The project “CBmeter – a new device for the early detection of type 2 diabetes mellitus”, led by researcher Maria Guarino, was distinguished with the Alfredo da Silva Scientific Research Award in the category of Technological Innovation, Mobility and Industry. The research award was funded by the Fundação Amélia de Mello in collaboration with COTEC Portugal and was presented by the President of the Republic, Professor Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, at the closing ceremony of the commemorations of the 150th anniversary of the birth of the industrialist Alfredo da Silva.

This project aims to develop a device that allows the screening and early diagnosis of metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, through the detection of dysfunction of the carotid bodies. The project is being developed by a multidisciplinary team that includes researchers from the Polytechnic of Leiria, Maria Guarino, Rui Fonseca-Pinto, Nuno Vieira Lopes, Marlene Lages, Henrique Carvalho and Inês Lisboa and the researcher Sílvia Conde of the Universidade Nova de Lisbon.