Henrique O. Duarte has an international PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biotechnology Applied to Health Sciences (ICBAS/FFUP, University of Porto, 2020), funded by FCT and the European Association for Cancer Research (EACR). Host Institution: Glycobiology in Cancer group of the Institute for Research and Innovation in Health, University of Porto (i3S) and the Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics of the Leiden University Medical Center (CPM/LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands.
During his PhD, Henrique has comprehensively dissected the glycosylation profile of the ErbB2 oncogenic receptor in gastric cancer and identified glycan-mediated pathways of molecular resistance to the clinically implemented trastuzumab therapeutic agent. Using translational multidisciplinary approaches, including genetically glycoengineered tumor cell models and Mass spectrometry-guided workflows for glycan structural elucidation, his research work has provided clinically relevant insights on the mechanistic role played by glycans on ErbB2-positive unresectable gastric cancer. Henrique's PhD research work has been acknowledged, funded and awarded by multiple renowned Institutions of Biomedical and Cancer Research (including the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), the European Association for Cancer Research (EACR), the International Glycoconjugate Organization (IGO), the Utrecht University, and Portuguese Society for Human Genetics).
Currently: Junior Researcher and Project Leader at i3S, where he is dissecting the role played by cancer-associated glycosylation signatures in the emergence of molecular resistance to both conventional and targeted therapies in the advanced gastric cancer setting. His work has selected for presentation in multiple international scientific meetings related to Cancer Biology, and has been awarded as both the poster and oral communication (including the Porto Cancer Meeting). He has co-authored 16 publications in internationally recognized peer-reviewed journals (including high profile publications in Trends in Cancer, Oncogene, Cancer Cell, Molecular Aspects of Medicine, FEBS Letters, Plant Biotechnology journal), and 3 book chapters edited by prestigious scientific publishers (Nova Publishers, Wiley and Elsevier).
He has secured funding as PI in two competitive calls: 3rd edition "Prémio Francisco Augusto da Fonseca Dias e Maria José Melenas da Fonseca para Jovens Investigadores" (LOGIC 2021, 50.000€), and an FCT-funded project (EMERGENCE 2022.04138.PTDC, 50.000€). He served as Co-PI of an FCT-funded project (GlycOrganoid 2021, 50.000€), and has integrated the teams of multiple FCT- and pharmaceutical industry-funded projects (~1.5M€). He currently manages a team composed by one Research Trainee, one MSc student, and he co-supervises one MSc student. He has integrated the organizing and scientific committees of national and international scientific meetings (including the IV BiotechHealth Annual Symposium (Porto, 2017), EU-funded COST Action Young Researchers Meeting (Iasi, 2023) and the 15th Jenner Glycobiology and Medicine Symposium (Porto, 2023)). He serves as a reviewer for high impact scientific journals (Nature Communications, Molecular Oncology, Oncotarget, American Journal of Cell Physiology, Cancers, iScience).
Previous studies: Integrated Master in Bioengineering, with a specialization in Molecular Biotechnology (2014, FEUP/ICBAS) awarded by the University of Porto, for which he was awarded with a Merit Scholarship for Exceptional Achievement as a student of the University of Porto by the Portuguese Ministry of Education (3rd best student of the 2009-2014 class). Research intern at the Department of Infectious Diseases of the National Health Institute (2012). Research intern at the Structural Biology Department of the Vrije University Amsterdam, The Netherlands (ERASMUS international mobility programme, 2013).