Profile

Dr. Mónica Bettencourt Dias obtained her PhD from University College London, London, working on heart regeneration with Professor Jeremy Brockes. Thereafter she spent 5 years at the University of Cambridge (UK) as a research associate, working on cell cycle regulation with Professor David Glover. At the same time, she did a two-year diploma course at the Birkbeck College in London on Science Communication. In 2006, she set up her group at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência and in 2018 became director of the Institute, until Dec 2023.

Mónica´s group identified essential mechanisms in the regulation of the cell skeleton, in particular centrosome biogenesis and how it contributes to tumorigenesis. Her laboratory at IGC, now at GIMM (Gulbenkian Institute of Molecular Medicine) studies centriole and cilia biogenesis, stability and function using a variety of model organisms and patient samples, and combining genetic, cellular, biochemical and bioinformatic approaches. She is interested in how general properties of those structures are established and have evolved, in animals and a variety of species that are ecologically important.

Mónica and her laboratory have been recognised by many prizes, honors and grants, such as two Pfizer prizes, the Eppendorf Young Investigator award, the Keith Porter fellowship (ASCB), being a member of EMBO YIP, EMBO and the Portuguese Academy of Sciences and having had a Starting and a Consolidator ERC.

Mónica has participated in numerous scientific and advisory boards, being the Chair of the EU-Life Alliance of Life Science Research Institutes in Europe from 2021-2023, being currently a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of EMBL (Germany), chair of the EMBO Policy Committee, and the coordinator of the FCT Scientific Council for Life Sciences and Health. She has participated in a variety of activities to reflect and promote discussion on Science Policy in Portugal and Europe.