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Rua Câmara Pestana 6, 1150-082 Lisboa

Sílvia Vilares Conde

Professor Professor Associado com Agregação
Principal Investigator

Silvia V. Conde is a Professor of Pharmacology and Neurosciences and Principal Investigator at NOVA Medical School (NMS). She earned her PhD in Pharmacology from Universidade Nova de Lisboa (Portugal) and in Biotechnology from the University of Valladolid (Spain) in 2007, focusing on the role of purines in hypoxic signaling in the carotid body (CB). She subsequently dedicated her research to understanding the pathophysiological alterations in the CB and autonomic nervous system underlying human cardiometabolic and respiratory diseases. As a Principal Investigator, she has developed a new research line on the CB and dysmetabolism, based on the pioneering idea that the CB regulates glucose homeostasis.

The main interests of her research group are the study of organ-to-organ communication and brain-body physiology and pathophysiology, particularly the carotid body in the context of metabolic diseases.

  • Melo BF, Sacramento JF, Lavergne J, Martins FO, Rosendo-Silva D, Panzolini C, Prego CS, Falvey A, Olea E, Matafome P, Rocher A, Prieto-Lloret J, Correia MC, Blancou P, Conde SV. Reversal of Diabesity Through Modulating Sympathetic Inputs to Adipose Tissue Following Carotid Body Resection. Acta Physiol (Oxf). 2025;241(7):e70074. doi: 10.1111/apha.70074.
  • Fernandes JL, Martins FO, Olea E, Prieto-Lloret J, Braga PC, Sacramento JF, Sequeira CO, Negrinho AP, Pereira SA, Alves MG, Rocher A, Conde SV. Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia-Induced Dysmetabolism Is Associated with Hepatic Oxidative Stress, Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Inflammation. Antioxidants (Basel). 2023 Oct 25;12(11):1910. doi: 10.3390/antiox12111910.
  • Tavares G, Martins FO, Melo BF, Matafome P, Conde SV. Peripheral Dopamine Directly Acts on Insulin-Sensitive Tissues to Regulate Insulin Signaling and Metabolic Function. Front Pharmacol. 2021 Sep 9;12:713418. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2021.713418.
  • Martins FO, Sacramento JF, Olea E, Melo BF, Prieto-Lloret J, Obeso A, Rocher A, Matafome P, Monteiro EC, Conde SV. Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia Induces Early-Stage Metabolic Dysfunction Independently of Adipose Tissue Deregulation. Antioxidants (Basel). 2021;10(8):1233. doi: 10.3390/antiox10081233.
  • Tavares G, Marques D, Barra C, Rosendo-Silva D, Costa A, Rodrigues T, Gasparini P, Melo BF, Sacramento JF, Seiça R, Conde SV, Matafome P. Dopamine D2 receptor agonist, bromocriptine, remodels adipose tissue dopaminergic signalling and upregulates catabolic pathways, improving metabolic profile in type 2 diabetes. Mol Metab. 2021;51:101241. doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2021.101241.
  • Cunha-Guimaraes JP, Guarino MP, Timóteo AT, Caires I, Sacramento JF, Ribeiro MJ, Selas M, Santiago JCP, Mota-Carmo M, Conde SV. Carotid body chemosensitivity: early biomarker of dysmetabolism in humans. Eur J Endocrinol. 2020 ;182(6):549-557. doi: 10.1530/EJE-19-0976.
  • Cracchiolo M, Sacramento JF, Mazzoni A, Panarese A, Carpaneto J, Conde SV, Micera S. Decoding Neural Metabolic Markers From the Carotid Sinus Nerve in a Type 2 Diabetes Model. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng. 2019;27(10):2034-2043. doi: 10.1109/TNSRE.2019.2942398.
  • Sacramento JF, Chew DJ, Melo BF, Donegá M, Dopson W, Guarino MP, Robinson A, Prieto-Lloret J, Patel S, Holinski BJ, Ramnarain N, Pikov V, Famm K, Conde SV. Bioelectronic modulation of carotid sinus nerve activity in the rat: a potential therapeutic approach for type 2 diabetes. Diabetologia. 2018 Mar;61(3):700-710. doi: 10.1007/s00125-017-4533-7.
  • Sacramento JF, Ribeiro MJ, Rodrigues T, Olea E, Melo BF, Guarino MP, Fonseca-Pinto R, Ferreira CR, Coelho J, Obeso A, Seiça R, Matafome P, Conde SV. Functional abolition of carotid body activity restores insulin action and glucose homeostasis in rats: key roles for visceral adipose tissue and the liver. Diabetologia. 2017;60(1):158-168. doi: 10.1007/s00125-016-4133-y.
  • Ribeiro MJ, Sacramento JF, Gonzalez C, Guarino MP, Monteiro EC, Conde SV. Carotid body denervation prevents the development of insulin resistance and hypertension induced by hypercaloric diets. Diabetes. 2013;62(8):2905-16. doi: 10.2337/db12-1463.
  • 2022 – Pedro Eurico Lisboa Honor Award from the Portuguese Society of Diabetes- Best publication in the Diabetes field. Tavares et al. 2021 Mol Metabolism 51:101241
  • 2021 – Scientific Research Alfredo da Silva Award to the work “CB meter – um novo dispositivo para a detecção precoce da diabetes mellitus tipo 2”, Fundação Amélia de Melo, COTEC
  • 2021 – Pedro Eurico Lisboa Award from the Portuguese Society of Diabetes- Best publication in the Diabetes field in 2020 for the work "Carotid body chemosensitivity: early biomarker of dysmetabolism in humans”. Cunha-Guimarães et al. 2020 Eur J Endocrinol.
  • 2019 – Pedro Eurico Lisboa Honor Award from the Portuguese Society of Diabetes- Best publication in the Diabetes field "Bioelectronic modulation of carotid sinus nerve activity in the rat: a potential therapeutic approach for type 2 diabetes.” Sacramento et al. 2018 Diabetologia 61:700-710.
  • 2018 - Pulido Valente/FCT Award – Best publication in Biomedical Engineering “Bioelectronic modulation of carotid sinus nerve activity in the rat: a potential therapeutic approach for type 2 diabetes.” Sacramento et al. 2018 Diabetologia 61:700-710
  • 2018 - Pedro Eurico Lisboa Award from the Portuguese Society of Diabetes to the Best Manuscript published in 2017. Manuscript awarded “Sacramento et al. Functional abolition of carotid body activity restores insulin action and glucose homeostasis in rats: key roles for visceral adipose tissue and the liver. Diabetologia. 2017;60:158-168”
  • 2016 - National Diabetes Award 2016 from the Portuguese Society of Diabetes
  • 2016 - Hargreaves 2016 Award from the Portuguese Society of Diabetes /JABA RECORDATI
  • 2012 - Hargreaves 2012 Award from the Portuguese Society of Diabetes /JABA RECORDATI
  • 2009 - L’Oreal Portugal Medals of Honor for Women in Science from L’Oreal, Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation and UNESCO
  • 2009 - Nuno Castel Branco Award from the Portuguese Society of Diabetes and Lilly Portugal