Sandra de Macedo Ribeiro

Sandra de Macedo Ribeiro is a Principal Investigator at the Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S) in Porto, Portugal. She leads the Biomolecular Structure and Function group and has held leadership roles at multiple institutions, including Deputy Director at Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC) and Deputy Coordinator at i3S.

• Structural Biology
• Neurodegenerative Diseases
• Protein Aggregation
• Polyglutamine Repeats
• Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3
• Protein Crystallography

Her research focuses on structural biology, particularly the molecular mechanisms of ataxin-3 aggregation linked to Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3 (SCA3). She has pioneered drug repositioning strategies targeting protein self-assembly and investigated genetic code alterations in Candida albicans. Publications highlight her expertise in amyloid formation, polyglutamine plasticity, and mitochondrial protease regulation.

Scientific contributions include:

• 2023: Drug repurposing for SCA3
• 2023: Structural insights into Candida albicans pathogenesis
• 2020: Standardizing aggregation experiments (MIRRAGGE)

Awards include the National Ataxia Foundation Seed Money Award (2017, 2010) and the Crioestaminal Prize (2005). She actively participates in scientific advisory boards for CERIC, ESRF, and COST Actions.