DR. Luisa Pinto started her research work at the Karolinska Institute, where she did an internship on the subject of stem cells as a therapeutical tool for Parkinson Disease with Prof. Ernest Arenas and Dr. Gonçalo Castelo-Branco, experts in stem cells and regenerative therapies. She went then to the Helmholtz Zentrum München, Germany, to do her PhD in Neurosciences on the subject of molecular mechanisms regulating neurogenesis in the developing mouse cortex, under the supervision of the highly-recognized expert in stem cells and neurogenesis, Prof. Magdalena Goetz. In 2008, Luísa got a post-doctoral position in the lab of Prof. Nuno Sousa, at the Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho, Portugal. Luísa is currently an Assistant Investigator at ICVS and Invited Assistant Professor of the Medicine Course at the School of Health Sciences, University of Minho. She is also manager of a spin-off company “BNML – Behavioural & Molecular Lab”. Luísa Pinto has published 30 peer-reviewed papers with an accumulated impact factor of 220 (average impact factor of 7.6; h-index=12), including in top journals such as Nature Neuroscience (IF 16.72), Neuron (IF 13.97, Molecular Psychiatry (IF 13.34) and Cell Stem Cell (IF 22.39). Her work has above 500 citations. She is frequently invited for peer-reviewing for Journals such as Neuroscience, Plos One, Frontiers, British Journal of Pharmacology, International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, Molecular Neurobiology and is now editor of the journals Advances in Biology, Matters and Academic Editor of PeerJ. Luisa Pinto is currently supervising 1 Post-doc, 5 PhD and 1 Master students. Moreover, 2 PhD and 7 Master students already finished their degree under her supervision.

Dr. Luisa Pinto’s research interest is Functional and structural correlations mediated by stress and its implications in depression; Modulatory interventions to promote recovery of structure and function in neuronal tissues; Detailed assessment of neuroplastic events, proliferation of adult neural stem cells, incorporation of newly generated cells into neuronal networks, rearrangements of established dendritic and synaptic contacts, combined with behavioural, epigenetics and electrophysiogical correlates.