معرفی
Vania Braga is a Reader in Cell-cell Adhesion Signalling at Imperial College London’s National Heart & Lung Institute (NHLI), part of the Faculty of Medicine. She holds multiple leadership roles, including former Deputy Head of the Molecular Medicine Section (2012–2018) and Head of the Cardio-Respiratory Section (2018–2021). Her research focuses on epithelial signaling pathways, particularly E-cadherin-mediated adhesion and Rho/Rab GTPase regulation, with applications in cancer and disease mechanisms.
Education includes a Biology degree from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (Brazil) and postdoctoral training at Imperial Cancer Research UK. Her work is funded by Cancer Research UK, MRC, and the Wellcome Trust. She supervises the CDT in Chemical Biology and participates in interdisciplinary networks like the Membrane Receptor Network and Vascular Science Network.
Her research interests span junctional signaling, autophagy, and cell migration, with over 100 publications in top journals. She serves on editorial boards and frequently presents at international conferences (Gordon Conferences, FASEB). Recent work includes developing tools like Junction Mapper and studying snake venom cytotoxicity.
Grants include Cancer Research UK (C1282/A11980), MRC (MR/J007668/1), and Wellcome Trust (GR081357MA). Awards include the MRC Non-Clinical Senior Fellowship (2012). She mentors students globally and leads outreach programs, emphasizing education and lab experience.