Recognizing Plant Physiology first authors: Regina Menezes
Regina Menezes, first author of Identification and microbial production of the raspberry phenol salidroside that is active against Huntington’s disease
Current Position: Researcher, iBET – Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal and Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
Education: Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Biological Sciences – Genetics, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
Non-scientific Interests: Traveling, books, and movies.
Brief Bio: As a Ph.D. student, I had worked in the Microbiology Institute at Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf in Germany, where I received training in both yeast genetics and microbiology. During the Ph.D. and Post-doc my research projects had been focused on understanding gene regulatory mechanisms controlling sugar metabolism and environmental stress responses. My current research interests are focused on the investigation of the molecular mechanisms underlying protein aggregation in chronic diseases, mainly diabetes, using simple eukaryotic models, mammalian cell models and human studies. The goals are to identify molecular targets amenable for therapeutic intervention as well as small molecules, particularly phenolic compounds, delaying disease onset and progression. I belong to a multidisciplinary network of collaborators working closely together to accelerate drug discovery efforts, translating basic research into clinical applications to improve the human health.
