Currently, I am a tenured Associated Professor of the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Algarve (Portugal) and a core member of the Algarve Biomedical Center-Research Institute (ABC-RI). Obitaine a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (University of Paris XI, France) - Magna My primarily aims to understand: i) the mechanisms involved in maintaining pluripotency and cardiac differentiation of pluripotent stem cells; ii) the reprogramming of somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC); and iii) the early molecular processes of either normal or defective embryonic development that might lead to congenital heart diseases. In particular, we demonstrated that CITED2 promotes the differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESC) into cardiac cells, and its expression is necessary for early mesoderm and cardiac progenitors’ specification. I have published scientific articles in high-impact international journals totaling more than 1797 citations in Web of Science in August 2024 (Nature Genetics, PNAS, Nucleic Acids Research, European Heart Journal, Stem Cell Reports, Stem Cells, Stem cells and Development, Cancer Research, J Biol Chem, ACS Nano, Experimental Cell Research, Cell Death and Disease…), contributed 3 chapters in books, and is a co-holder of three patents. Among other awards, he received the “António Xavier” award in 2009. The publications fall within the disciplinary areas of BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES and specialties of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Cellular Responses to Viral Infections, Oncobiology and Cellular Senescence, Embryonic Development, Cardiovascular Biology and associated Congenital Diseases, Stem Cell Biology, Somatic Cell Reprogramming in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), Organogenesis and Regenerative Therapies. SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES Regular evaluation of manuscripts for more than 20 international peer-reviewed journals such as Scientific reports, Stem Cells, BMC Molecular and Cell Biology, BMC Biology, DNA Cell Biology… Editorial board member of World Journal of Stem Cells (since December 2018) https://www.wjgnet.com/1948-0210/editorialboard.htm Journal of Personalized Medicine (since March 2020) https://www.mdpi.com/journal/jpm/editors Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology (review editor since May 2022) https://www.frontiersin.org/search/journal/cell-and-developmental-biology?query=bragan&tab=People&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.frontiersin.org%2Fjournals%2Fcell-and-developmental-biology%23editorial-board Grant reviewer National projects/fellowships (4 times from 2011 to 2019), European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant (2019), Barts Charity Community UK (2022), ERC Advanced Grant 2023 (ERC-2023-ADG), Research Council of Lithuania for national funding 2024, UKRI Funding Service (2024). RESEARCH INTERESTS AND COLLABORATIONS Pathways controlling the induction and maintenance of pluripotency in embryonic stem cells and iPS cells Unravelling the mechanisms of pluripotent stem cells differentiation towards cardiac cell lineages to understand cardiogenesis and congenital heart disease (CHD) mechanisms, to develop strategies to prevent CHD (collaboration with Cardiologists at the University Hospital Centre of the Algarve, and other regions in Portugal; Dr Kamil Kranc at the IRC London; Dr Zhen Ma Syracuse University NY; Dr Mehri Kathami, Yazd University; Dr Agapios Sachinidis, University of Cologne; Dr Dr. Afsheen Arif, University of Karachi) Ageing and Diseases modelling using iPS cells (with many members of the ABC-RI institute) Preparation of autologous and allogenic of Mesenchymal Stem Cells and hydrogels for treatment of patients with spinal cord injury (collaboration with Neurosurgeons at the University Hospital Centre of the Algarve, 3Bs Institute – specialized in biomaterials and tissue engineering, and CRIOESTAMINAL – a private Cell Bank for umbilical cord derived cells) Role of Cancer Stem Cells Study of glioblastoma (collaboration with Dr Pedro Castelo-Branco) My research work is interconnected with his teaching activity in the area of ​​BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES, and aims to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in maintaining pluripotency and cardiac differentiation of embryonic stem cells, improving the reprogramming of somatic cells in induced pluripotent cells, and also in the study of early molecular processes of embryonic development, and the failures of these processes that lead to congenital heart diseases. He started a project funded by FCT/CCDR in 2018 in collaboration with several national Cardiologists to study and model Left Ventricular Non-Compaction cardiomyopathy with cellular systems. His future interests are to develop research projects of a translational nature to resolve or prevent cardiac pathologies. He supervises or has already supervised 8 post-doctorates (2 co-supervisions), 13 PhD students (10 co-supervisions), 12 Master's students (6 co-supervisions), 26 final degree works, and 30 works (22 laboratory and 8 bibliographical reviews) within the scope of the University of Algarve's Medicine course. To share the knowledge generated at the University of Algarve with the non-university public in general, and in particular with secondary education students and teachers at Algarve, I created, and edits the UALGORITMO, with free access ONLINE https://ualgoritmo.wixsite.com/website .