Ana Elisabete Pires

Ana Elisabete Pires is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias, where she teaches Genetics and Animal Improvement, Immunology, Genetics Applied to Veterinary Sciences, and Biochemistry to students in Veterinary Medicine and Biology programs. Her research spans archaeogenomics, population genetics, and science education, with a focus on domestic dogs and ancient DNA.

• Licenciatura in Applied Biology to Animal Resources
• Mestrado in Biochemistry
• Doutoramento in Molecular Biology

Her research interests lie at the intersection of genetics, evolution, and domestication. She specializes in population genetics and phylogenetics, particularly of canine breeds from the Iberian Peninsula and North-West Africa. Using ancient DNA analysis, she investigates the origin, genetic structure, and phylogeography of domestic dogs and their relationship with the Iberian wolf. She also applies non-invasive molecular techniques in conservation biology for species like the Iberian lynx and wolf. Her work in immunology extends to science education through the development of the ImunoGénius Kit for secondary schools.

Her recent publications reflect a strong trend in archaeogenomics and animal domestication, with studies on ancient dogs, cattle, and sheep from the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa. Her work integrates genomic, osteological, and archaeological data to reconstruct evolutionary and domestication histories. She frequently collaborates on international projects and presents at major conferences in genetics, archaeology, and veterinary science.

Scientific awards include:

• Special Award from the jury for 'The Muge dog - a pre-historic friend' (Casa das Ciências, 2021)
• 1st Award ex aequo for 'The Muge Dog' (Ciencia en Acción, 2020)
• Mulher Ciência Viva Award (2019)
• Ágora prize for ImunoGénius Kit (2016)

She leads and participates in significant research projects such as the Woof Project (PTDC/HAR-ARQ/29545/2017), which explores the origins of Iberian and Maghreb dogs. She mentors students and collaborates widely, especially with Catarina Ginja and international teams. She is actively involved in public science outreach, including the European Night of Researchers and Ciência Viva initiatives. She also heads the Portuguese Association for Neurofibromatosis, contributing to community health awareness.

Her research is supported by ongoing grants and she leads initiatives in both laboratory and field-based studies. She is a key figure in the development of digital resources for zooarchaeology and education, including 3D modeling of skeletal specimens and animated science films.

She is involved in several research labs and teams, including the Woof Project team and the AL4AnimalS Associated Laboratory. Her work is conducted in collaboration with institutions such as UNIARQ/FL-UL and international consortia like Dog10K. She contributes to multidisciplinary teams integrating genetics, archaeology, and veterinary science.