My research interests focus on the investigation of Plasmodium liver stages and on the exploitation of their potential for anti-malarial intervention. My research program includes unveiling novel aspects of the biology of Plasmodium infection, identifying drugs with antiplasmodial activity, establishing new experimental methodologies to study the malaria parasite, investigating the reciprocal impact of concurrent infections with Plasmodium and other infectious agents, and developing a new strategy for malaria vaccination .
As the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, I was involved in setting up iMM’s Task Force for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics. I have a keen interest on COVID-19 vaccination and have addressed this issue on multiple occasions in webinars and in the media.
Miguel Prudêncio graduated in Biochemistry by the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon in 1993 and completed his PhD on Biochemistry by the University of East Anglia in 2000, followed by a post-doctoral period at the University of Leiden. During this period, he worked on metalloprotein characterization and protein-protein interactions. In 2004, he shifted his research focus to the field of malaria and became a post-doc in Maria Mota’s research group at Instituto de Medicina Molecular (iMM). In 2008, he became a Staff Scientist of iMM’s Malaria Unit and, in 2013, he became an independent Group Leader at iMM, heading the Prudêncio lab. He was appointed Invited Associate Professor of the Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa in March 2019, and completed his Habilitation to this Faculty in January 2023.
Miguel’s research interests focus on the investigation of Plasmodium liver stages and on the exploitation of their potential for anti-malarial intervention. He is guided by the conviction that the ambitious goal of malaria eradication requires the combination of the knowledge driven by fundamental investigation with the targeted approaches afforded by translational research. His research program includes unveiling novel aspects of the biology of Plasmodium infection, identifying drugs with antiplasmodial activity, establishing new experimental methodologies to study the malaria parasite, and investigating the reciprocal impact of concurrent infections with Plasmodium and other infectious agents. Among his ambitions is a desire to contribute to the development of a much-needed effective vaccine against malaria, which has led him to investigate the immunology of Plasmodium liver infection, and to develop and clinically validate a novel approach to whole-sporozoite vaccination against malaria.
Miguel is the author of over 130 scientific articles in international peer-reviewed journals, having earned several scientific and innovation prizes, and is an inventor of several patents. He regularly lectures at undergraduate and graduate courses in various Faculties.
As the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, Miguel was involved in setting up iMM’s Task Force for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics. He has a keen interest on COVID-19 vaccination and has addressed this issue on multiple occasions in webinars and in the media.
Miguel Prudêncio completed his PhD by the University of East Anglia in 2000, followed by a post-doctoral period at the University of Leiden. In 2005, he initiated his research careeer in the field of malaria, at iMM, where he became an independent Group Leader in 2013, heading the Prudêncio lab. He is Associate Professor of the Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa since March 2019, and completed his Habilitation to this Faculty in January 2023. Miguel’s research focuses on Plasmodium liver stages and their potential for anti-malarial intervention. His interests include unveiling novel aspects of the biology of Plasmodium infection, identifying drugs with antiplasmodial activity, establishing new experimental methodologies to study the malaria parasite, investigating the reciprocal impact of concurrent infections with Plasmodium and other infectious agents, and developing a new strategy for malaria vaccination. Miguel is the author of over 130 scientific articles, has earned several scientific and innovation prizes, and is an inventor of several patents. He is a founding member the iMM spin-off company RoPlaVac. He was involved in setting up iMM’s Task Force for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics and has a keen interest on COVID-19 vaccination.
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