Alexandra Isabel Cardoso Nunes

Alexandra Isabel Cardoso Nunes is a researcher at the Genomics and Bioinformatics Unit of the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Portuguese National Institute of Health (INSA), and an invited professor at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and the School of Psychology and Life Sciences at Lusófona University (ULusófona). She is actively involved in national and international research projects under the One Health framework, particularly in antimicrobial resistance, pathogen genomics, and outbreak surveillance.

Her research interests span Microbial Genomics, Public Health, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), Bioinformatics, Pathogen Evolution, and One Health. She employs advanced genomic and transcriptomic techniques to study bacterial and viral pathogens, with a focus on Chlamydia trachomatis, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and SARS-CoV-2. Her work integrates laboratory and computational methods for integrative surveillance and drug development.

Her recent publications highlight trends in zoonotic pathogen transmission, AMR in food-producing animals, genomic surveillance of emerging outbreaks (e.g., mpox, SARS-CoV-2), and development of novel antimicrobial materials. These studies are increasingly interdisciplinary, combining veterinary, human, and environmental health perspectives under the One Health umbrella.

• European ERA-NET PathoGenoMics Ph.D. Award 2011
• Gold Medal for Distinguished Services from the Portuguese Ministry of Health
• ASA Travel Award 2014

Nunes has (co-)supervised 27 students, including postdoctoral researchers, PhD, MSc, and BSc candidates, and currently mentors 10 students. She has participated in over 30 national and international research projects, including EU4Health, Horizon 2020, and ECDC-funded initiatives. She is a member of COST Action CA21145 'EURESTOP' and the Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV).

She leads the development of bioinformatics tools like INSaFLU-TELEVIR for viral genomic surveillance and is co-inventor of a European patent on surfactant-based hydrogels for infection prevention. Her work bridges research, public health policy, and technological innovation.