Where Ideas Grow
Claudio Sunkel
Scientific Coordinator
Is a Full Professor of Molecular Biology at the Biomedical Institute of University of Porto, Director of the Institute of Molecular Cellular Biology and head of the Molecular Genetics Group at the same institute. He is a Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization since 2000, was Vice-President of the European Molecular Biology Conference (2007-2010), Vice-President of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory Council (2010-2012), elected Chair of the EMBL Council (2013). Currently is a member of the Wellcome Trust-India Alliance fellowship selection committee (2009-2014). During 2007-2008 was the National Coordinator for the Evaluation of Research Units by the Foundation for Science and Technology of Portugal. His laboratory is mostly devoted to the study cell division and of the mechanisms involved in maintaining genomic stability in higher eukaryotes. Started these studies during his posdoctoral work at Imperial College, UK, and later continued in Porto. Has published over 100 original peer review articles. Supervised 24 PhD students and many postdocs. Teaches Molecular Genetics for Biochemistry and Bioengineering BsC Major at ICBAS, University of Porto. First Degree Honors in Biology (1979) and a Ph.D. in Genetics (1983) from Sussex University, UK. Was born in Santiago, Chile, 1958.

Selected Publications

Moura M., Osswald M., Leça N., Barbosa J., Pereira A.J., Maiato H., Sunkel C.E., Conde C.,
Protein phosphatase 1 inactivates Mps1 to ensure efficient spindle assembly checkpoint silencing. eLife6:, 2017. [Journal: Article] [CI: 39] [IF: 7,6]
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.25366 SCOPUS: 85019849461.


Carvalho C.A., Moreira S., Ventura G., Sunkel C.E., Morais-De-Sá E.,
Aurora a triggers Lgl cortical release during symmetric division to control planar spindle orientation. Current Biology25(1):53-60, 2015. [Journal: Article] [CI: 59] [IF: 9]
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.10.053 SCOPUS: 84920415073.


Da Silva S.M., Moutinho-Santos T., Sunkel C.E.,
A tumor suppressor role of the Bub3 spindle checkpoint protein after apoptosis inhibition. Journal of Cell Biology201(3):385-393, 2013. [Journal: Article] [CI: 47] [IF: 9,7]
DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201210018 SCOPUS: 84878663198.


Morais-De-Sá E., Sunkel C.,
Adherens junctions determine the apical position of the midbody during follicular epithelial cell division. EMBO Reports14(8):696-703, 2013. [Journal: Article] [CI: 67] [IF: 7,9]
DOI: 10.1038/embor.2013.85 SCOPUS: 84881480225.


Conde C., Osswald M., Barbosa J., Moutinho-Santos T., Pinheiro D., Guimarães S., Matos I., Maiato H., Sunkel C.E.,
Drosophila Polo regulates the spindle assembly checkpoint through Mps1-dependent BubR1 phosphorylation. EMBO Journal32(12):1761-1777, 2013. [Journal: Article] [CI: 37] [IF: 10,7]
DOI: 10.1038/emboj.2013.109 SCOPUS: 84879459640.