Two UCIBIO researchers, Susana Pereira and Mariana Barbosa, have been awarded funding under the highly competitive RESTART Programme by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, I.P.). This national initiative is specifically designed to mitigate the impact of parenthood on research progress, providing competitive funding opportunities to scientists who have recently taken parental leave to help them resume and advance their research tracks.
MetaHEART: Decoding the Early Origins of Cardiovascular Health
Susana Pereira, researcher at UCIBIO-NOVA FCT in the Molecular Mechanisms of Disease Lab, secured funding for her project “MetaHEART - Decoding Maternal Metabolism’s Impact on the Offspring Heart”.
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, but MetaHEART operates on the premise that its origins may begin well before birth. The project investigates how poor maternal nutrition during pregnancy can permanently alter heart metabolism and development, significantly increasing the risk of heart disease decades later.
Using a unique non-human primate model that closely mimics human physiology, Susana’s team will explore how adverse womb environments affect cardiac metabolism, mitochondrial function, and biological aging pathways. By integrating advanced molecular and multi-omics approaches, the project aims to identify early biological signatures of cardiovascular dysfunction and understand why males and females may respond differently to these developmental challenges. Ultimately, these biomarkers will be validated in human umbilical cord blood, shifting the paradigm of cardiovascular prevention from adulthood to the earliest stages of life.
"Receiving the RESTART funding at the beginning of my career at UCIBIO is particularly meaningful," says Susana Pereira. "It is an important step towards establishing our research line at UCIBIO and advancing a lifelong scientific mission: understanding how the earliest stages of life shape cardiovascular health, so that future generations can benefit from earlier and more effective disease prevention."
SYNESIS: Unlocking the Mysteries of Sialylation in Human Disease
Mariana Barbosa, researcher at UCIBIO-NOVA in the Glycoimmunology Lab, was awarded funding for her project “SYNESIS”, which focuses on improving our understanding of how defects in sialylation, a fundamental biological process involved in cell communication, immune response, and tissue function, contribute to human disease.
Using the rare neuromuscular disorder GNE myopathy as a primary disease model, SYNESIS will investigate the molecular and cellular mechanisms associated with altered sialic acid metabolism to identify novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers. Beyond its direct focus on GNE myopathy, the insights gained from SYNESIS are expected to advance the broader field of Glycoscience, shedding light on the role of sialylation in other complex conditions, such as Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation (CDG) and cancer, ultimately paving the way for personalized healthcare solutions.
"The award of the RESTART funding by FCT represents a very important step for my scientific autonomy," highlights Mariana Barbosa. "By supporting my return to scientific activity after parental leave, it gives me a vital opportunity to assert myself and establish a dedicated line of investigation within the field of Glycoscience."
About the RESTART Programme
The FCT recently announced the preliminary results of the 3rd edition of the RESTART Programme, reflecting a strong commitment to promoting gender equality and equal opportunities in Portuguese scientific research.
Throughout a researcher's career, and particularly for female scientists in their early stages, parenthood introduces unique institutional challenges that can disrupt scientific output, team management, and fundraising, sometimes risking long-term career prospects.
The RESTART Programme directly addresses these challenges across all scientific fields. Fully aligned with the recommendations of the Council of the European Union and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), this funding mechanism serves as a crucial instrument for fostering a better work-life balance and ensuring that taking parental leave does not compromise scientific excellence.