Cellular and Systems Neurobiology

We are interested in understanding how memories evolve and the rules underlying this constant updating.

Memory formation is a key brain feature on which our human nature relies. It is now clear that memories evolve over time. Upon learning, memories are initially labile and become stabilized by consolidation. Interestingly, reactivation of previously consolidated memories renders them in an active, unstable state and therefore susceptible to perturbation. If memory acquisition leads to the reactivation of a previously acquired memory, it is possible that different temporal events can reinforce or interfere with each other. Recently, it was shown that novelty exposure, prior or after, weak training in a spatial recognition task, can lead to the formation of a long-term memory of the spatial recognition. This suggests a cooperative interaction in memory acquisition but leaves several open questions. How are memory cooperation and competition orchestrated and what are the rules that determine whether a particular memory is re-enforced or lost by a new learning event? We are interested in understanding how memories evolve and the rules underlying this constant updating.

Projects

2018- 2022 Role: PI, “Rethinking memory dynamics: The role of synaptic cooperation and competition in fear memory maintenance” Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT – Portuguese Research Council)
This project aims to address the rule of the thalamic and cortical input to the lateral amygdala in the encoding and maintenance of fear memories.

Publications

Rosalina Fonseca, Natalia Madeira, Carla Simoes, (2021) “Resilience to fear: The role of individual factors in amygdala response to stressors”, as part of journal special issue: Neuronal mechanisms of stress resilience. Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, vol110, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mcn.2020.103582

Natália Madeira, Ana Drumond, Rosalina Fonseca (2020) “Temporal gating of synaptic competition in the amygdala by cannabinoid receptor activation” Cerebral Cortex, 30 (7)

Szabo, E., Manguinhas, R., Fonseca, R. (2016), “The interplay between neuronal activity and actin dynamics mimic the setting of an LTD synaptic tag” Scientific Reports, 6

Prizes and Awards

2018 - Pessoa Award, Campus France and FCT – to support collaborative projects between Portuguese and French laboratories

2018 - Janssen Portugal Innovation award - honourable mention

2015 - Early Career Psychiatrists fellowship, European Psychiatric Association.

2006 - L’Oreal award for women in Science, Unesco, L’Oreal Foundation and Portuguese Research Council (FCT). This prize aims to distinguish promising young women in science, developing research in Portugal. In 2006, 4 of these awards were attributed.

2006 - Otto-Hahn-Medaille for promising researchers, Max-Planck- Gesellschaft for Science Development. This award is aims to distinguish young researchers in the field of biological or social sciences at the level of PhD or post-doc, developing their research in any institute of the Max-Planck Society. Each year is attributed up to 30 awards.

Open Positions

Contract for PhD Holder @ Cellular and Systems Neurobiology Lab

Investigator

Pursuant to the provisions of article 11, paragraph 2, of Decree-Law no. 57/2016, of August 29, it becomes public that by Dean’s decree of February 10, 2022, the opening of an international selection competition procedure was authorized for the completion of a PhD holder job vacancy for the exercise of scientific research activities financed by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, under an uncertain fixed-term employment contract under the Labor Code in the Faculdade de Ciências Médicas|NOVA Medical School, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa.

Application Deadline: March 25th 2022

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International selection competition procedure for the hiring of a PhD holder (Notice no. 11469/2022) @Rosalina Fonseca Lab

Investigator

Pursuant to the provisions of article 11, paragraph 2, of Decree-Law no. 57/2016, of August 29, it becomes public that by Dean’s decree of May 17, 2022, the opening of an international selection competition procedure was authorized for the completion of a PhD holder job vacancy for the exercise of scientific research activities in the scope of the project LISBOA -01 -0145 -FEDER -030772, funding granted by the Programa Operacional Regional de Lisboa supported by the FEDER and by national funds, through the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia I. P., under an uncertain fixed-term employment contract under the Labor Code in the Faculdade de Ciências Médicas|NOVA Medical School from Universidade NOVA de Lisboa.

Application deadline: June 23, 2022 (until 24/06/2022 00:00)

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Colaborations

Dr. U. Valentin Nägerl, Morphological aspects of synaptic plasticity, Synaptic Plasticity and Super-resolution Microscopy, Université de Bordeaux, France.
Dr. Gal Richter-Levin, Cellular plasticity in a model of post-traumatic stress disorder, Haifa University, Israel.
Dr. Stephen Martin, Division of Neuroscience, University of Dundee.