology and studied economics. Before joining the investment team at the HTGF, she developed the product portfolios of international companies ensuring their future growth.

ethics advisory board

Susana Magalhães

Head of the Unit for Responsible Conduct in Research

i3S

Susana Magalhães

Head of the Unit for Responsible Conduct in Research

Susana Teixeira Magalhães is the Head of the Unit for responsible Conduct in Research at Institute of Research and Innovation in Health – i3S, University of Porto; PhD in Bioethics by Portuguese Catholic University and a researcher in the areas of Narrative Medicine and Research Ethics/Integrity. Her previous research activity at the Institute of Bioethics -- Portuguese Catholic University (IB-UCP) included writing scripts for a series of documentaries on Science, Ethics and Society. She has written several articles on Bioethics and Narrative Medicine and she has been coordinating a Group of Study and Reflection on Narrative Medicine (Grupo de Estudos e Reflexão em Medicina Narrativa -- GERMEN): https://www.facebook.com/GermenMedicinaNarrativa/ ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3440-4244

Josep Santaló Pedro

Full Professor

UAB

Josep Santaló Pedro

Full Professor

Reproductive Specialist and Full Professor of Cell Biology, having developed his teaching task at the Faculty of Biosciences since 1985. He is involved in the PhD program in Cell Biology, in the Official Master's Degree in Cytogenetics and Biology of Reproduction, in the Master Laboratory Animal Science and Animal Welfare both of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, in the Master of Bioethics of the Universitat de Barcelona, and is Coordinator of the Master of Biology of Reproduction and Human Assisted Reproduction Techniques jointly organized by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the Institut Universitari Dexeus. He has developed the task of Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Sciences (1995-1999) and Vice-Rector of Research of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (2002-2005). He has been responsible for different research projects on the genetic characterization and freezing of preimplantation embryos and induction of oocyte maturation in vitro. He has participated in several projects on the influence of in vitro fertilization on the genetic characteristics of embryos and on programs to obtain transgenic animals. He is a member of the GIEPH (Research Group on Human Preimplantation Embryos), a research group that obtained the first case of sex selection by pre-implantation diagnosis in the Spanish state (the third reported worldwide). He is currently working on the study of genetic reprogramming after nuclear transfer and on new embryonic stem cell (ESC) derivation strategies. He is the author of 121 articles in scientific journals, 70 of them indexed, 27 chapters of books and 13 documents in Bioethics. He has participated in 27 research projects, 12 of which as Principal Investigator. He has been Chairman of the Ethics Committee on Animal and Human Research (2007- 2016) being still an ordinary member and of the Biosafety Committee (2007-2016) of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, member of the Executive Commitee of the Observatory of Bioethics and Law the Universitat de Barcelona (from 2017), of the Working Group for the study and ethical reflection on biomedical research of the Bioethics Committee of Catalonia of the Department of Health of the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Hinxton Group: An International Consortium on Stem Cells, Ethics and Law and of ARRIGE (Association for Responsible Research and Innovation of Genome Editing) (from 2018). He has been a member of the Advisory Committee of the ESHRE (European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology) (1992-1994 and 2000-2002) and of the Steering Committee of the PGD Consortium of ESHRE's Special Interest Group on Reproductive Genetics. He is a founding member of ASEBIR (Association for the Study of the Biology of Reproduction), of which he was Vice-President (1993-1995) and of which he is been Treasurer (2013-2017). He has been or currently is member of other scientific societies such as the International Society for Stem Cell Research, Catalan Society of Biology, the Spanish Society of Fertility and the British Society for the Study of Fertility.

René Custers

Regulatory & Responsible Research manager

VIB

René Custers

Regulatory & Responsible Research manager

René Custers is the regulatory & responsible research manager at VIB (the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology). He has more than 25 years of experience in regulatory affairs, biosafety, and the societal and ethical aspects of modern biotechnology. He is an expert in the legislation and safety of GMOs and genome edited organisms and has been very active in the European debate on the regulatory status of genome edited organisms. At VIB he coordinates the institutes’ policies on regulatory compliance, (bio)safety, ethics and integrity. He is also involved in science communication activities to a wider audience. He is a member of the Belgian Biosafety Advisory Council, and member of the board of EU-SAGE (European Sustainable Agriculture through Genome Editing).