Cláudio A. Franco

Cláudio A. Franco is an Associate Professor at Católica Medical School and Vice-Director of the Católica Biomedical Research Centre (CBR). He serves as Vice-President of both the European Vascular Biology Organization and the Sociedade Portuguesa de Biologia do Desenvolvimento. His work bridges vascular biology, mechanobiology, and computational modeling.

• Education: PhD in Protein Structure/Engineering from Université Paris 7 (2008), Bachelor in Biochemistry from University of Porto (2004).
• Research Focus: Endothelial cell migration against blood flow, dactylopodia (actin-based invasion structures), mechanobiology in vascular morphogenesis, AI-driven image analysis, and open-source tool development (e.g., HemaxiN/3D_U-Vec).

His 15 most recent articles span vascular morphogenesis, actin dynamics, aging-related diseases, computational tools, and host-pathogen interactions. Key subfields include shear stress regulation, endothelial cell polarity, age-related vascular rheostats, and AI-enhanced imaging.

• Scientific Awards: ERC Starting Grant (StG), ERC Proof of Concept (PoC), LeDucq Foundation Grant, La Caixa Foundation Grant, EU FETOPEN, EU Twinning Grant (cumulative: 3.5M€).
• Invitations: 30+ international conference communications (Gordon Conferences, EMBL) and 35+ lectures at institutions like Max-Planck Institutes and Karolinska Institute.

His collaborative networks include co-lead authorships, second-last authorships, and synergistic partnerships like the FIGUEIREDO lab. Current projects (ECtraffic, ECARD, Angiocrine regulators) address protein trafficking, age-related diseases, and healthy aging mechanisms.