Double recognition for University of Coimbra neuroscientist
João Peça has received the 2023 ‘Best Manuscript Award’ from the Portuguese Society for Neuroscience, as well as the ‘Best In-House Neuroscience Paper’ award from the Centre for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology.
From left to right: João Peça (lecturer at DCV/FCTUC and researcher at CNC-UC/CiBB), Tiago Gil Oliveira (SPN president of the Portuguese Society of Neuroscience) and Joana Guedes (researcher at CNC-UC/CiBB and co-author of the study).
© DR
João Peça, lecturer at the Department of Life Sciences of the Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Coimbra (DCV/FCTUC) and researcher at the Centre for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC-UC) — which includes the Centre for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CiBB) — was recognised for research carried out with his team on the impact of severe allergies on brain development after birth.
The Portuguese Society for Neuroscience (SPN) honoured this research with the 2023 Best Manuscript Award, while the Centre for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology also recognised the paper with its Best In-House Neuroscience Paper Award.
The double award-winning paper, titled IL-4 shapes microglia-dependent pruning of the cerebellum during postnatal development and published in the prestigious neuroscience journal Neuron, sheds new light on neurodevelopmental mechanisms by identifying this critical window in cerebellar development. The article also emphasises the importance of healthy immune system development, highlighting the potential impact that disruptions during this stage could have on the brain.