Helder is currently an Invited Ajunct Professor at the School of Health (Polytechnic Institute of Porto). He holds a degree in Pathologic, Cytologic and Thanatologic Anatomy from ESTSP - Polytechnic of Porto, a Master degree in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of Aveiro and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from ICBAS - University of Porto. He started, in 2010, as a research fellow at the Molecular Evolution group at IBMC, working on the molecular characterization of lifespan in Drosophila americana. He then moved into Reto Gassmann's lab in 2013, where he started as a Lab Manager and Research Technician, and then continued as a PhD student, working on understanding how the Protein Phosphatase 4 complex regulates several steps of mitosis in C. elegans. His current work focuses on how dynein is recruited by different classes of adaptor proteins that confer cargo specificity and help activate the motor.
Selected Publications
Nuclear-enriched protein phosphatase 4 ensures outer kinetochore assembly prior to nuclear dissolution. Journal of Cell Biology222(3):, 2023. [Journal: Article] [CI: 4] [IF: 7,8 (*)]
DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202208154 SCOPUS: 85147234335
Celestino R., Gama J.B., Castro-Rodrigues A.F., Barbosa D.J., Rocha H., D’Amico E.A., Musacchio A., Carvalho A.X., Morais-Cabral J.H., Gassmann R.
JIP3 interacts with dynein and kinesin-1 to regulate bidirectional organelle transport. Journal of Cell Biology221(8):, 2022. [Journal: Article] [CI: 22] [IF: 7,8]
DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202110057 SCOPUS: 85134435160
Rocha H., Maia A., Gassmann R.
Data Descriptor: A genome-scale RNAi screen for genetic interactors of the dynein co-factor nud-2 in Caenorhabditis elegans. Scientific Data5:, 2018. [Journal: Article] [CI: 1] [IF: 5,9]
DOI: 10.1038/sdata.2018.47 SCOPUS: 85044305058
Reis M., Páscoa I., Rocha H., Aguiar B., Vieira C., Vieira J.
Genes belonging to the insulin and ecdysone signaling pathways can contribute to developmental time, lifespan and abdominal size variation in Drosophila americana. PLoS ONE9(1):, 2014. [Journal: Article] [CI: 1] [IF: 3,2]
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0086690 SCOPUS: 84900325167
Araújo A.R., Reis M., Rocha H., Aguiar B., Morales-Hojas R., Macedo-Ribeiro S., Fonseca N.A., Reboiro-Jato D., Reboiro-Jato M., Fdez-Riverola F., Vieira C.P., Vieira J.
The Drosophila melanogaster methuselah Gene: A Novel Gene with Ancient Functions. PLoS ONE8(5):, 2013. [Journal: Article] [CI: 19] [IF: 3,5]
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063747 SCOPUS: 84877819189
Fonseca N.A., Morales-Hojas R., Reis M., Rocha H., Vieira C.P., Nolte V., Schlötterer C., Vieira J.
Drosophila americana as a model species for comparative studies on the molecular basis of phenotypic variation. Genome Biology and Evolution5(4):661-679, 2013. [Journal: Article] [CI: 18] [IF: 4,5]
DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evt037 SCOPUS: 84876523283
Reis M., Vieira C., Morales-Hojas R., Aguiar B., Rocha H., Schlötterer C., Vieira J.
A comparative study of the short term cold resistance response in distantly related Drosophila species: The role of regucalcin and Frost. PLoS ONE6(10):, 2011. [Journal: Article] [CI: 21] [IF: 4,1]
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0025520 SCOPUS: 80053451103