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 the analysis of nutrient acquisition by hepatic Plasmodium parasites, the survey of novel parasite-host interactions, the study of Plasmodium-Trypanosoma co-infections, the identification of new anti-malarial compounds and the development of a new strategy of vaccination against malaria.
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, initially at Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência and later at Instituto de Medicina Molecular (iMM Lisboa). In 2008 he was hired under FCT's Ciência 2007 program and became a Staff Scientist of iMM Lisboa’s Malaria Unit. In July 2013 he was hired under the Investigador FCT programme and became a fully independent Group Leader at iMM Lisboa, heading the Prudêncio lab. He was hired by iMM Lisboa under FCT's Individual Call to Scientific Employment Stimulus in April 2019 He was appointed Invited Associate Professor of the Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa in March 2019.
Miguel’s research interests are focused on the investigation of Plasmodium liver stages and on the exploitation of their potential for anti-malarial intervention. His research program includes the analysis of nutrient acquisition by hepatic Plasmodium parasites, the survey of novel parasite-host interactions, the study of Plasmodium-Trypanosoma co-infections, the identification of new anti-malarial compounds and the development of a new vaccination strategy against malaria, a project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Malaria Vaccine Initiative.
Miguel is the author of over 90 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. He is a founding member the iMM Lisboa spin-off company RoPlaVac. He has had numerous media appearances in relation to his research work in the malaria field or to the public understanding of science.
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 became a post-doc in the field of malaria, at iMM Lisboa. In 2008 he became a Staff Scientist of IMM’s Malaria Unit and in July 2013 he became an independent Group Leader at iMM Lisboa, heading the Prudêncio lab. He was appointed Invited Associate Professor of the Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa in March 2019.
Miguel’s research focuses on Plasmodium liver stages and their potential for anti-malarial intervention. His interests include nutrient acquisition by hepatic Plasmodium parasites, novel parasite-host interactions, and Plasmodium-Trypanosoma co-infections, as well as the identification of new anti-Plasmodial compounds and the development of a new malaria vaccination strategy, a project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Malaria Vaccine Initiative. Miguel is the author of over 90 scientific articles, has earned several scientific and innovation prizes, and is an inventor of several patents. He is a founding member the iMM Lisboa spin-off company RoPlaVac.
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