Vasco Sousa

Vasco Sousa

Senior Research Infrastructure Specialist
Telephone: +46852483254
Visiting address: BioClinicum J5:20, Akademiska stråket 1, Karolinska universitetssjukh, 17164 Solna
Postal address: K8 Klinisk neurovetenskap, K8 Imaging CF ARG, 171 77 Stockholm
Part of:

About me

  • I'm currently head of unit / manager of the autoradiography core facility. Our main mission is to help develop new pharmaceuticals and imaging tracers with clinical significance. Together with the other facilities in our division and the Center for Imaging Research (CIR), we form a hub for cutting-edge imaging research that is internationally recognized.
    I have worked at the Karolinska Institutet since late 2010. I have over 7 years of experience as a senior lab manager and for 5 years as coordinator for the Strategic Research Area Neuroscience (StratNeuro). Between 2011 and 2014 I was a postdoctoral researcher.

    Education:
    2010 - PhD in Neuroscience from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon (PT).
    2005 - BSc Hon degree in Neuroscience from the University of Glasgow (UK).

Research

  • The autoradiography core facility (ARG CF) is a core facility at the Division of Imaging Core Facilities, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute. Our facility is fully outfitted and staffed to support radioligand binding and autoradiography studies. We provide full service and consultation, or training and access to equipment for our users to carry out their studies.
    The methods that our facility specializes in are important in pharmacology and cellular signaling research, as well as for development and validation of tracers for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging.
    Radioligand binding is used to study the binding properties of a radioactive isotope-labelled compound (radioligand) to a specific target, such as a receptor or enzyme.
    Autoradiography is used to visualize the location and distribution of a radioligand in a sample and assess its target-specificity.

Teaching

  • @ Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet (Stockholm, SE),
    • 2011-present: course co-organizer, teaching and examiner in the doctoral course “Neuropsychopharmacology” (course #2526).
    • 2017: Taught “Behavioral tests for measuring depression” in the doctoral course “Making the most of Behavioral Methods in Rat and Mouse (course #CFK 2946).
    • 2011-2013: Taught “pre-clinical models of major depressive disorder” on the “Frontiers in Translational Medicine” course within the KI MSc. program.
    • Doctoral students advised
    . 2014: Tiberiu Loredan Stan (as co-supervisor)
    • Master’s students advised
    . 2013-2014 co-supervised 3 students from University of Milan, through the Erasmus program, 6 month projects.

    @ Faculty of Medicine &
  • Faculty of Science, University of Lisbon (Lisbon, PT)
    • 2008-2010: Taught “cannabinoid pharmacology” on the Biochemistry Msc program (Faculty of Science) and the Neuroscience Msc program (Faculty of Medicine).
    • 2007-2010: Taught "measuring neurotransmitter release” on the practical course “Neuroscience”, which was part of the 3rd year Medical degree program at the Faculty of Medicine.

Articles

All other publications

Grants

  • Autoradiography Core facility
    Core facility anslag (SLL/KI)
    1 January 2019 - 31 December 2021
  • “Mechanisms of HPA axis and circadian rhythm dysregulation, with implications for sleep disorders and major depression”
    Rut and Arvid Wolff Memorial Foundation
    18 November 2013 - 30 November 2014
  • “Investigation of gene-environment interactions and biochemical mechanisms in the onset and development of major depression”
    The Wenner-Gren Foundation
    1 January 2012 - 31 March 2014
  • short term grant for collaborative work at Strathclyde University
    European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST)
    1 April 2010 - 30 June 2010
  • “Cross-talk mechanisms between adenosine and endocannabinoids”
    The Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)
    1 March 2006 - 31 March 2010

Employments

  • Senior Research Infrastructure Specialist, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 2024-
  • Co-ordinator for StratNeuro, Karolinska Institute, 2019-2023
  • Post-doctoral researcher, Neuropsychopharmacology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, 2011-2014
  • Visiting Researcher, Neuropsychopharmacology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, 2010-2011

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