Meet the Team
We are an international and diverse group – biologists, physicists, biochemists, engineers, and we genetically manipulate fruit flies, record neuronal activity, look carefully at behavior and find out how the brain works.

Ah, and we like to cook and enjoy life!

Lab members
Carlos Ribeiro, PhD

Carlos Ribeiro, PhD

Principal Investigator

✉️ 🎓 🐦 🌍

cell biologist trying to do neuroscience, nutrients,  life is about dynamics, boeuf bourguignon 🐄

🇨🇭 🇵🇹 🇪🇸 🇦🇹 …

Ana Paula Elias, PhD

Ana Paula Elias, PhD

Research Assistant

✉️

mother of the lab, administration, molecular biology guru, finances, nuts 🌰

🇵🇹

Raquel Barajas Azpeleta, PhD

Raquel Barajas Azpeleta, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

✉️ 

behavior, molecular and cell biology, swimming, chocolate desserts 🍫

🇪🇸

Darshan Bharatkumar Dhakan, PhD

Darshan Bharatkumar Dhakan, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

✉️ 🐦

computational biology, metabolomics, metagenomics, neuroscience, lady finger & cauliflower curry 🍛

🇮🇳

Gili Ezra-Nevo, PhD

Gili Ezra-Nevo, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

✉️

bread&butter 🍞

🇮🇱

Silvia F. Henriques, PhD

Silvia F. Henriques, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

✉️

host-microbiome interactions, food preference, nutrition, biochemistry, microbiology, whelk salad 🥗

🇵🇹

Daniel Münch, PhD

Daniel Münch, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

✉️ 🎓 🐦 🌍

pan-neuronal imaging, sensory physiology, sensory processing, neuronal circuits, sushi 🍣

🇩🇪

Zita Santos, PhD

Zita Santos, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

✉️ 🎓

metabolic reprogramming, nutrient appetite, fertility, inter-organ communication, bacalhau 🐟

🇵🇹

Ibrahim Taştekin, PhD

Ibrahim Taştekin, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

✉️ 🐦

behavior, neural circuits, motor pattern generation, basketball, black tea ☕

🇹🇷 🇪🇸

Rory Beresford

Rory Beresford

2020 INPDP PhD Student

✉️ 🐦

behaviour, neural circuits, evolution, transcriptional regulation, football, cherry pie 🥧

🇬🇧

Patricia Francisco

Patricia Francisco

2015 INDP PhD Student

✉️

genes, nutrients, microbiome, behavior, RNAI, CRISPR, genetics, brownies 🍪

🇵🇹

Rita Figueiredo

Rita Figueiredo

2019 INPDP PhD Student

✉️

biochemistry, molecular pathways, behaviour, biotech, shrimps 🍤

🇵🇹

Dennis Goldschmidt, PhD

Dennis Goldschmidt, PhD

2015 INDP PhD Student

✉️ 🎓 🐦 🌍

behavioral data analysis, neuronal circuits, behavioral and neural modeling, hardware, coding, python, basketball, boston celtics, ramen 🍜

🇪🇺 🇩🇪

Célia Baltazar

Célia Baltazar

Research Technician

✉️

master behavioral assays performer, genetics, fly stocks caregiver, marmalade cheesecake 🎂

🇵🇹

Inês Vicente

Inês Vicente

Research Technician

✉️

biochemistry, metabolism, cell biology, molecular genetics, pizza 🍕

🇵🇹

Alumni
Lúcia Serra

Lúcia Serra

Research Technician

 

microbiome, behaviour, molecular biology, genetics, cheese 🧀

🇵🇹

Pavel Itskov, MD, PhD

Pavel Itskov, MD, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

🎓 🐦

behavior, neuronal circuits, electrophysiology, FlyPad, brass-instruments, green tea 🍵

🇷🇺 🇮🇹

Margarida Anjos

Margarida Anjos

Research Technician

genetics, molecular biology, gets anything done, gummy bears 🐻

🇵🇹 🇺🇸

Kathrin Steck, PhD

Kathrin Steck, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

 

behavior, chemosensation, amino acids, ants, circuit cracking, muffins 🧁

🇨🇭 🇩🇪

José Maria Moreira

José Maria Moreira

Engineering Masters Student

novel behavioral hardware setups, decisions, optogenetics FlyPad, croissants 🥐

Now part of the MIT Portugal PhD programme.

🇵🇹

Samuel Walker

Samuel Walker

PhD Student

behavior, neuronal circuits, two photon calcium imaging, postmating behavior, salt, neurogenetics, poir-au-vin 🍐🍷, tasty vegetarian food, base guitars
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇮🇳

Samantha Herbert

Samantha Herbert

PhD Student

behavior, molecular biology, nutrient sensing, cheesecake 🍰

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇵🇹 🇦🇹

Verónica Corrales Carvajal

Verónica Corrales Carvajal

MIT PhD Student

quantitative behavioral analysis, coding, modelling, decisions, open science, chocolate mousse 🍫

Now coding her way into startup heaven.

🇨🇴