Ana Isabel Roque, PhD student in Biology at NOVA FCT and research fellow at ciTechCare was distinguished by the Luso-American Foundation for Development, with a grant in the amount of 6000 euros, intended for the internship that the PhD student will carry out at the Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, in Boston and which will begin on September 23, 2024.

Over 8 months, Ana Isabel Roque, member of the research team of the CELIACT(TIV) project, intends to investigate the mechanisms of autoimmunity in celiac disease, in particular, foster the knowledge about the specific interactions between the host and bacteria and their influence on the host’s responses to environmental factors.

The CELIACT(TIV) project goal is to better understand the Celiac Disease’s pathophysiology by dissecting the interactions between gluten-microbiota-immune system and characterize the bacterial microbiota of celiac disease patients.

As a visiting student researcher at Professor Fasano’s laboratory at the Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, she plans to employ an intestinal organoid-bacteria co-culture model to infer if commensal bacteria can disrupt and translocate the intestinal epithelial barrier and contribute to the autoimmune response observed in celiac patients.

FLAD promotes the development of Portugal through bilateral cooperation with the United States of America, rewarding merit, innovation and value creation in 4 major areas: Science and Technology, Education, Art and Culture and Transatlantic Relations, enhancing mobility between the two countries.

Ana Isabel Roque also recently awarded a Fulbright Research Grant with the support of the Foundation for Science and Technology.