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Vera Lúcia de Almeida Maria

Assistant Researcher

Author Name : Maria V.L.

Researcher ID: I-5142-2013
ORCID: 0000-0002-0331-3489
Ciencia ID: 7C1D-5627-D3BC
Department: Biology
Research Group: Stress Biology (SB)
ISI Web of KnowledgeSM search factor: AU=(Maria VL OR Maria V) and Ad= (Aveiro or Algarve)

Research interests

* Specialization domain:
Ecotoxicology;
Biomarkers of genotoxicity (DNA strand breaks, Erythrocytic Nuclear Abnormalities), biotransformation (EROD activity, P450 levels) and oxidative stress (Kinetics and substrates);
Mutagenicity (AMES Test);
Marine organisms;
Environmental contaminants (PAHs, metals and pharmaceuticals).

* Current interests:
Nanotoxicology;
Omics-proteomics and metabolomics;
Biomarkers of effects;
Soil (enchytraeids, collembolans) and freshwater (zebrafish) organisms;
Contaminants with emergent concern- engineered nanomaterials, nanoplastics, pharmaceuticals, pesticides;

Academic degrees

* October 2003: PhD in Biology (University of Aveiro, Portugal).
Thesis: Genotoxic Markers Applied to Animal Species of Marine Life.
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. António Carlos Matias Correia and Co-supervisor: Prof. Dra. Maria Ana Monteiro Santos (University of Aveiro).

* January 1997: Master in Food Sciences and Technology (Technical University of Lisbon / Institute of Chemistry and Biological Technology-ITQB, Portugal).
Dissertation: Characterization of the Fermented Microflora in Traditional Portuguese Sausages. Supervisor: Prof. Dra. Maria Teresa Barreto Goulão Crespo.

* July 1993: Degree in Biology (scientific branch), University of Aveiro.

Scientific activities

* 31 January 2019 - present: Assistant Researcher (Contract Researcher under Decree-Law 57/2016 Art.23rd - Transitional Rule) at Department of Biology (DBio) & CESAM, University of Aveiro .

* 1 December 2014 - 31 January 2019: PostDoctoral Research Fellow (FCT: SFRH SFRH/BPD/95093/2013) at DBio & CESAM, University of Aveiro.

* 1 June 2014 - 30 November 2014: PostDoctoral Research Fellow (PEst-C/MAR/LA0017/2013) at DBio & CESAM, University of Aveiro.

* 1 April 2013 - 31 December 2013: PostDoctoral Research Fellow in the project: FUBIA-"Soil Function-Biodiversity relationship and regional variation" (PTDC/AAC-CLI/103719/2008) at DBio & CESAM, University of Aveiro.

* 1 November 2006 - 28 February 2013: PostDoctoral Research Fellow (FCT: SFRH/BPD/26970/2006) at Faculty of Marine and Environment Sciences & CIMA, University of Algarve and at DBio& CESAM, University of Aveiro.

* 1 November 2003 - 31 October 2006: PostDoctoral Research Fellow (FCT: SFRH/BPD/14630/2003) at DBio & CESAM, University of Aveiro.

Publications

Projects

BIOMAG - Magnetic bionanocomposites for micropollutant removal and water reuse See more

UNRAvEL – Understanding the Mechanisms of Toxicity of NanomateRials – EnvironmentaL impact Assessment See more

NM-OREO: using a NM-(bio)molecule cOrona approach to undeRstand the mEchanisms of tOxicity - a systems biology environment impact study See more

Bio-CHIP - Using a nano titanium library to assess effects on a gene library of Enchytraeus crypticus: building a cheap bio-CHIP See more

FUBIA: Soil Function-Biodiversity relationship And regional variation See more

Scientific Supervision

Master (Co-supervisor): Bárbara Pereira (not a CESAM member)

PhD (Main Supervisor): Joana Patrícia da Silva Santos (CESAM member)

Master (Co-supervisor): Bárbara Pereira (not a CESAM member)

Undergraduate (Degree in Biochemistry) (Main Supervisor): Inês Neca (not a CESAM member)

Undergraduate (Biology Degree) (Main Supervisor): Patrícia Carvalho (not a CESAM member)

Junior Researcher (UNRAvEL project) (Main Supervisor): Ana Capitão (ex-CESAM member)

BSc Student (Degree in Biology and Geology) (Main Supervisor): Rodrigo Pereira (not a CESAM member)

BSc Student (Degree in Biology) (Main Supervisor): Rodrigo Eusébio (not a CESAM member)

BSc Student (Degree in Biology and Geology) (Main Supervisor): Teresa Coelho (not a CESAM member)

BSc Student (Degree in Biochemistry ) (Main Supervisor): Diogo André Ferreira da Costa (not a CESAM member)

BSc Student (Degree in Biology) (Main Supervisor): Nuno Martins Leitão (not a CESAM member)

BSc Student (Degree in Biology) (Main Supervisor): Ricardo Daniel Quental de Sousa (not a CESAM member)

BsC grant UNRAvEL (Main Supervisor): Joana Patrícia da Silva Santos (CESAM member)

BSc Student (Degree in Biology) (Main Supervisor): Edna Carvalho (not a CESAM member)

Undergraduate (Degree in Biology) (Main Supervisor): Manuel Barbosa (not a CESAM member)

BSc Student (Biochemistry Degree) (Main Supervisor): Cristiana Fernandes (not a CESAM member)

BSc Student (Biology Degree) (Main Supervisor): Ricardo Daniel de Sousa (not a CESAM member)

BSc Student (Biology Degree) (Main Supervisor): Cátia Filipa Azevedo (not a CESAM member)

BSc Student (Biology Degree) (Main Supervisor): Célia Isabel da Cruz Almeida (not a CESAM member)

Doctorate Researcher (UNRAvEL) (Main Supervisor): Ângela Maria Almeida Barreto (CESAM member)

BSc Student (Biology Degree) (Co-supervisor): Thomás Pires (not a CESAM member)

BSc Student (Biology Degree) (Co-supervisor): João Marques Gomes (not a CESAM member)

Undergraduate (Degree in Biology & Geology) (Co-supervisor): Leandro Castanheira (not a CESAM member)

BSc Student (Biology Degree) (Co-supervisor): Marina Sofia Cruz Garcia (not a CESAM member)

BSc Student (Degree in Biology and Geology ) (Co-supervisor): Gonçalo Andrade (not a CESAM member)

BSc Student (Degree on Biology and Geology) (Co-supervisor): Vitor Tavares (not a CESAM member)

FUBIA grant holder (with MsC), laboratorial component (Co-supervisor): Maria João Xavier Ribeiro (ex-CESAM member)

PhD student (laboratorial trainning - 6 meses) (Co-supervisor): Agata Torre (not a CESAM member)

Integração na investigação (BIIs) da licenciatura Biologia Marinha (Co-supervisor): Melanie Batista (not a CESAM member)

Integração na investigação (BIIs) da licenciatura Biologia Marinha (Co-supervisor): Tiago Braga (not a CESAM member)

Integração na investigação (BIIs) da licenciatura Biologia Marinha (Co-supervisor): Márcia Santos (not a CESAM member)

Projeto de Seminário da licenciatura em Biologia (Co-supervisor): Anabela Alves Pinto (not a CESAM member)

BSc Student (Biochemistry Degree) (Co-supervisor): Beatriz Machado Amado (not a CESAM member)

BSc Student (Biochemistry Degree) (Co-supervisor): Carolina Monteiro Fernandes (not a CESAM member)

BSc Student (Degree in Biology ) (Co-supervisor): Matilde Santos (not a CESAM member)

Undergraduate (Degree in Biology ) (Co-supervisor): Ana Rita Carvalho (not a CESAM member)

Undergraduate (Degree in Biology) (Co-supervisor): Bruno Batista (not a CESAM member)

BSc Student (Biology Degree) (Co-supervisor): Cláudia Moreira Peixoto (not a CESAM member)

BSc Student (Biochemistry Degree) (Co-supervisor): Lara Almeida (not a CESAM member)

BSc Student (Biology & Geology Degree) (Co-supervisor): Rui Paradela (not a CESAM member)

Participation in advanced courses & other scientific activities

Call for Papers:

A Special Issue in the Nanomaterials Journal - "Ecotoxicity Assessment of Nanomaterials: Latest Advances and Prospects" for detailed information, go to the link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/nanomaterials/special_issues/9T399W84L7

Guest Editor in the Special Issue: Contaminants of Emerging Concern—(Eco)Toxicity, Environmental Behavior and Remediation of the Applied Sciences Journal (January 1 - November 30, 2021), https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci/special_issues/contaminants_toxicity

Guest Editor in the Special Issue: Plastics (Macro-, Micro- and Nano-) as Vectors for Other Environmental Contaminants of the Toxics Journal (January 1 - August 31, 2021), https://www.mdpi.com/journal/toxics/special_issues/plastics_vectors_contaminants

Guest Editor in the special edition: Behavior and Effects of Nanoscale Materials and Plastics — Understanding the Mechanisms of Toxicity of the Applied Sciences Journal (March 31 - November 30, 2020).

Integrated member in the Reviewer Board of Nanomaterials Journal, (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/nanomaterials).

Scientific monitor in the activity “Academia de Verão-2019 (14ª ed.)” at the Biology Department, University of Aveiro, Portugal (8 July 2019).

Training course on “Multilevel data analysis in R” held at EDUA, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal (4-17th February 2019).

Practical course on “Omics applyed to the soilorganisms, Enchytraeus crypticus” held at Department of Bioscience, University of Salzburg (Austria), 2015 (October) and 2018 (June-July) .

Coordinator and scientific monitor in the “Academia de Verão (10ª ed.)" under the issue “Soil Ecotoxicology” for high school students, held at Aveiro University (9^th and 16^th July 2015).

Practical course (4 months) on "DNA microarray of Mytilus galloprovincialis exposed to drugs" held at the "Dipartimento di Scienza della Vita and dell' Ambiente", University of Piemonte Orientale Amadeo Avogadro (Alessandria, Italy), 2010.

Advanced Workshop Studies in Biology and Applied Biosciences practical approach to ecotoxicogenomics”, Department of Biology, Aveiro University, 28 june to 2 july, 2010.

Advanced Course in "Toxiproteomics", University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal, 8th -12th September 2008.

Advanced Course in "Flow Cytometry for studies of structural cytomas in plants", Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 20th and 21st May 2005.

Professional Experience

2019 (February) - to date: Assistant Researcher at Biology Department (DBio) & CESAM, University of Aveiro (UA).

2014 (December) - 2019 (January): PostDoctoral Fellow of the Foundation for Science and Technology -(FCT) at DBio & CESAM of University of Aveiro with collaboration of Salzburg University, with the projects "Mechanisms of toxicity of nanomaterials – the use of a genome model to assess the environmental impact" and "PRIORI - PeRsIstent nanOmateRials – toxicological mechanisms in freshwater and soil bIota" (reference SFRH/BPD/95093/2013).

2014 (May): PostDoctoral Fellow in PEst project/ CESAM/ UA: "Toxicity evaluation of the nanomaterials exposed to soil organisms" with refrence PEst-C/MAR/LA0017/2013 at DBio/CESAM, UA.

2013 (April): PostDoctoral Fellow in FUBIA project : Soil Function - Biodiversity and regional variation relationship, reference PTDC/AAC-CLI/103719/2008) at DBio/CESAM, UA.

2009 (November): PostDoctoral Fellow of the Foundation for Science and Technology -(FCT) (SFRH/BPD/26970/2006) at the University of Algarve (UAlg) / CIMA. Member of the Scientific Committee at the Center for Marine and Environmental Research (CIMA).

2006 (November): Postdoctoral Fellow (FCT) (SFRH/BPD/26970/2006) at UA and UAlg .

Member of the Scientific Committee at the Center for Marine and Environmental Research (CIMA). Collaborator Member of the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM).

2003 (November):PostDoctoral Fellow (FCT) (SFRH/BPD/14630/2003) at UA. Integrated Member of CESAM/UA.

2002/2005: Invited Adjunct Professor at the Institute of Educational Sciences (ISCE) (Branch of ISCE at Felgueiras, PT).

1996/99: Invited Assistant Professor at the Institute of Educational Sciences (ISCE) (Branch of ISCE at Felgueiras, PT).