Duarte Ferreira

In 2013, I received my PhD from the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon where I did my PhD studies in Professor Rodrigues’ laboratory (iMed.UL, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon), under her supervision and Dr Castro’s, to investigate the changes in the apoptosis and microRNAs among morbid obese patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Diseases.

In 2013, thanks to Wenner-Gren Foundation, I moved to Stockholm, Sweden to pursue my postdoc under Professor Ruas mentorship at Karolinska Institutet. My postdoc studies explore different regulators of skeletal muscle mass and function as well as adipose tissue.

In 2018, I became Assistant professor, where I divide my time between teaching (70%) and research (30%).

In 2023, I joined Dr. Lanner lab at Karolinska Institutet, where I will focus on novel pharmacological interventions to improve mitochondrial function and enhance the antioxidant defence in dysfunctional skeletal muscle.

I am studying how chronic inflammation reprograms whole-body metabolism by disrupting mitochondria and by altering liver and adipose fuel handling. I am interested in mapping the causal chain inflammation → mitochondrial stress → impaired insulin signalling across skeletal muscle, liver, and visceral fat, using arthritis and diet models (CFA/CAIA ± HFD), patient samples/biobanks, and advanced phenotyping (in vivo glucose uptake, ex vivo contractility, respirometry, targeted transcriptomics).

Keywords: inflammation, insulin resistance, skeletal muscle, liver, adipose tissue, mitochondria, RA, T2D, CAIA/CFA, HFD.

I have accumulated over 1, 000 hours of teaching experience across various educational environments, including laboratories, seminars, and lectures. My teaching is primarily focused towards medical, dental, and biomedical students, with an emphasis on subjects around physiology and pharmacology. Moreover, I have supervised numerous students in their research theses at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. These teaching experiences have been extremely rewarding and fulfilling; I really enjoy helping students develop their understanding towards topics that I am passionate about.

Responsible teacher for the “Advanced Physiology, smaller course” (HL2017) and “Advanced Physiology” (HL2018) course for the master program in collaboration with KTH until autumn 2021.

Moment responsible teacher for the course DFM1 (until spring semester 2021) and DSM1.1 (until spring semester 2022) in the 5.5-year medical program.

Examiner and responsible teacher for the “Pharmacology with Toxicology” course (1BI045) for the Biomedicine bachelor program until spring 2023.

Responsible teacher for the course “Basic Science 5”, 30 HP (2LA004), in the 6-year medical program

Responsible teacher for the course “GCP and Clinical Pharmaceutical trials”, 3.5HP (4FF011) in the Master’s program in Translational Physiology and Pharmacology

Responsible teacher for the course “Information literacy: searching, writing and presenting science”, 4.0HP (4FF013) in the Master’s program in Translational Physiology and Pharmacology

Examiner for the course “Laboratory animal science, behavior and metabolism”, 7.5HP (4FF009) in the Master’s program in Translational Physiology and Pharmacology

Examiner for the course “Applied physiology and pharmacology - research project 1”, 7.5HP (4FF005) in the Master’s program in Translational Physiology and Pharmacology

Examiner for the course “Applied physiology and pharmacology - research project 2”, 7.5HP (4FF006) in the Master’s program in Translational Physiology and Pharmacology

Examiner for the course “Degree project in translational physiology and pharmacology”, 30HP (4FF007) in the Master’s program in Translational Physiology and Pharmacology

Examiner and responsible teacher for the course to PhD students regarding “Mechanisms of Gene Regulation in Metabolism” (#3157). 

Semester responsible and basic scientific competence responsible for the first semester of the 6-year medical program. 

Director of Studies in Pharmacology 

Director of Studies in the Master’s program in Translational Physiology and Pharmacology