António Jacinto is the Scientific Director of NIMSB.

Dr. Jacinto is Principal Investigator at the NOVA Institute for Medical Systems Biology and at NOVA Medical School, NOVA University Lisbon. His research interest is in understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate of tissue repair and regeneration, with a special interest on the roles played by cell metabolism and inflammation in these processes. Conducted studies in animal models and made important contributions in Drosophila epithelial repair and Zebrafish organ regeneration. But the current focus in on using systems biology approaches to study human tissue repair mechanisms and the consequences of their dysregulation, particularly in cancer and aging. The ultimate goal is to gain insights into human physiology and disease, which may lead to novel therapeutic methods that enhance human regenerative processes. Graduated in Biochemistry, in 1993, at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Portugal, and obtained a PhD in Developmental Biology and Genetics, in 1999, at the University of London, UK. After the PhD, worked as Post Doc until 2002, at University College London. Established an independent junior research group at the Gulbenkian Institute of Science, Oeiras, in 2002. Joined the Institute of Molecular Medicine, Lisbon, in 2004, where led several research projects and oversaw institutional activities. Moved to the NOVA Medical School as a Principal Investigator in 2011, taking institutional roles, as Coordinator of the CEDOC – Chronic Diseases Research Centre from 2011 until 2019, as Vice-Dean for research at the NOVA Medical School from 2014 until 2021, and at present as Coordinator of the implementation of a new research centre, the NIMSB – NOVA Institute for Medical Systems Biology, funded by the Teaming for Excellence Programme – Horizon Europe. Published high-impact research papers in high-impact journals and received prestigious international grants, including an ERC Starting Grant. Participates actively in the scientific community, frequently reviewing international research grants and papers, and serving on scientific committees and advisory boards.

Alda Castro is currently the Finance and Administrative Director of a NIMSB, with over 15 years of experience in financial and management control. She has held leadership positions across various sectors, specializing in financial planning, budgeting, and audit management. As the Director of Management Control at EUROPALCO since December 2023, Alda is responsible for implementing analytical accounting systems, supporting organizational restructuring, and advising the administration on operational costs and business investments. Previously, at the NOVA Medical School, she led a team as Director of Management Control, where she developed and implemented analytical accounting systems, spearheaded a 10-year business plan, and played a key role in the faculty’s restructuring and financial oversight.

Earlier roles include Audit Consultant at Deloitte, Financial and Management Control Manager at Plural Entertainment, SA, and Financial Controller positions at ISCTE and TIMWE Group. Alda has extensive experience in managing financial teams, implementing SAP systems, and providing strategic financial insights to executive boards. A graduate in business management from ISCTE, with additional governance training from the University of Economics in Prague, she also holds certifications in audit, taxation, and risk management.

Sofia Miguel is the NIMSB Vice-director for Financial Sustainability and Impact.

Over the last 20 years, Dr. Miguel has been essentially linked to the national scientific and technological system. In 2002 she obtained her degree in Organic Chemistry from the Faculty of Sciences of University of Lisbon. After that, she worked five years for a national pharmaceutical company and at ITQB NOVA designing and developing new organic compounds with pharmaceutical and biomedical interest.

In 2012 she obtained her PhD in the field of Engineering Sciences and Technology from ITQB NOVA and where she also conducted her post-doctoral studies. She has several publications in peer-reviewed journals.

In 2014, she decided to join to the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, the national agency responsible for the funding of research in science, technology and innovation in all areas of knowledge. During the period she spent at FCT, she worked directly with the Board of Directors as scientific officer designing, implementing and monitoring robust evaluation processes, respecting the best international practices.

In 2018, Dr. Miguel joined again to NOVA to implement and coordinate the Research Funding Office, and the scientific activities of the SPEAR project designed to developed and implement Gender Equality Plans in the Academia. In 2022, she was invited to be adviser for Science and European affairs of the Portuguese Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education and where she become later Head of Cabinet.

Cláudia Nunes Santos is the NIMSB Vice-director for Research.

Dr. Cláudia Nunes dos Santos is Principal Investigator at NOVA Medical School and Guest Researcher at NIMSB. Her research is focused on understanding the role of polyphenols in providing the health benefits associated with consuming bioactive-rich plant foods and understanding the mechanistic basis of these beneficial changes. She is particularly interested in the ability of polyphenols metabolites to reach the brain and prevent or reverse the main hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases.

She received her PhD at University of Lisbon in Plant Biochemistry and conducted her postdoctoral studies at Institute of Technology and Chemistry Biology, Portugal. She then worked as a Research Group Leader of the Molecular Nutrition and Health Lab at ITQB NOVA, before joining NOVA Medical School in Lisbon. She was awarded in 2018 with an ERC starting grant for zooming the link between diet and brain health focused in how phenolic metabolites modulate brain inflammation. Recently she was awarded with an ERC Proof-of-concept focused on a novel small molecule “NeuroShield” for tackling Parkinson’s Disease. She was also involved in a series of EU projects as a group leader and work-package leader (FP7-EUBerry; FP7-BacHBerry; Horizon2020-CHIC) and have attracted funding from Portuguese National Agency.

She has published over 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals (H-Index of 35, Web of Science).

Inês Sequeira is Principal Investigator and Vice-Director for Research at NIMSB.

Inês obtained her Biology degree from the University of Lisbon and Université Libre de Bruxelles, where she specialised in genetics and developmental biology. She completed her PhD at Institut Pasteur, in Paris, working as part of a multidisciplinary team to investigate stem cell heterogeneity and behaviour in the hair follicle, using lineage tracing, clonal analysis, imaging and mathematical modelling.

In 2014, Inês joined the lab of Prof Fiona Watt at King’s College London for her postdoctoral training on epithelial stem cells and cancer biology. During her postdoc, she discovered a novel immunoregulatory role for Keratin 76 in tumour development and led work on the genetic and cellular heterogeneity of oral squamous cell carcinoma. By linking whole-exome sequencing data with tumour location, clonal organisation, and immune infiltration, her research helped reveal the dynamics of oral cancer formation and opened new avenues for early diagnosis, and disease monitoring.

Following her postdoctoral training, Dr Sequeira led a research group at L’Oréal R&I, where she investigated skin ageing and regeneration.

In 2020, Inês joined the Institute of Dentistry at Queen Mary University of London as Associate Professor (Reader) and Deputy Director of Research.

Dr Sequeira’s lab focuses on the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying oral cancer formation and the regenerative capacity of the oral mucosa, a tissue known for its rapid, scarless healing compared with skin. Her team combines experimental and computational approaches, including advanced imaging, transcriptomics, and mathematical modelling, to map cellular interactions and uncover the intrinsic and extrinsic signals that shape oral wound healing and tumour development.

Committed to collaborative science, she co-founded the London Stem Cell Network  and the SpatiaLondon network (network on Spatial Biology), and currently coordinates the Oral and Craniofacial Bionetwork of the Human Cell Atlas

Ana Tavares has over 15 years of experience managing R&D projects in academia, research institutes, and funding agencies. Previously, she led the Research Support Service at NMS|UNL, overseeing research grants, recruitment, and resource management.

At NIMSB, she leads the Project Management Office, ensuring project alignment with research team needs and funding requirements, overseeing financial execution, and implementing best practices. She also collaborates on establishing Technology Platforms and cost allocation procedures.

Ana Pombo is Vice-speaker of the Systems Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease Research Program of the MDC Berlin in the Helmholtz Association and Deputy Scientific Director of Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB) at the MDC.

She received her PhD in Physiological Sciences from the University of Oxford (UK) in 1998, which she developed at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology. She received a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship and remained in Oxford until 2000. She became a Group Leader at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Systems (MRC-LMS, UK). In 2012, she founded the Integrative Biology Section, MRC-LMS, and became a Professor in Cell Biology at Imperial College London. In 2013, she moved to Germany as a Group Leader at BIMSB, supported by a Helmholtz Association Distinguished Professorship, and became Professor (W3) at the Humboldt University of Berlin. From 2019, she serves as Deputy Scientific Director of BIMSB, MDC, and from 2022, as Vice-speaker of the Systems Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease research program of the MDC in the Helmholtz Association. She was the lead applicant of the NIMSB Teaming for Excellence project and NIMSB spokesperson at MDC. She has been a member of the NIH Common Funds 4D-Nucleome consortium since 2015, and co-coordinates the DFG Priority Program SPP2202 “Spatial Genome Architecture in Development and Disease”. Her research focuses on decoding the regulatory roles of 3D genome structure in gene expression and cellular memory. Her lab has pioneered high-resolution imaging and genomics technologies to study 3D genome architecture.