The Award Committee is responsible for suporting the participation in scientific meetings and/or to perform research activities such as training at a different institution. It is working uder the guidance of Prof. Alexandra Brito.
Maria Alexandra Brito has a degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences and a PhD with Habilitation in Pharmacy. She is Full Professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon (FPUL) and Vice-President of the FPUL Scientific Council.
She has vast teaching experience in subjects like Histology and Human Anatomy, and particularly in topics in the Neurosciences field. Presently, she coordinates the disciplines “Human Anatomy” (Integrated Master Course in Pharmaceutical Sciences), as well as “Development and organization of the nervous system”, “Brain barriers in drug development” and “Neuropathology and neuropharmacology” (Biopharmaceutical Sciences Master Course), further coordinating the Pharmaceutical Sciences PhD course of FPUL.
Maria Alexandra Brito heads the Neurovascular Laboratory of the Research Institute for Medicines of the FPUL. Her major research interests are the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and neurovascular alterations in brain pathologies, including brain tumors and neurodegenerative diseases. She has studied microvascular dysfunction as determinant of disease pathogenesis and progression, and the BBB as a source of peripheral biomarkers, a target for modulation, and an obstacle to transpose to achieve therapeutic concentrations in the brain. Her work has involved biological assays relying on the use of BBB-based in vitro models of increasing complexity, animal models and patients-derived samples. She has also extensively studied BBB properties to ascertain the efficacy of drug candidates and natural compounds to modulate or cross the BBB and exert the intended neuroprotective or therapeutic action. Moreover, she has allied biological assays to bioinformatics tools to discover novel players in disease pathogenesis and unravel therapeutic targets. Currently, she is involved in the development of novel therapeutic strategies to prevent or treat breast cancer brain metastases by targeting the BBB. Maria Alexandra Brito’s work has been presented in reputed scientific meetings and published in high impact journals, and has been awarded several grants and prizes.
She integrates the social bodies of the Portuguese Anatomical Society and the European Federation of Experimental Morphology, and is an evaluator for multiple scientific journals and funding entities.
Emma is the BSc Anatomy Programme Lead at the University of Glasgow, UK. She coordinates the Senior Honours Year of the programme and teaches students in all 4 years across several human biology degree subjects. She is also the Anatomy lead for 2nd year Nursing and contributes teaching to both Medical and Postgraduate Curricula. Her scholarship research focusses on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion as well as enhancing the delivery of Neuroanatomy and Histology teaching via digital platforms. She is a member of the Equality Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the Anatomical Society and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
After gaining a Neuroscience BSc (hons) from the University of Aberdeen, Emma completed her PhD in Clinical Neuroscience at the University of Edinburgh specialising in the aetiology of subcortical small vessel stroke and vascular dementia. She then secured a post-doctoral position in the Department of Bioengineering at Imperial College London where she collaborated with Aeronautical Engineers to look at how the frictional force of blood (shear stress) on vessel walls influences the spatial development of Atherosclerosis. Her scientific research interests are focussed on the influence of biomechanics and vascular geometry in both cardio and cerebrovascular disease development.
Eiman is a Reader at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), UK with expertise in human anatomy, embryology, and neuroanatomy. She is passionate about anatomical sciences education and is very keen to actively support the education of her students. Eiman’s areas of professional interest include anatomical variation, multimodal teaching strategies, implementing innovative technology and audience response system in teaching, flipped classrooms, blended and online learning. She has published widely in high impact journals and presented at many national and international meetings, including multiple invited talks. Recently, she won AACA Senior Faculty Award for the best presentation at the Annual Conference in Dallas, June 2022. Through her career, her work with the Risk Management Group Committee at Royal College of Surgeons and her role at QUB Research Ethics Committee, she gained lot of experience in reviewing and generating policies for educational and research-related activities. She enjoys being a regular reviewer for the Anatomical Sciences Education, BMC Medical Education and Clinical Anatomy Journals.
She is the Programme Lead for MSc in Clinical Anatomy, an academic Lead for dental anatomy course and Unit Lead for Musculoskeletal Unit 2 for the MB BCh BAO. She was an International Visiting Scholar/Guest Speaker for Weill Cornell Medicine, NY. She has previously acted as a member of the Career Development Committee and the Education Affairs Committee of the American Association of Clinical Anatomy. She enjoys her work as the Racial Equity Champion of her school and has lot of passion on diversifying the curriculum.
Jailenne is an Assistant Professor of Anatomical Sciences at Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She received her BS in Biomedical Sciences at University of Puerto Rico at Ponce. Subsequently, she completed her master's degree in Anatomy and Biomedical Sciences and her Ph.D. from the Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine in Puerto Rico. She received didactic training in higher education pedagogy through graduate studies and strategies to develop effective communication with students. These experiences and extensive scientific training have been fundamental in understanding the dynamic role of science and leadership in decision-making and evidence-based medicine.
Dr. Quiñones-Rodríguez’s research expertise lies in the human cadaveric dissection, analysis of anatomical variants, and the investigation of physiological functions. Her work aims to enhance the broader knowledge base, potentially leading to significant discoveries in human development and evolutionary biology. In collaboration with physicians from various disciplines, she focuses on increasing awareness of anatomical variations to improve surgical approaches and outcomes.
Dr. Quiñones-Rodríguez integrates emerging technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and 3D modeling to advance anatomical sciences. She leverages these tools to foster innovation in understanding complex phenomena, including embryology and cellular and molecular biology.
Furthermore, Dr. Quiñones-Rodríguez has a proven track record of contributing to the study of the frequency and distribution of human anatomical variations. She is dedicated to enhancing medical curricula through teaching innovations, thereby improving the education and training of future medical professionals.