Álvaro is an Associate Researcher at the Centre for Predictive and Preventive Genetics - CGPP, IBMC, i3S, under the Stimulus for Scientific Employment scheme of the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) (CEECIND/02615/2017). His research focuses on processes of family communication about genetic risk, genetic counselling, the roles of healthcare professionals in this context, and attitudes towards family communication practices and policies. He is also interested in broader psychosocial aspects of genetic testing and ways to support individuals and families living with inherited genetic conditions.
He is the Principal Investigator of a project funded by the FCT (2022.04025.PTDC, https://decide.i3s.up.pt/) on how best to facilitate the disclosure of risk information to patients' family members in genetic counselling (2023-2026). He also contributes as a country lead to the Wellcome Trust-funded project on global public attitudes toward genomic information sharing ("Your DNA, Your Say").
Álvaro holds a PhD in Health Sciences and Technology from the University of Aveiro and a Licentiate Degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Coimbra. He is a chartered clinical and health psychologist and psychotherapist by the Portuguese Psychologists' Association, and a certified systemic family and couples therapist by the Portuguese Society of Family Therapy. As a clinical psychologist, he is part of the multidisciplinary team of the pre-symptomatic testing protocol for late-onset neurological diseases at CGPP, the outpatient genetics clinic at i3S.
In parallel, he is an active member of the Public and Professional Policy Committee of the European Society of Human Genetics (ESHG). Álvaro also serves on the Genetic Counselling & Testing working group of the European Huntington Disease Network, the i3S Committee for Ethical and Responsible Conduct of Research, and the Advisory Board of the Journal of Community Genetics.
He maintains a longstanding collaboration with patient advocacy organizations. Álvaro regularly delivers teaching modules in Master and PhD programs in Health and Clinical Psychology and Genetic Counselling. To date, he has supervised 1 PhD thesis (FCT-funded) and 8 MSc dissertations to completion. Currently, he is co-supervising 3 PhD theses (all FCT-funded) and 3 MSc dissertations on topics related to psychosocial aspects of inherited genetic conditions.
Selected Publications
DOI: 10.1111/1467-6427.12424 SCOPUS: 85144122099.
Oliveira C.R., Mendes Á., Sequeiros J., Sousa L.,
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaging.2022.101027 SCOPUS: 85129082862.
Couto D., Sousa L., Sequeiros J., Lima M., Mendes Á.,
DOI: 10.1007/s12687-022-00602-2 SCOPUS: 85134477712.
Mendes Á., Sequeiros J., Clarke A.J.,
DOI: 10.1002/jgc4.1415 SCOPUS: 85104726157.
Milne R., Morley K.I., Almarri M.A., Anwer S., Atutornu J., Baranova E.E., Bevan P., Cerezo M., Cong Y., Costa A., Critchley C., Fernow J., Goodhand P., Hasan Q., Hibino A., Houeland G., Howard H.C., Hussain S.Z., Malmgren C.I., Izhevskaya V.L., Jedrzejak A., Jinhong C., Kimura M., Kleiderman E., Leach B., Liu K., Mascalzoni D., Mendes Á., Minari J., Nicol D., Niemiec E., Patch C., Pollard J., Prainsack B., Rivière M., Robarts L., Roberts J., Romano V., Sheerah H.A., Smith J., Soulier A., Steed C., Stefànsdóttir V., Tandre C., Thorogood A., Voigt T.H., Wang N., West A.V., Yoshizawa G., Middleton A.,
DOI: 10.1186/s13073-021-00903-0 SCOPUS: 85106873537.
Oliveira C.R., Mendes Á., Sequeiros J., Sousa L.,
DOI: 10.1038/s41431-020-0630-z SCOPUS: 85084155723.
Mendes Á., Paneque M., Clarke A., Sequeiros J.,
DOI: 10.1038/s41431-018-0308-y SCOPUS: 85058958698.
Mendes Á., Metcalfe A., Paneque M., Sousa L., Clarke A.J., Sequeiros J.,
DOI: 10.1111/famp.12306 SCOPUS: 85046602772.
Mendes Á., Sousa L., Sequeiros J., Clarke A.,
DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.04.026 SCOPUS: 85018469092.
Mendes Á., Paneque M., Sousa L., Clarke A., Sequeiros J.,
DOI: 10.1038/ejhg.2015.174 SCOPUS: 84958109101.