Research Grant Awardees in 2014
We are pleased to present the 13 recipients of a research grant in 2014 who received up to EUR 20'000 each for their projects.
Paula Espinal, Barcelona, Spain
Ana Sofia Ferreira, Lisbon, Portugal
Gabriela Flores-Ramirez, Bratislava, Slovakia
Mateja Jelen, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Bostjan J. Kocjan, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Anália Lourenço, Ourense, Spain
Michael McConnell, Seville, Spain
Jana Basas Satorras, Barcelona, Spain
Cynthia Mira Sharma, Würzburg, Germany
Isabel Soares Silva, Porto, Portugal
Sandra Sousa, Porto, Portugal
Debby van Riel, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
M. Isabel Veiga, Braga, Portugal

Paula Espinal
Microbiology, Centre Esther Koplowitz, Barcelona, Spain
Project
Relationship between resistance mechanisms and potential virulence in Acinetobacter spp. strains using the Caenorhabditis elegans model

Ana Sofia Ferreira
BSRG, Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (IBB)/Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Lisbon, Portugal
Project
How do bacterial phosphotyrosine phosphatase proteins modulate host-pathogen interactions?

Gabriela Flores-Ramirez
Department of Rickettsiology, Institute of Virology, Bratislava, Slovakia
Project
Profile of the protein response in the process to tetracycline resistance by Coxiella burnetii

Mateja Jelen
Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Project
Genome sequencing analysis of more than 2,000 vaccine-relevant, globally circulating, human papillomavirus HPV-6 and HPV-11 isolates

Bostjan J. Kocjan
Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Project
Determination of molecular mechanisms of low-risk HPV-mediated carcinogenesis

Anália Lourenço
University of Vigo, Ourense, Spain
Project
Reconstruction of polymicrobial interactions in infections: the case of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans cross talk in ventilator-associated pneumonia

Michael McConnell
Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Biomedical Institute of Seville, Seville, Spain
Project
Identification of novel antibiotic targets for Acinetobacter baumannii through the characterization of metabolic genes required for biofilm formation, virulence and infection

Jana Basas Satorras
Infectious Diseases, Hospital Universitari Vall d´Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
Project
PLGA nanoparticles as specific carriers for nebulized drug delivery of antibiotic combinations against respiratory infections caused by high-risk clones of P. aeruginosa in the murine model

Cynthia Mira Sharma
Institute for Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB)/ Research Center for Infectious Diseases (ZINF), University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
Project
New 3D-infection models based on tissue-engineering to study pathogenicity of Helicobacter pylori and Campylobacter jejuni
Based upon her outstanding research proposal, she has been awarded an ESCMID/FEMS Research Fellowship 2014.

Isabel Soares Silva
Serviço de Nefrologia, Hospital de S. João, Porto, Portugal
Project
Establishment of an in vitro model system for the study of biofilm formation in haemodialysis tunneled catheters

Sandra Sousa
Infection and Immunity, Group of Molecular Microbiology, IBMC, Porto, Portugal
Project
Novel interfaces during host responses to pore forming toxins: crosstalk between ER chaperones and cytoskeletal proteins

Debby van Riel
Viroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Project
Cell-to-cell transmission of influenza viruses along the olfactory route

M. Isabel Veiga
Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
Project
The ATP-binding cassette transporters Plasmodium falciparum multidrug resistance proteins (pfMRPs) and their relevance in antimalarial drug resistance
Based upon her outstanding research proposal, she has been awarded an ESCMID/FEMS Research Fellowship 2014.