I graduated in Psychology from the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Coimbra in 2007 and completed a PhD degree in Health Sciences from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra in 2014, while the holder of a PhD grant from the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, FCT (SFRH/BD/41401/2007).
After completing her PhD, I was awarded a FCT scholarship (SFRH/BPD/101641/2014) to develop my postdoctoral work at the Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (IBILI) of the University of Coimbra to explore the neural correlates of inhibitory control in Autism Spectrum Disorder. My expertise lies in developing and implementing cognitive and imaging studies in clinical populations employing molecular, physiological, and behavioral complementary approaches, such as Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS), Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), and Neuropsychological tools.
At present, I am an auxiliary researcher at the Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT) of the Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS) of the University of Coimbra. I am integrated in the FLAD Science Award on Mental Health 2023 project entitled "Non-invasive Brain Stimulation for Social Cognitive Impairment in Schizophrenia" (BS2C).
My research achievements are reflected in 1 book chapter and 17 original peer-reviewed papers with 360 citations and an H-index of 10 by Scopus. I have been involved, as a team member, in interdisciplinary European projects (BrainTrain Project-FP7-HEALTH-2013-Innovation-1-602186, Aims-2-trials - Grant agreement nº 777394) which offers the opportunity to create future long-standing collaborations. Concomitantly, I also had the opportunity to disseminate my research findings as author and co-author of 30 scientific posters and oral communications at national and renowned international conferences, for instance, Human Brain Mapping and Society for Neuroscience meetings.
Importantly, my scientific profile has a distinctive feature rooted in my commitment to the field of Science Communication reflected in the Master in Communication of Science and Innovation she completed at the University of Trento. I have been enthusiastic about the conceptualization, design, and implementation of science communication actions that foster closer interactions with patients, families, local institutions, and general society. It is my commitment to contribute to impactful knowledge transfer actions that resonate with society.
Keywords: Neuropsychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Neurodevelopment, Science Communication, Outreach Events
Contact: ibernardino@fmed.uc.pt
Complete CV: https://www.cienciavitae.pt/portal/1212-5572-B95C
