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New Information Available on the Call for IC&DT Projects in All Scientific Domains |
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On February 22, the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) published the FAQS for the Call for Research and Technological Development Projects (IC&DT) in All Scientific Domains 2023. |
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Other News
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PROFILE
Jorge
Leite "A researcher with a passion for
neuromodulation of cognition" |
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Age: 41
Research Areas: Psychology, Neuropsychology, Neurosciences, Neuromodulation, Neurobiology, Brain and Cognition Jorge Leite, who is passionate about brain research, non-pharmacological neuromodulation, and cognitive rehabilitation, is one of the most recent members of CINTESIS@RISE. The neuroscientist, who is also vice-rector for Research at Universidade Portucalense and a university professor, explains that his main motivation for joining this Research Unit was to join a network "capable of creating scale and dimension", that allows "synergies and partnerships" to be established among groups from different areas. He was born on June 30, 1982, in Guimarães and graduated in Psychology from the University of Minho (2001-2005). At the end of the first year of his master's degree in Psychology, he was challenged to move on to a doctorate (2007-2011). He trained and worked in other countries, namely in Germany (2008) and at the Neuromodulation Center at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital/Harvard Medical School, collaborating with world-renowned specialists. He specialized in non-invasive neuromodulation, a process that aims to alter the functioning of the brain without surgery. More specifically, he studied the modulation of cognitive flexibility, essential for executive functioning and a predictor of school adaptation and success, through brain stimulation. He has participated in studies aimed at applying brain stimulation in clinical practice, such as the development of a personalized intervention, using Neuroimaging techniques, for an adolescent suffering from severe Tourette's syndrome. He was the lead researcher on studies funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) on the use of electroencephalography to guide non-invasive neuromodulation and on the clinical applicability of neuromodulation in people with mild cognitive impairment to delay progression to dementia. Jorge Leite has published around 70 scientific papers, including articles in scientific journals and book chapters, and has participated in or supervised projects involving funding of around six million euros. His CV also includes several awards and distinctions. What is your 1-Year Ambition? I hope to have three preliminary studies getting into “cruising speed” on the use of brain neuromodulation. One is in aging, another is in obsessive-compulsive disorder and a third will probably be in pain. The aim is to start initial recruitment, prove that the interventions work and justify funding in larger trials. What is your 10-Year Ambition? My ambition is to move on from preliminary studies to large clinical trials that will generate a higher level of evidence on the effectiveness of non-pharmacological brain neuromodulation interventions, so that they can eventually be considered as a therapeutic option in cognitive rehabilitation and in altering dysfunctional brain functioning. The focus is always on using knowledge of brain mechanisms to direct intervention. There is already sufficient evidence of its usefulness in diseases such as depression and some evidence of its usefulness in ageing. If we can develop a safe, effective, well-tolerated and low-cost intervention, we will be contributing to quality of life and healthy ageing. Some of these methodologies have a residual cost, which could facilitate their application in the National Health Service. At the moment, we are not yet ready to extend these interventions massively to the entire population. We are still in the research phase of defining criteria and parameters. But it is undeniable that they could even reduce drug dependence in certain conditions. How is Life Beyond Research? My free time is dedicated to my family. My wife also works in academia, in the field of Neurosciences, and we have two daughters, one aged seven and the other five. Regardless of our academic responsibilities, I’m never not there when they get home from school. My working hours are segmented because I can’t give up seeing them grow up. For me, it’s a pleasure, not an obligation. It’s also a question of mental health. With them, I’m not the scientist, nor the vice-rector, nor the university professor; I’m simply their dad, and all I care about is that they’re happy. I hope to give them support and resources so that they can face the challenges they will face in life. |
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