Gonçalo Afonso

public.student_biography

Gonçalo José Martins Afonso started his scientific studies in the "Licenciatura" in Biochemistry in the University of Coimbra, Portugal, concluded in 2018, having developed a project about the impact of Rebaudioside A, a steviol glycoside obtained from the Stevia plant, regarding its effect in oxidative stress and impact in metabolism, in the CA3 area of the hippocampus in murine brain slices. After the conclusion of this course, he was invited to continue this study, to allow for its conclusion and publication. In 2020, he concluded the Master's degree in Biochemistry, in the same university, having developed a thesis about the impact of Rebaudioside A in the metabolism of human dermal fibroblasts and breast cancer cell lines Hs578t and MCF7, also addressing its potential to be used in chemotherapeutic strategies. He was awarded a research grant, under the initiative "Summer Course in Interdisciplinary Research, Development and Innovation in Cellular and Molecular Metabolism" (15-20/7/245), funded by FCT. Being actively involved in research since 2017, he has a special interest in mitochondrial bioenergetics and oxidative stress. He is experienced in using different methods and equipment due to the work developed over the years, such as cell culture methodologies, cell viability assays (e.g. resazurin, SRB), metabolic profiling (Seahorse XFe96, NMR, metabolic phenotype microarrays (Biolog Mitoplates), fluorimetric assays (e.g. H2DCFDA, autofluorescence), bioinformatics, data-analysis and others. Despite having concluded his Master's degree recently, he already has one paper as first author in a scientific journal in the first quartile of its area, as well as two oral presentations in international conferences and one conference abstract, having still some of his recently concluded work to be submitted for publication. He has a proactive profile, having been a member of the "Núcleo de Estudantes de Bioquímica da Universidade de Coimbra", and has been part of the organization of the "IX - ENEBIOQ 2016 - Encontro Nacional de Estudantes de Bioquímica".