University of Coimbra
Universidade De Coimbra, Coimbra, PortugalGeneral Information
The University of Coimbra (UC) is one of the oldest university in continuous operation in the world, and the oldest and one of largest higher education and research institutions in Portugal. It leads the largest medical imaging center in Portugal with technical and scientific relevance at the European scale, housing 3 important institutions/networks:
- IBILI – Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (with around 70 PhDs and 200 researchers)
- BING – National Brain Imaging Network (a consortium of 5 Universities with the leadership of the UC),
- CiBIT/ICNAS – Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (with about 50 PhDS and 120 researchers).
UC is a leading institution in brain MR imaging and molecular probe production and molecular imaging. It has a strong expertise in signal & image processing, experimental design and data acquisition and management. These pillars create the core medical imaging equipment infrastructure in Portugal with relevant scientific productivity now expanding to all levels of multimodal imaging. We have unique expertise and equipment for development of imaging markers and clinical studies in vision and brain imaging.
Linked to UC is the Clinical and Academic Centre, resulting from the consortium that involves the University (through the Faculty of Medicine and ICNAS) and the Coimbra Hospital and University Centre (CHUC). Recognized as a research and clinical trial centre of national excellence with a wide range of clinical services and medical specialties, CHUC also integrates a Central Pediatric Hospital with a specialized neurodevelopmental and autism unity (UNDA) and an Adult Psychiatry Unit. The UNDA is a national reference for neurodevelopmental disorders, especially for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), providing a comprehensive clinical and biological database of more than 3500 patients with neurodevelopmental disorders. These organic unities provide specific friendly spaces, equipment, human resources and lab spaces that are well equipped (nurses, psychologists, neurodevelopmental pediatricians, adult psychiatrists, neuropsychological evaluation and eyetracking/neurophysiology systems), so that children and adults can be evaluated in the context of translational research in an appropriate setting.
Role in AIMS-2-TRIALS
UC will participate in the validation of stratification biomarkers particularly in participant recruitment and testing for the LEAP Epilepsy study. UC will take part in the clinical network development and sustainability and testing of new medicines, in particular as a clinical centre for the serotonin and GABA studies. We will also contribute to project’s data management and analysis with expertise in clinical neuroscience, positron emission topography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Miguel Castelo-Branco
Professor

Antero Abrunhosa
Professor

Dalila Barroca
Nuclear Medicine Technologist

Ines Bernardino
Postdoctoral Researcher

João Castelhano
Technician

Isabel Catarina Duarte
Technician

Frederico Duque
PhD Student

Andreia Gomes
Study Nurse

Susana Mouga
PhD Student

Guiomar Oliveira
Professor

Ana Pina Rodrigues
Postdoctoral Researcher

Diana Pires
Study Nurse

Luís Pires
Medical Doctor

Daniela Sousa
Research Assistant