Participation in Católica Medical School
- Co-founder of the Católica Medical School
- Member of the Scientific Council
- Director of the Teaching and Research Laboratory
- Deputy Director of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Health (CIIS)
- Director of the CIIS CatólicaMed Platform
- Coordinator of the curricular unit Introduction to Research Laboratory of Immunology
Field of Work
Vaccinology | Immunology | Microbiology | Tuberculosis | Malaria
Professional Activity
- Católica Medical School (FM-UCP)
Education
- BSc in Biotechnology (ISHT, Lisbon, PT)
- MSc in Immunology and Immunogenetics (University of Manchester, UK)
- PhD in Pharmacy (University of Lisbon, PT)
- Post-doc in Vaccinology (Oxford University, UK)
Professional Career Summary
Professor Paulo J. G. Bettencourt graduated in Biotechnology from ISHT, Lisbon, completed an MSc in Immunology and Immunogenetics at the University of Manchester, a PhD in Pharmacy at the University of Lisbon, and a Post-Doc in Vaccinology at the prestigious Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, where the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine was invented and developed.
His research work is based on two distinct but complementary areas: 1) research focused on fundamental immunology, more specifically on the interactions between pathogens and the immune system, and 2) translation of knowledge gained in the laboratory to vaccine design and development.
Specifically, the main subject of his research is the discovery of antigens and the development of vaccines against tuberculosis, malaria and other pathogens using cellular and molecular biology methods. During his postdoctoral work, he published in a Nature group journal the identification of peptides presented by MHC-I and MHC-II, using immunopeptidomics (mass spectrometry and bioinformatics). This work resulted in the identification of 3 new candidate antigens for tuberculosis vaccines.
Combining fundamental and applied immunology, his aim is to contribute to the development of innovative medical interventions of great relevance and impact for humanity.
Languages
Portuguese | English | French