Short Bio
I am a biologist with a doctorate degree in Biology (Ecophysiology) obtained through the University of Lisbon (Portugal) and postdoctoral research experience from the Cornell University (USA). I am currently an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Science and Environment currently teaching neurobiology and environment-related subjects.
My research interests are animal communication and underlying neuroanatomical and physiological mechanisms. I am especially interested in the mechanisms controlling auditory sensitivity and how changes in the environment (e.g. noise pollution) and aging affect the structure and function of auditory systems and possible physiological adaptations. I have been using the highly vocal Lusitanian toadfish (Halobatrachus didactylus) and, more recently, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) as my model organisms.
My current research lines cover the following topics: 1) development of auditory-vocal systems; 2) hormonal control of auditory sensitivity; 3) effects of environmental stressors (noise) on inner ear anatomy and sensitivity.
A parallel project, in collaboration with The University of Hong Kong (Global Night Sky Brightness Monitoring Network), focuses on light pollution in Macau and its implications for local population and biodiversity.
I have received several grants from Portugal (FCT, MCTES - SFRH/BM/21774/2005, SFRH/BD/30491/2006) and USA (Grass Fellowship, Grass Foundation, Marine Biological Laboratory; postdoctoral grant, Cornell University), as well as from FDCT, Macau (012/2012/A1; 036/2015/A1).
The ongoing research relies on a collaboration with various institutions abroad, namely with the University of Lisbon, Portugal (Fonseca Lab) and the Cornell University, USA (Bass Lab).
Publications
I am a biologist with a doctorate degree in Biology (Ecophysiology) obtained through the University of Lisbon (Portugal) and postdoctoral research experience from the Cornell University (USA). I am currently an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Science and Environment currently teaching neurobiology and environment-related subjects.
My research interests are animal communication and underlying neuroanatomical and physiological mechanisms. I am especially interested in the mechanisms controlling auditory sensitivity and how changes in the environment (e.g. noise pollution) and aging affect the structure and function of auditory systems and possible physiological adaptations. I have been using the highly vocal Lusitanian toadfish (Halobatrachus didactylus) and, more recently, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) as my model organisms.
My current research lines cover the following topics: 1) development of auditory-vocal systems; 2) hormonal control of auditory sensitivity; 3) effects of environmental stressors (noise) on inner ear anatomy and sensitivity.
A parallel project, in collaboration with The University of Hong Kong (Global Night Sky Brightness Monitoring Network), focuses on light pollution in Macau and its implications for local population and biodiversity.
I have received several grants from Portugal (FCT, MCTES - SFRH/BM/21774/2005, SFRH/BD/30491/2006) and USA (Grass Fellowship, Grass Foundation, Marine Biological Laboratory; postdoctoral grant, Cornell University), as well as from FDCT, Macau (012/2012/A1; 036/2015/A1).
The ongoing research relies on a collaboration with various institutions abroad, namely with the University of Lisbon, Portugal (Fonseca Lab) and the Cornell University, USA (Bass Lab).
Modules
Year 1 Doctorate
This module will start with an introduction to the historical foundation of the scientific method, the main philosophical currents that have shaped scientific thinking, and how modern science operates. The module will then provide an overview on the different research designs and methodologies adopted in various fields of knowledge. A final emphasis will be given to techniques of academic writing, publication, and scientific communication.
This module aims to introduce participants to key elements of doctoral research in the broad sense of an Academic framework. It focuses on providing an understanding of the research support Mechanisms at USJ and in overviews of the main research specialisation fields within the University of Saint Joseph, namely Business Administration; Education; Global Studies; Government Studies; History; Information Systems; Psychology; Religious Studies; Science. The course also provides an opportunity for the students to present and discuss their own work in a seminar environment.
This Module provides an initial experience of supervised research work where students will work with their intended supervisor in a collaborative tutorial model that resembles the practice of Thesis Supervision. During the Module the intended supervisor will guide the student trough multiple meetings (up to 15) during a full academic year The students will conduct autonomous research that should result in a preliminary literature review, research contextualisation and a thesis proposal completely finished and prepared to be submitted to the Foundation Year Final thesis proposal review and assessment instances.
Year 1 Master
This interdisciplinary module will provide training in the most common methods and tools used in environmental projects. The module will start by covering the basic principles of experimental design, data collection and data analysis in different environment-related frameworks. Students will then receive training in common analytical techniques in geo and biochemistry and in Geographical Information Systems (GIS). An enphasis will be put into GIS as their application crosses many fields of Environmental Sciences. The theoretical/practical concepts related to GIS design, development and management and the features of existing GIS software regarding its capability of analysis of spatial data will be presented. Students will be trained in space modelation and surveillance of spatial error, geo-databases concepts, vector/raster representation, 3D/network analysis, geostatistics and remote sensing.
This module will focus on the understanding of the effects and risks of pollutants to natural ecosystems and human populations. It will begin by studying the major classes of pollutants that can impact health, the environmental sources of these substances, their transport and resilience in the environment and the routes for human and animal exposure to these chemicals. Basic concepts of toxicology will be reviewed, including dose-response relationships, chemodynamics and chemokinetics. The potential impact on human health will be addressed by reviewing common negative effects on health (e.g. organ toxicity, carcinogenesis, endocrine disruption, neurodevelopmental effects, etc).
The module will also review the existing procedures for monitoring environmental pollutants in different countries. Finally, a strong emphasis will be given to risk assessment and to the analytical procedures available for measuring environmental pollutants and for testing the potential negative effects of new pollutants in animal and human health. Simple laboratory experiments in ecotoxicology will be run in order to provide hands-on training to students in a number of relevant techniques.
Year 1 Bachelor
Students will explore the neurological basis of specific psychological processes, such as motivation, emotion, sleep, perception, attention, conscience, learning, memory and various mental and affective dysfunctions. Students will also become acquainted with neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, as well as the proper methods of research in psychology.
This module introduces the connection between biology and psychology, the link between neural and hormonal systems with mental states and behaviour. The fundamental biological processes of homeostasis, circadian rhythms and sleep will be discussed. The organisation and function of the human endocrine system will be outlined as well as its influence on human behaviour. The structure of neurons and the interaction between action potentials, synapses and neurotransmission will be explored. Finally, the range of techniques used to investigate the structure and function of the nervous system will be compared.
Year 2 Bachelor
This course will be a survey of 20th century views on the nature of scientific knowledge. How does Science Work? Where does science begin and end? Which kinds of activity count as "science"? Does science tell us what the world is "really" like? Is science our only sure path to respectable "knowledge"? What makes it different from other ways of understanding the universe? Topics will include: Logical positivism and Popper, the problem of induction, Kuhn, Feyerabend, Lakatos, and radical philosophies of science, and subsequent attempts to rebuild moderate empiricism and realist positions, as well as realism and anti-realism, scientific revolutions, and scientific reasoning.
The course examines specific physiological accounts of reinforcement, learning, and memory phenomena, the relationship between physiological models and behavioral theory, focusing on both animal models and computer models of learning and memory. This course will discuss the outlines processes involved in habituation, conditioning, learning, and memory through study of the neural elements and systems that underlie their production and maintenance. The course is designed to familiarize students with (i) the historical background of learning and memory, (ii) experimental methods, (iii) possible forms of internal representations, (iv) learning processes, (v) memory processes, and (vi) disorders and consciousness.
This course will review and analyze recent trends in global health, current problems of health, and the influence of economic, population and social factors on health and living conditions in different countries. The student will acquire the basics of descriptive and analytical epidemiology and understanding of key health indicators used in international comparisons. Looking at the major determinants of health and disease in different national contexts, the student will analyze the main transnational factors that influence the transfer of risks to health and the structural conditions that determine one country's vulnerability in a globalized economy.
This module further explores the biological basis of mental processes and behaviour. Students will further their understanding of the cortical localisation of function and explore how damage or dysregulation in the levels of neurotransmitters, can lead to neurological and behavioural disorders. The physiological and neurobiological processes that underlie mental functions and behaviours such as learning, memory, perception, language and cognition will also be explored.
Year 3 Bachelor
Students will study the complex, dynamic neurobiological systems that are involved in perception, language, attention, arousal, sleep, learning and memory, abstract reasoning, and consciousness itself. The course will also cover reviews of cutting-edge technologies, the evolutionary bases of neocortical specialization of cognitive functions, and heuristic models of brain function. Emphasis will also be placed on the interplay of traditional laboratory techniques, neuroimaging research, and evidence from patient populations in understanding how "brain" gives rise to "mind."
Social stratification is the unequal distribution of the goods that members of a society value -- earnings, income, authority, political power, status, class, prestige, etc. This course introduces various sociological perspectives on stratification. We will look at major patterns of inequality throughout human history, how they vary across countries, how they are formed and maintained, how they come to be seen as legitimate and desirable, and how they affect the lives of individuals within a society. The readings incorporate classical theoretical statements, contemporary debates, and recent empirical evidence. The information and ideas discussed in this course are critical for students who will go on in sociology and extremely useful for students who want to be informed about current social, economic, and political issues.
This module will focus on the understanding of the effects and risks of pollutants to biological systems, including human population.
It will begin by studying the major classes of pollutants that can impact health, the environmental sources of these substances, their transport and resilience in the environment and the routes for human and animal exposure to these chemicals.
Basic concepts of toxicology will be reviewed, including dose-response relationships, chemodynamics and chemokinetics. The potential impact on human health will be addressed by reviewing common negative effects on health (e.g. organ toxicity, carcinogenesis, endocrine disruption, neurodevelopmental effects, etc).
The module will also review the existing procedures for monitoring environmental pollutants. Finally, a strong emphasis will be given to risk assessment and to the analytical procedures available for measuring environmental pollutants and for testing the potential negative effects of new pollutants in animal and human health.
Simple laboratory experiments in ecotoxicology will be run in order to provide hands-on training to students.
Year 4 Bachelor
Students will explore the relations of historical and current brain models to diagnostic categories of dysfunction and other inferences; use of behavioral measures as well as older methods to detect and study CNS dysfunction; syndromes, etiology, and behavioral concomitants in children and adults.
This subject aims to introduce different literary genres. Students are expected to be conversant with some of the most pertinent literature of and for our times. Even though we disavow the relative merits of fixed lists of works considered classics, we do affirm the intrinsic value of communal reading and theorizing. Reading lists will be defined and evolve through proposals from faculty and students.
Year 1
This course is an introduction to the basic concepts and applications of Biology with Human Emphasis. It highlights core concepts, current understandings and research trends in the field of Human Biology with particular emphasis on the nervous system.
This course is an introduction to the application of knowledge and understanding of human processes, their interactions and outcomes over space and time. It covers the nature, significance and effects of people’s values and attitudes including their own in relation to geographical issues and questions.
This course introduces the different methods used in conducting an investigative research in human geography. The students are expected to plan, conduct and present their own simple geographical research.
