Mónica Bettencourt-Dias

Mónica Bettencourt-Dias (born 1974) is a Portuguese biochemist and cellular biologist, who is the head of the Cell Cycle Regulation[1] research group at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência. Her research involves cell cycle regulation, for which she has been recognized as the recipient of the Pfizer Award for Basic Research, the Keith Porter Prize from the American Society for Cell Biology and the Eppendorf Young European Investigator Award. She was also selected as a 2009 European Molecular Biology Organization Young Investigator Fellow and inducted as a member of the EMBO in 2015. Mónica Bettencourt-Dias was appointed Director of Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência in November, 2017.[2]

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Bettencourt and the second or paternal family name is Carvalho.
Mónica Bettencourt-Dias
Born
Mónica Bettencourt Carvalho

1974 (age 48–49)
Portugal
NationalityPortuguese
Alma materUniversity of Lisbon
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência
University College London
University of Cambridge
Birkbeck College
OccupationCellular biologist
Years active2006–present
EmployerInstituto Gulbenkian de Ciência

Biography

Monica Bettencourt Carvalho[3] was born in 1974[4] and grew up in Lisbon, Portugal. When she was little, she wanted to be an Astrophysicist.[5] She began her tertiary studies in biochemistry there[6] at the University of Lisbon.[7] After completion of her undergraduate degree, she entered a PhD program at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência studying cell biology[6] and completed her studies at University College London, earning a doctorate in biochemistry and molecular biology[7] in 2001. Her research focused on the regeneration of heart cells in salamanders.

She enrolled at the University of Cambridge and simultaneously at Birkbeck College in London for her postdoctoral research.[8] Her postdoctoral work focused on kinases, a type of enzyme critical to metabolism and cell signalling. She discovered that the kinase PLK4 regulates the number of centrosomes an organism develops. Her simultaneous studies were on scientific communication, to improve the way that scientists communicate with the public.[6]

After completing her studies, Bettencourt returned to Portugal in 2006 and opened a laboratory at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência[4] to continue her work on "centriole formation, evolution and their physiological function".[3] In 2007, she was awarded the Eppendorf Young European Investigator Award[9] and in 2009 was selected as a European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Young Investigator Fellow.[10]

In 2010, she received a grant from the European Research Council to investigate abnormalities in centrioles and how the variance of their numbers[3] or errors in cell division can lead to the development of tumors or infertility.[11] Her research earned the Pfizer Award for Basic Research in 2012[12] and that same year, the Keith Porter Prize from the American Society for Cell Biology.[13] She has authored numerous scientific papers and serves as editor for several scientific journals.[7] In 2015, Bettencourt was inducted as a full member to the EMBO.[11]

Mónica Bettencourt-Dias is Director of the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência since 1 February 2018. In January 2022, she was appointed Chair of EU-LIFE, the alliance of research institutes advocating for excellent research in Europe.[14]

Selected works
  • Bettencourt-Dias, Mónica; Glover, David M (2007). "Nature Reviews. Molecular Cell Biology". Nature. London, England: Nature Publishing Group. 8 (6): 451–463. doi:10.1038/nrm2180. PMID 17505520. S2CID 33639281.
  • Bettencourt-Dias, Mónica; Carvalho-Santos, Zita (2008). "Double life of centrioles: CP110 in the spotlight". Trends in Cell Biology. 18 (1): 8–11. doi:10.1016/j.tcb.2007.11.002. PMID 18068367.
  • Bettencourt-Dias, Mónica; Glover, David M (September 2009). "SnapShot: Centriole Biogenesis". Cell. 136 (1): 188.e1–188.e2. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2008.12.035. PMID 19135899. S2CID 43522520.
  • Bettencourt-Dias, Mónica; Hildebrandt, Friedhelm; et al. (2011). "Centrosomes and cilia in human disease". Trends in Genetics. 27 (8): 307–315. doi:10.1016/j.tig.2011.05.004. PMC 3144269. PMID 21680046.
  • Bettencourt-Dias, Mónica (December 2013). "Q&A: Who needs a centrosome?". BMC Biology. 11 (1): 28. doi:10.1186/1741-7007-11-28. PMC 3623764. PMID 23578281.

References
  1. "IGC | Events". www.igc.gulbenkian.pt. Retrieved 2016-11-04.
  2. Serafim, Teresa. "Biomedicina. Mónica Bettencourt-Dias é a nova directora do Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2018-02-20.
  3. "Monica Bettencourt Carvalho Dias". European Research Council. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  4. Ledford, Heidi; Petherick, Anna; Abbott, Alison; Nordling, Linda (6 March 2013). "From the frontline: 30 something science". London, England: Nature. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  5. "Mónica Bettencourt-Dias. ″Há dogmas da biologia a ser quebrados a todo o tempo″".
  6. Short, Ben (6 September 2010). "Mónica Bettencourt-Dias: Centered on centrioles". Journal of Cell Biology. New York City, New York: Rockefeller University Press. 190 (5): 710–711. doi:10.1083/jcb.1905pi. PMC 2935566. PMID 20819929.
  7. "Dr. Mónica Bettencourt Dias" (in Portuguese). Lisbon, Portugal: Conselho Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia. 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  8. "Mónica Bettencourt-Dias". London, England: F1000Prime. 9 February 2009. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  9. "Eppendorf Young European Investigator Award". London, England: Nature. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  10. "Mónica Bettencourt Dias: cinco anos depois do prémio EMBO Young Investigators" (in Portuguese). Lisbon, Portugal: Observador. 4 November 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  11. "Portuguese Scientist Mónica Bettencourt Dias elected EMBO Member". London, England: Alpha Galileo Ltd. 21 May 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  12. "Pfizer Award 2012 for LA collaboration". Oeiras, Portugal: Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica. 20 November 2012. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  13. "Mónica Bettencourt-Dias vence Prémio da Sociedade Americana de Biologia Celular" (in Portuguese). Lisbon, Portugal: Naturlink. 28 December 2012. Archived from the original on 24 November 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  14. "Monica Bettencourt-Dias (IGC) and Giulio Superti-Furga (CeMM) appointed new chair and co-chair of EU-LIFE". EU-LIFE. 10 January 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
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