Raquel Gil-Gouveia

Raquel Gil-Gouveia is an active Research Fellow at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Health (CIIS) within the School of Health Sciences at Universidade Católica Portuguesa, holding an external position at Hospital da Luz. Her work focuses on migraine pathophysiology and headache management, with significant contributions to national and international consensus guidelines.

Her research interests center on migraine neurobiology, particularly investigating peri-ictal brain changes, white matter microstructure alterations, and cognitive function preservation during attacks. Key areas include calcitonin gene-related peptide mechanisms, monoclonal antibody therapies, and working memory dynamics in headache disorders, leveraging advanced neuroimaging techniques to understand pain perception.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals three dominant research trajectories: (1) neuroimaging studies on migraine pathophysiology using fMRI and diffusion tensor imaging, (2) development of national clinical guidelines for headache management in Portugal, and (3) leadership in global headache advocacy through the European Headache Federation and Lifting The Burden campaign. Her work consistently bridges basic neuroscience with clinical implementation.

Key projects:

• BBH: The Bayesian Brain Hypothesis and pain perception in migraine (2022-2023)

Collaborations: Extensive international networks across 15+ countries, with high-impact partnerships in headache epidemiology and treatment guidelines development.