Cecília Maria Arraiano

National Correspondent

Class
Sciences

Section
5th Section | Biological Sciences

Election

23.04.2009 (Corresponding Member)

Areas of Interest

Molecular Biology; Genetics; RNA Biology; Microbiology; Synthetic Biology

Hyperlinks
https://www.itqb.unl.pt/research/biology/coge

Profile

CECÍLIA MARIA ARRAIANO is Coordinating Investigator (Full Professor equivalent) and Head of the Control of Gene Expression Laboratory at ITQB, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa. She finished her Licenciatura in Biology in University of Lisbon and then was a Fulbright-Hays Scholar in USA where she did her Ph.D. in Genetics, and a post-Doc.

She was member of the General Council of University NOVA, and now belongs to the ITQB Council, and the General Council of University of Évora.

Her lab at ITQB has been involved in the discovery and characterization of ribonucleases, focusing on the modulation RNAs to control gene expression. Has published in top journals and pioneer studies from her lab made discoveries that link RNA degradation to important issues in Health, and Biotechnology.

Belongs to several Scientific Advisory Boards e.g. 2022-2028 Advisor of Max Planck Research Unit for Science of Pathogens, Berlin. The Director is Emmanuelle Charpentier-2020 Nobel Prize for CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing tool.

Cecília received many honors which highlight her seniority and the quality of her lab research e.g. Elected member European Molecular Biology Organization(EMBO), Executive Committee of FEBS-Federation of European Biochemistry Societies, Fellow of American Academy of Microbiology (the first in Portugal), Fellow of European Academy of Microbiology, Prize Câmara Pestana/GlaxoSmith-Klein, Ambassador in Portugal of the American Society of Microbiology, President of Portuguese Genetics Society, Member of the Portuguese Academy of Sciences. In 2023 she received the “Diplôme D´Honneur” from FEBS-Federation of European Biochemistry Societies.

She has been dedicated to teaching and mentoring, namely oriented 19 Post-Doctoral Fellows, 30 Doctoral Students and many Master students.

Organized many International Conferences and actively transmitted Science to the general public e.g. was resident scientist of Portuguese TV show “4xCiência” from RTPN. Interested in Gender Issues in Science e.g. 10 years Chair of FEBS Working group on Women in Science.