Luísa Lobato, MD, PhD

Integrated PhD Researcher

orcid.org/0000-0002-1464-083X

Academic degrees:

PhD in Medical Science by ICBAS, University of Porto, Portugal,

Medical Doctor, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Portugal.

Current Positions:

• Senior consultant nephrologist at the Department of Nephrology and Amyloid Unit Corino de Andrade, Centro Hospitalar do Porto (CHP), Portugal.

• Director of Department of Education, Training and Research, CHP, Portugal.

• Medical Direction of CHP Clinical Trials Unit (CTU)

• Direction of CHP Science Communication

• Medical Direction of CHP Health Sciences Library

• Professor of Nephrology at ICBAS, University of Porto

• Member of the Representatives Council, ICBAS, University of Porto

• Academic Coordinator of International Mobility Programmes for Medicine, ICBAS, University of Porto

Research interests:

• Clinical and epidemiology of amyloidosis;

• Nephropathic amyloidosis, especially the forms associated to transthyretin and fibrinogen;

• Increasing and improving noninvasive methods for the detection of early transthyretin amyloid involvement in the kidney;

• Analyze new anti-amyloid treatments for effective prevention of kidney damage in transthyretin amyloidosis;

• Generate the offer to Portuguese patients, through international network, an shared expertise diagnostic tool, in localized and systemic amyloidosis, especially in nephropathic forms.

• Solid organs transplantation

• Factors contributing to renal graft loss;

• Allocation improvement in kidney transplantation;

• Liver-kidney transplantation;

• Chronic kidney disease in the elderly;

• Management of clinical trials and CTUs - including supervision of investigator-initiated/academic trials;

• Organization of hospital research infrastructures and European networking.
  

Research area keywords:

Hereditary amyloidosis, Transthyretin, Liver and kidney transplantation, Investigator-initiated clinical trials, Research network

Major Scientific Achievements:

• Hereditary Transthyretin Amyloidosis, ATTR V30M mutation-

• Amyloid renal deposits commonly occur, even in the absence of urinary abnormalities. Severity of renal deposits does not consistently parallel that of myelinated nerve fiber loss. Microalbuminuria can be first presentation of disease, even before the onset of neuropathy.
  

• Despite the same genotype, progression to end-stage renal disease shows a clear deviation to female gender. The high familial prevalence of renal involvement and anticipation phenomenon support early screening of albuminuria in ATTR V30M carriers.

• Simultaneous liver kidney transplantation is recommended to avoid recurrence of nephropathy in ATTR patients with chronic renal disease. The TTR stabilizer tafamidis slow or halt kidney disease.

• Fibrinogen A-alpha-chain amyloidosis

• Recognition of worldwide major focus of Fibrinogen A-alpha-chain amyloidosis localized in the Northern Portugal. The disease appears to be an under-recognized disorder in Braga, Portugal, where we found a high frequency of the FGA p.Glu545Val variant.

Selected publications:

1. Tavares I, Oliveira JP, Pinho A, Moreira L, Rocha L, Santos J, Pinheiro J, Costa PP, Lobato L. Unrecognized Fibrinogen A α-Chain Amyloidosis: Results From Targeted Genetic Testing. Am J Kidney Dis. 2017 Aug; 70 (2):235-243

2. Carvalho A, Rocha A, Lobato L. Liver transplantation in transthyretin amyloidosis: issues and challenges. Liver Transpl. 2015 Mar;21(3):282-92.

3. Fonseca I, Reguengo H, Almeida M, Dias L, Martins LS, Pedroso S, Santos J, Lobato L, Henriques AC, Mendonça D. Oxidative stress in kidney transplantation: malondialdehyde is an early predictive marker of graft dysfunction. Transplantation. 2014 May 27; 97(10):1058-65.

4. Stangou AJ, Lobato L, Zeldenrust S, Rela M, Portmann B, Linke RP, Conceicao I, Otto G, Wilczek H, Suhr O, Azoulay D, Grateau G, Picken M, O'Grady J, Heaton N, Ericzon BG, Benson MD. Solid organ transplantation for non-TTR hereditary amyloidosis: report from the 1st International Workshop on the Hereditary Renal Amyloidoses. Amyloid. 2012 Jun; 19 Suppl 1:81-4.

5. Lobato L, Rocha A. Transthyretin amyloidosis and the kidney. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2012 Aug;7(8):1337-46.

Ongoing projects:

Portuguese Society of Nephrology. Renal Amyloidosis: characterisation and classification of hereditary forms in Portugal. PI: Isabel Tavares; Luísa Lobato 40%.

Concluded projects:

Efficacy and Safety Study of KIACTA in Preventing Renal Function Decline in AA Amyloidosis - clinical trial. PI: Luísa Lobato. 2012 – 2016.

Commission for the Promotion of Applied Research in Healthcare, Ministry of Health. Nephropathy in FAP: epidemiology in the Braga area and histological characterisation. PI: Luísa Lobato. 1998 - 2000

Commission for the Promotion of Applied Research in Healthcare, Ministry of Health. Nephropathy in FAP - expression of an entity in Póvoa de Varzim / Vila do Conde, histological characterization. PI: Luísa Lobato. 1995-1997.

Commission for the Promotion of Applied Research in Health Care, Ministry of Health. Effect of 3 hemodialysis membranes on plasma levels of transthyretin in chronic renal insufficients with FAP. PI: Idalina Beirão. Luísa Lobato 30%. 1995 - 1997.

Prizes, honors, awards:

2016- Best poster; International Society of Amyloidosis

2016- Junior Researcher Travel Awards; International Society of Amyloidosis

2015- Prémio Sollari Allegro de Investigação Clínica; Centro Hospitalar do Porto

2015- European Renal Association Grant - Best abstract for young author; European Society of Nephrology - EDTA-ERA

2011- "Best Work of The Congress"; Portuguese Society of Nephrology

2005- Melhor Apresentação XIX Congresso Português de Nefrologia na área de Nefrologia Clínica; Sociedade Portuguesa de Nefrologia

2004- Prémio Fresenius; Sociedade Portuguesa Nefrologia

2004- Prémio Investigação do HGSA; Hospital Geral Santo António

2002- Prémio Roche 2001/2002; Sociedade Portuguesa de Nefrologia

1999- Melhor Comunicação Original em Nefrologia Clínica; XIII Congresso Português de Nefrologia

1998- Prémio Gulbenkian para Jovens Investigadores; Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian

1997- European Renal Association Grant; European Renal Association

International collaborations:

• Laure-Helene Noël, MD. Service d'Anatomie et Cytologie Pathologiques. CHU Paris - Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades. France. Amyloidosis and Renal Pathology.

• Nelson Leung, MD, PhD. Division of Nephrology & Hypertension. Mayo Clinic. Rochester, Minnesota, US. Diagnostic work up of amyloidosis.

• Arie J Stangou, MD. Liver Unit. Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, UK. Transplantation for hereditary amyloidosis.

PhD thesis supervision (concluded):

• Idalina Beirão. Medical Sciences, ICBAS-UP. Renal involvement in the genesis of anemia in Portuguese type familial amyloid polyneuropathy. 2009.

• Isabel Fonseca. Biomedical Sciences, ICBAS-UP. Factors predictive of dysfunction and renal graft loss in the long term. 2014.

• Isabel Tavares. Biomedicine. FMUP. Amiloidose por fibrinogénio: fenótipo, genótipo, tratamento e prognóstico. Estimated completion date 2018.

• Josefina Santos. Medical Sciences, ICBAS-UP. Chronic kidney disease in the elderly: understanding outcomes and trajectories of kidney function decline, towards an individualized care. Estimated completion date 2019.

• Sandra Tafulo. Biomedical Sciences, ICBAS-UP. HLA epitope matching for allocation improvement in kidney transplantation. Estimated completion date 2019.

• João Caseiro Alves. Biomedical Sciences, ICBAS-UP. Mentalidade de Silo em Serviços de Saúde: impacto na organização. Estimated completion date 2020

MSc thesis supervision (concluded):

• João Caseiro Alves. Managment of Health Units, FEP-UP. Mentalidade de Silo em Serviços de Saúde. 2017.

• Carolina Faria. AL amyloidosis: research and practice. Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, University of Porto. 2015. Supervisor Luísa Lobato.

• Débora Sousa. Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome. Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, University of Porto. 2014. Supervisor Luísa Lobato.

• Andreia Carvalho. Thesis: Liver transplantation in transthyretin amyloidosis: issues and challenges. FMUP, University of Porto 2014.

• Adriana Coelho. Thesis: Simultaneous liver and kidney transplantation. ICBAS, University of Porto. 2013. Supervisor Luísa Lobato.

• Bárbara Ferreira. Thesis: Kidney transplantation - UNESP. ICBAS, University of Porto. 2013. Supervisor Luísa Lobato.

• João Maia. Thesis: Imunoadsortion in nephrology and renal transplantation. ICBAS, University of Porto. 2012. Supervisor Luísa Lobato.

• Francisco Gouveia. Thesis: Ciliopathy and renal disease. ICBAS, University of Porto. 2012.Supervisor Luísa Lobato.

• Francisco Moura Cabral. Renal disease in patients infected by HIV. Universidade do Porto, 2011. Supervisor Luísa Lobato.

• José Costa. ICBAS. University of Porto.Thesis: Renal involvement in AA amyloidosis. 2010. Supervisor Luísa Lobato.

• Rodolfo Abreu. ICBAS, University of Porto.Thesis: Poliomavirus in Renal transplant Recipients. 2010. Supervisor Luísa Lobato.

• Nuno Vicente Rodrigues. ICBAS. University of Porto. Thesis: Rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis Associated with MPO-ANCA and linear immunofluorescence with the anti-glomerular basement membrane antibody. 2009. Supervisor Luísa Lobato.

• André Silva. ICBAS. University of Porto.Thesis: Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and IgA nephropathy. 2009. Supervisor Luísa Lobato.

• Clara Santos. Medical School of Coimbra. University of Coimbra. Thesis: Tuberous Sclerosis. 2009. Supervisor Luísa Lobato.

• Estefânia Correia. ICBAS. University of Porto. Thesis: fibroblast growth factor 23. 2008.

MSc thesis supervision:

• Lígia Denise Gonçalves de Sá Vieira.Oligonucleotides anti-sense. Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, University of Porto. Estimated completion date 2018.

Science and Society:

https//viewer.ipaper.io/defi-centro-hospitalar-do-porto/defi-newsletter

www.chporto.pt/pdf/efi/DEFI_dezembro2017.pdf

www.chporto.pt/pdf/Anexo_sem_nome_00607.pdf

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