Dr Claudia Barros
Profiles

Dr Claudia Barros

Lecturer in Neuroscience

Biomedical Research - Institute of Translational & Stratified Medicine (Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry)

Role

Principal investigator at PSMD, Plymouth University

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, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry (FoMD), University of Plymouth, where she is currently a Lecturer in Neuroscience/ 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 FoMD Research Degrees Committee; School of Medicine Research Degrees 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, Neurobiology, Neural Stem Cell Development in Health and Disease.


Contribution to Plymouth University modules:
Medical School SSU R- Research in Action (year 4 undergraduate module)
Biomedical School 5006 - Research Project (year 3 undergraduate Honours project) 
Biomedical School 3031 - Personal Research Project (MSc)


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.

Claudia Barros - Lab website

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
Raghu SV, Mohammad F, Chua JY, Lam JSW, Loberas M, Sahani S, Barros CS & Claridge-Chang A 2018 'A zinc-finger fusion protein refines Gal4-defined neural circuits' Molecular Brain 11, (1) 46-46 Author Site , DOI PEARL
Xu J, Hartley BJ, Kurup P, Phillips A, Topol A, Xu M, Ononenyi C, Foscue E, Ho S-M & Baguley TD 2016 'Inhibition of STEP61 ameliorates deficits in mouse and hiPSC-based schizophrenia models' Molecular Psychiatry , DOI PEARL
Ding R, Weynans K, Bossing T, Barros CS & Berger C 2016 'The Hippo signalling pathway maintains quiescence in Drosophila neural stem cells' Nature Communications 7, 10510-10510 , DOI PEARL
Bossing T, Barros CS, Fischer B, Russell S & Shepherd D 2012 'Disruption of microtubule integrity initiates mitosis during CNS repair' Dev Cell 23, (2) 433-440 Author Site , DOI PEARL
Cahill M & Penzes P 2012 'Colocalization between endogenous erbB4 and endogenous kalirin-7 in interneuronal dendrites' Molecular Psychiatry 17, (1) 1-1 , DOI
Cahill ME, Jones KA, Rafalovich I, Xie Z, Barros CS, Müller U & Penzes P 2012 'Control of interneuron dendritic growth through NRG1/erbB4-mediated kalirin-7 disinhibition' Mol Psychiatry 17, (1) 1-107 Author Site , DOI PEARL
Barros CS, Franco SJ & Müller U 2011 'Extracellular matrix: functions in the nervous system' Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 3, (1) Author Site , DOI PEARL
Barros CS, Nguyen T, Spencer KSR, Nishiyama A, Colognato H & Müller U 2009 'Beta1 integrins are required for normal CNS myelination and promote AKT-dependent myelin outgrowth' Development 136, (16) 2717-2724 Author Site , DOI PEARL
Radakovits R, Barros CS, Belvindrah R, Patton B & Müller U 2009 'Regulation of radial glial survival by signals from the meninges' J Neurosci 29, (24) 7694-7705 Author Site , DOI PEARL
Barros CS, Calabrese B, Chamero P, Roberts AJ, Korzus E, Lloyd K, Stowers L, Mayford M, Halpain S & Müller U 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 Author Site , DOI PEARL
Barros CS, Phelps CB & Brand AH 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 Author Site PEARL
Bossing T, Barros CS & Brand AH 2002 'Rapid tissue-specific expression assay in living embryos' Genesis 34, (1-2) 123-126 Author Site , DOI PEARL
Van Roessel P, Hayward NM, Barros CS & Brand AH 2002 'Two-color GFP imaging demonstrates cell-autonomy of GAL4-driven RNA interference indrosophila' genesis 34, (1-2) 170-173 , DOI PEARL
Chapters
Barros CS & Müller U 2005 'Integrin Functions in Nervous System Development' Integrins in Development Georgetown, TX Landes Bioscience