- R2RL24, John Bull Building, Plymouh Science Park, 16 Research Way
- claudia.barros@plymouth.ac.uk
Profiles
Dr Claudia Barros
Lecturer in Neuroscience
Peninsula Medical School (Faculty of Health: Medicine, Dentistry and Human Sciences)
Role
Principal Investigator, School of Medicine, University of Plymouth.
Qualifications
Claudia Barros obtained her 5-year Diploma in Biology from the Lisbon Sciences University, Portugal and her PhD (2003) from the University of Cambridge, UK. In late 2003, she became a postdoctoral associate fellow in the laboratory of Prof. Ulrich Müller at the Dorris Neuroscience Center of The Scripps Research Institute, San Diego, USA. Her studies focused on cellular and molecular mechanisms directing neural development and function. Claudia returned to the UK in Autumn 2009 and after a brief stay at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Oxford University, she was awarded an Early Career Fellowship from the Leverhulme Trust, UK to start in late 2010 as a Research Fellow at Bangor University, Wales. In June 2013, Claudia moved to the School of Medicine, University of Plymouth, where she is currently a Lecturer in Neuroscience and principal investigator. Her research team investigates regulatory mechanisms responsible for the development and maintenance of postembryonic Neural Stem Cells in the brain during health and disease.
Other qualifications: Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice.
Other faculty roles: Vice-chair Faculty Research Degrees Committee; School of Medicine Academic Research Coordinator.
Professional membership
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Member of the British Society for Cell Biology
Member of the British Society for Developmental Biology
Teaching interests
Neuroscience, Cancer, Neural Stem Cell Development in Health and Disease,
Current contributions to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching:
Biomedical School, BHCS3007 - Contemporary issues in Neurobiology (year 3)
Biomedical School, BHCS3001 - Personal research project (year 3)
Medical School - Biomedical Sciences SSU (year 1)
Dental School, Life Sciences - Emerging concepts in biomedical science; Molecular Biology of Cancer (year 1)
Pastoral Tutor, Schools of Medicine and Dentistry undergraduates, all years
Offer of research projects to Biomedical Sciences MSc, 1-year and summer research placements.
Past contributions:
Biomedical School 5006 - MSc Research Project
Biomedical School 3030 - 1-year long Personal Research Project (year 3)
Medical School SSU R- Research in Action (year 4 undergraduate module)
Biomedical Sciences, Summer research placements, year 1
Research interests
Current research in our team focus on the identification and characterisation of molecular signals controlling post-embryonic Neural Stem Cell mitotic activation, cell identity and differentiation in normal but also in pathological conditions, such as upon neoplastic transformation. Our work involves functional genetics, gene expression and imaging studies. We take advantage of the fruit fly Drosophila brain as an in vivo model, and we translate findings into mammalian systems including human brain tissues and neural cell cultures.
Grants & contracts
Research Grant (PhD studentship; PI), ITSMED Plymouth University (2018-21)
Research Grant (Project grant, PI), Brain Research Trust, UK (2018-21)Research Grant (PhD studentship; PI), ITSMED Plymouth University (2016-19)
BBSRC New Investigator Research grant, UK (2015-18)Research Grant (PhD studentship; PI), ITSMED Plymouth University (2013-16)
Research Grant (PhD studentship; PI), Tenovus Cancer Care UK (2011-2015)
Research Grant (MRes studentship; PI), KESS UK/EU (2012-13)
Early Career Fellowship, Leverhulme Trust UK (2010-13)
Postdoctoral Fellowship, The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation USA (2005-07)
PhD Studentship, FCT Portugal (1999-2003, Cambridge University UK)
Science Initiation grant, FCT Portugal (1998-99)
Undergraduate studentship, Prodep Portugal (1997-98)
Research groups
Key publications are highlighted
Journals
Articles
2019
'STRIPAK Members Orchestrate Hippo and Insulin Receptor Signaling to Promote Neural Stem Cell Reactivation'
Cell Reports
27,
(10)
2921-2933.e5
, DOI
PEARL
2018
'A zinc-finger fusion protein refines Gal4-defined neural circuits'
Molecular Brain
11,
(1)
46-46
, DOI
PEARL
2016
'Inhibition of STEP61 ameliorates deficits in mouse and hiPSC-based schizophrenia models'
Molecular Psychiatry
, DOI
PEARL
2016
'The Hippo signalling pathway maintains quiescence in Drosophila neural stem cells'
Nature Communications
7,
(1)
, DOI
PEARL
2012
'Disruption of microtubule integrity initiates mitosis during CNS repair'
Dev Cell
23,
(2)
433-440
, DOI
PEARL
2012
'Colocalization between endogenous erbB4 and endogenous kalirin-7 in interneuronal dendrites'
Molecular Psychiatry
17,
(1)
1-1
, DOI
2012
'Control of interneuron dendritic growth through NRG1/erbB4-mediated kalirin-7 disinhibition'
Mol Psychiatry
17,
(1)
1-107
, DOI
PEARL
2011
'Extracellular matrix: functions in the nervous system'
Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol
3,
(1)
, DOI
PEARL
2009
'Beta1 integrins are required for normal CNS myelination and promote AKT-dependent myelin outgrowth'
Development
136,
(16)
2717-2724
, DOI
PEARL
2009
'Regulation of radial glial survival by signals from the meninges'
J Neurosci
29,
(24)
7694-7705
, DOI
PEARL
2009
'Impaired maturation of dendritic spines without disorganization of cortical cell layers in mice lacking NRG1/ErbB signaling in the central nervous system'
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
106,
(11)
4507-4512
, DOI
PEARL
2003
'Drosophila nonmuscle myosin II promotes the asymmetric segregation of cell fate determinants by cortical exclusion rather than active transport'
Dev Cell
5,
(6)
829-840
PEARL
Chapters
2005
'Integrin Functions in Nervous System Development'
Integrins in Development
Georgetown, TX
Landes Bioscience