Carla Novais

Carla Novais serves as Assistant Professor in Microbiology at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, and as a researcher within the Research Unit on Applied Molecular Biosciences (UCIBIO-REQUIMTE), specifically in the BacT-Drugs group.

Education:

• Pharmaceutical Sciences degree (2000), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto
• PhD in Microbiology (2005), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto

Research Focus: Dr. Novais investigates antimicrobial resistance in Enterococcus through a One Health lens, examining resistance gene transmission across human, animal, and environmental interfaces. Her work spans food safety applications (canned seafood, pet food), bacterial genotyping, and plasmid evolution. Recent studies analyze fitness costs of resistance mechanisms and bacteriocin-mediated resistance dynamics.

With 80 total publications and 8 recent papers (2021-2022), her output demonstrates consistent productivity in high-impact microbiology journals. Her work shows increasing emphasis on transnational resistance spread and food-animal-human transmission pathways, reflecting growing recognition of antimicrobial resistance as a global One Health challenge.

Research Environment: As part of the BacT-Drugs group within UCIBIO-REQUIMTE, Dr. Novais operates in a multidisciplinary environment focused on antibacterial drug discovery and resistance mechanisms. The unit facilitates collaborations across microbiology, pharmacology, and environmental science, supporting her integrated approach to resistance research.