Thursday, 3/29/2018
Margarida Fernandes was granted, on the 21st
March, with a L’Oréal Portugal Medal of Honour for Women in Science. The
ceremony took place at the Pavilion of Knowledge, in Lisbon.
The researcher
Margarida Fernandes, from the School of Engineering of the University of Minho
(EEUM), was granted with a L’Oréal Portugal Medal of Honour for Women in
Science. The scientist will receive 15 thousand euros to develop a new
generation of materials to regenerate bone tissues.
The award
granted by L’Oréal Portugal, the National Commission of UNESCO and the
Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) aims at encouraging researchers in
Portugal – already with a PhD and up to 35 years old – to continue original and
relevant studies on health and environment. The jury, chaired by Alexandre
Quintanilha, evaluated more than 70 applications and elected four. In addition
to Margarida Fernandes, researchers from the Instituto Superior Técnico,
Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere and Institute of Molecular
Medicine were also awarded.
The ageing
population and problems such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis are becoming
more frequent, being the main causes of physical incapacity in the world.
Margarida Fernandes wants to develop “a new generation of active materials that
respond to physical stimuli for the engineering of bone tissues”. The
structures based on these multifunctional materials allow the generation of
biomimetic microenvironments through the development of a bioreactor that imitates
the natural environment of the cells, ensuring a natural stimulation for tissue
regeneration, which is essential for treating injuries and bone diseases. By
combining the bioreactor and the new active materials, the aim is creating new
bone tissue by stimulating the natural ability to regenerate the patients’
tissues. This projects promises to contribute to the well-being of millions of
people.
Margarida
Fernandes obtained a PhD from the Department of Textile Engineering of the EEUM
in the area of Biotechnology, with a study that included the use of biological
tools in the functionalisation of fibres for cosmetic and biomedical
applications. She completed a post-doctoral programme at the Polytechnic
University of Catalonia, in Spain, under a Marie Curie scholarship and is
currently carrying out a second post-doctoral programme with a FCT’s
scholarship at the Centre of Physics and the Centre of Biological Engineering
of the EEUM, whose research is the basis of this L’Oréal award.
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info: www.fisica.uminho.pt; www.ceb.uminho.pt/People/Details/11bf0396-9523-4470-bcc0-f08a2ca3e868; www.fct.pt/apoios/premios/loreal/index.phtml.en; www.lorealmulheresnaciencia.com.pt
