Where Ideas Grow
Carla Oliveira
Group leader

Carla Oliveira, BSc, PhD

2015-present: Group Leader/Principal Investigator (tenure), Expression Regulation in Cancer Group, i3S Porto, PT

2013-present: Group Leader/Principal Investigator (tenure), Ipatimup, Porto, PT

2013-present: Co-founder, Scientific Head and CEO, Bioinf2Bio Bioinformatics Company, Porto, PT

2006-present: Affiliated Professor, Dept. Pathology, Fac. Medicine, Univ. Porto, PT

2005-present: Consultant for gastric-cancer related syndromes, IPATIMUP Diagnostics, Porto, PT

2011-2012: Invited researcher, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tubingen, DE (E. Isaurralde Lab)

2008-2012: Junior Group Leader, Ipatimup, Porto, PT (Ciência 2008 – FCT)   

2005-2008: Team Leader, Ipatimup, Porto, PT (Agência de Inovação - FCT)   

2004-2005: Post-doc Researcher, Univ. British Columbia, Vancouver, CA (D. Huntsman Lab)

2002-2003: Post-doc Researcher, Ipatimup, Porto, PT (R. Seruca Lab) & INSERM, Paris, FR (R. Hamelin Lab)

March-2002: GABBA PhD in Human Biology, Fac. Medicine, Univ. Porto, PT

2001-2002: Visiting Ph.D. student, Ipatimup, PT (R. Seruca Lab)

1999-2000: Ph.D. student, CIMR - Cambridge Institute for Medical Research (C. Caldas Lab), Cambridge Univ., UK

1997-1998: Research Fellowship, Ipatimup-Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology UPorto, PT

1991-1996: Biochemistry Degree, Fac. Science and Technology, Univ. Coimbra, PT

 

H-INDEX = 60 (SCOPUS/ResearcherID) or 62 (GoogleScholar)

PUBLICATIONS: 172 peer-reviewed articles in the fields of Human Genetics and Molecular Oncology

Accumulated Impact Factor > 1.000,00: Citations: >12.000

 

C. Oliveira is recognized internationally for her work in E-cadherin/CDH1-related diseases and hereditary cancer. She disclosed novel germline causes of Hereditary Gastrointestinal Cancer and defined somatic events in tumours with impact for patient management and therapy.

Her main scientific aim is to disclose the missing heritability in Hereditary Gastric Cancer. For this, her team is exploring the whole genome, with particular emphasis in its noncoding portion. She also aims at finding biomarkers with clinical utility for earlier detection of sporadic and hereditary gastric cancer and to disclose actionable genotype-phenotype relationships in these diseases. The social and economic impact of hereditary cancer is a transversal aspect in her research and she privileges the interaction with Patient’s associations, such as EVITA. 

C. Oliveira has been a PI of projects funded with >3.8M€ and team member in projects with equivalent total budget. She independently raised additional 2.5M€ for human resources. She was invited speaker in >120 National and International conferences; she is the Executive Committee Secretary General of the European Society of Human Genetics (ESHG), member of its Scientific Program Committee and vice-coordinator of the Scientific Program Committee of the Portuguese Society of Human Genetics (SPGH); National Coordinators and Representative of the Porto.Comprehensive Cancer Centre (P.CCC) in the European Reference Network ERN-GENTURIS on genetic tumour risk syndromes, and; the head the Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer branch of the SolveRD (Solving Rare diseases) EU-Project. She is a member of the Portuguese Group of Hereditary Tumours (PROGO) promoted by The Portuguese Society of Oncology. She is regular reviewer of National and International fellowship and grant applications. She successfully supervised 15 Masters and 14 PhD students to completion, 11 post-docs and recruited 4 junior project leaders (iFCT) for her team.

C. Oliveira’s group has also gained expertise and visibility in genomics and bioinformatics, due to active participation in international consortia and large European Projects including the European-wide research project SOLVE-RD – Solve Rare diseases; the Consortium GEUVADIS and GTEx; Several COST actions, as well as the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks ITN TRAIN-EV. The group has relevant roles in management and executive functions in the GenomePT National Infrastructure for genome sequencing and the 1 Million European Genomes project. Her team is multidisciplinary with strong background in oncobiology and genetics, and supported by technical expertise in molecular and cellular biology, NGS, bioinformatics and a strong link with hospitals and clinical professionals. Her team was recently awarded with the Prize Alfredo da Silva on “Sustentabilidade de sistemas de saúde” for the work on optimized pathways of care in Hereditary cancer syndromes.

Selected Publications

Garcia-Pelaez J., Barbosa-Matos R., Lobo S., Dias A., Garrido L., Castedo S., Sousa S., Pinheiro H., Sousa L., Monteiro R., Maqueda J.J., Fernandes S., Carneiro F., Pinto N., Lemos C., Pinto C., Teixeira M.R., Aretz S., Bajalica-Lagercrantz S., Balmaña J., Blatnik A., Benusiglio P.R., Blanluet M., Bours V., Brems H., Brunet J., Calistri D., Capellá G., Carrera S., Colas C., Dahan K., de Putter R., Desseignés C., Domínguez-Garrido E., Egas C., Evans D.G., Feret D., Fewings E., Fitzgerald R.C., Coulet F., Garcia-Barcina M., Genuardi M., Golmard L., Hackmann K., Hanson H., Holinski-Feder E., Hüneburg R., Krajc M., Lagerstedt-Robinson K., Lázaro C., Ligtenberg M.J.L., Martínez-Bouzas C., Merino S., Michils G., Novakovic S., Patiño-García A., Ranzani G.N., Schröck E., Silva I., Silveira C., Soto J.L., Spier I., Steinke-Lange V., Tedaldi G., Tejada M.I., Woodward E.R., Tischkowitz M., Hoogerbrugge N., Oliveira C.,
Genotype-first approach to identify associations between CDH1 germline variants and cancer phenotypes: a multicentre study by the European Reference Network on Genetic Tumour Risk Syndromes. The Lancet Oncology24(1):91-106, 2023. [Journal: Article] [CI: 8] [IF: 51,1 (*)]
DOI: 10.1016/S1470-2045(22)00643-X SCOPUS: 85145669093.


Ferreira D.A., Conde J.P., Rothbauer M., Ertl P., Granja P.L., Oliveira C.,
Bioinspired human stomach-on-a-chip with in vivo like function and architecture. Lab on a Chip23(3):495-510, 2023. [Journal: Article] [CI: 4] [IF: 6,1 (*)]
DOI: 10.1039/d2lc01132h SCOPUS: 85146176758.


Ferreira D.A., Rothbauer M., Conde J.P., Ertl P., Oliveira C., Granja P.L.,
A Fast Alternative to Soft Lithography for the Fabrication of Organ-on-a-Chip Elastomeric-Based Devices and Microactuators. Advanced Science8(8):, 2021. [Journal: Article] [CI: 16] [IF: 17,5]
DOI: 10.1002/advs.202003273 SCOPUS: 85100571451.


Blair V.R., McLeod M., Carneiro F., Coit D.G., D'Addario J.L., van Dieren J.M., Harris K.L., Hoogerbrugge N., Oliveira C., van der Post R.S., Arnold J., Benusiglio P.R., Bisseling T.M., Boussioutas A., Cats A., Charlton A., Schreiber K.E.C., Davis J.L., Pietro M.d., Fitzgerald R.C., Ford J.M., Gamet K., Gullo I., Hardwick R.H., Huntsman D.G., Kaurah P., Kupfer S.S., Latchford A., Mansfield P.F., Nakajima T., Parry S., Rossaak J., Sugimura H., Svrcek M., Tischkowitz M., Ushijima T., Yamada H., Yang H.K., Claydon A., Figueiredo J., Paringatai K., Seruca R., Bougen-Zhukov N., Brew T., Busija S., Carneiro P., DeGregorio L., Fisher H., Gardner E., Godwin T.D., Holm K.N., Humar B., Lintott C.J., Monroe E.C., Muller M.D., Norero E., Nouri Y., Paredes J., Sanches J.M., Schulpen E., Ribeiro A.S., Sporle A., Whitworth J., Zhang L., Reeve A.E., Guilford P.,
Hereditary diffuse gastric cancer: updated clinical practice guidelines. The Lancet Oncology21(8):e386-e397, 2020. [Journal: Review] [CI: 216] [IF: 41,3]
DOI: 10.1016/S1470-2045(20)30219-9 SCOPUS: 85088930288.


Rocha S., Carvalho J., Oliveira P., Voglstaetter M., Schvartz D., Thomsen A.R., Walter N., Khanduri R., Sanchez J.C., Keller A., Oliveira C., Nazarenko I.,
3D Cellular Architecture Affects MicroRNA and Protein Cargo of Extracellular Vesicles. Advanced Science6(4):, 2019. [Journal: Article] [CI: 80] [IF: 15,8]
DOI: 10.1002/advs.201800948 SCOPUS: 85058843482.


Oliveira C., Pinheiro H., Figueiredo J., Seruca R., Carneiro F.,
Familial gastric cancer: Genetic susceptibility, pathology, and implications for management. The Lancet Oncology16(2):e60-e70, 2015. [Journal: Review] [CI: 277] [IF: 26,5]
DOI: 10.1016/S1470-2045(14)71016-2 SCOPUS: 84921774175.


Corso G., Carvalho J., Marrelli D., Vindigni C., Carvalho B., Seruca R., Roviello F., Oliveira C.,
Somatic mutations and deletions of the e-cadherin gene predict poor survival of patients with gastric cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology31(7):868-875, 2013. [Journal: Article] [CI: 135] [IF: 17,9]
DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2012.44.4612 SCOPUS: 84875753760.


Pinheiro H., Bordeira-Carriço R., Seixas S., Carvalho J., Senz J., Oliveira P., Inácio P., Gusmão L., Rocha J., Huntsman D., Seruca R., Oliveira C.,
Allele-specific CDH1 downregulation and hereditary diffuse gastric cancer. Human Molecular Genetics19(5):943-952, 2010. [Journal: Article] [CI: 80] [IF: 8,1]
DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddp537 SCOPUS: 77950533734.


Oliveira C., Senz J., Kaurah P., Pinheiro H., Sanges R., Haegert A., Corso G., Schouten J., Fitzgerald R., Vogelsang H., Keller G., Dwerryhouse S., Grimmer D., Chin S.F., Yang H.K., Jackson C.E., Seruca R., Roviello F., Stupka E., Caldas C., Huntsman D.,
Germline CDH1 deletions in hereditary diffuse gastric cancer families. Human Molecular Genetics18(9):1545-1555, 2009. [Journal: Article] [CI: 169] [IF: 7,4]
DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddp046 SCOPUS: 64549109715.


Oliveira C., Sousa S., Pinheiro H., Karam R., Bordeira-Carriço R., Senz J., Kaurah P., Carvalho J., Pereira R., Gusmão L., Wen X., Cipriano M.A., Yokota J., Carneiro F., Huntsman D., Seruca R.,
Quantification of Epigenetic and Genetic 2nd Hits in CDH1 During Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer Syndrome Progression. Gastroenterology136(7):2137-2148, 2009. [Journal: Article] [CI: 143] [IF: 12,9]
DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2009.02.065 SCOPUS: 66149108352.