Bibiana I. Ferreira completed her doctoral studies in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Biomedicine at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid with honor (summa cum laude). Her pre-doctoral training was conducted at two top institutions: The Institute for Molecular Pathology and Immunology from University of Porto and Spanish National Cancer Center (Madrid). Bibiana was trained as a post-doc at the SALK Institute for Biological Sciences (San Diego, USA) under the supervision of Dr. Reuben Shaw, a leading expert in the field of AMPK (master regulator of energy in the cell). She studied the impact of the cell energy status on the regulation of core oncogenic pathways (results from this study were published in Science). In the last years Bibiana has been focused in deciphering the mechanisms underlaying drug resistance and developing new strategies to overcome this limitation. She is the author of 46 peer-reviewed publications and 1715 citations (Scopus h-index 20). She has been paving her way towards scientific independence by attracting very competitive funding (research grants, structural grants and fellowships). Bibiana is also an Assistant Professor at University of Algarve in the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (PBL method for medical students), the director of the Oncobiology master program and the director of the International PhD Cancer program in collaboration with Champalimaud Foundation. In addition, Bibiana was the head of the Algarve Biomedical Center COVID19 Diagnostic lab between until July 2022 and the head of the LABGEN (genetic diagnostic lab).
The team is currently composed of 3 PhD students; 1 master student.
Our laboratory is primarily focused on elucidating the molecular mechanisms that enable cancer cells to develop resistance to multiple anticancer therapies. In particular, we investigate the TRIBBLES family of pseudokinases and their contribution to tumor initiation, progression, and therapeutic resistance.
Using a range of in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models, we aim to define the biological functions and signaling pathways regulated by these proteins. A major focus of our research is TRIB2, a pseudokinase that is frequently overexpressed in several aggressive malignancies, including melanoma, glioblastoma, and pancreatic cancer. By understanding how TRIB2 drives tumor progression and treatment resistance, we seek to identify novel therapeutic vulnerabilities that may improve patient outcomes.
Malik N, Ferreira BI, Hollstein P, et al. Shaw RJ. “Induction of lysosomal and mitochondrial biogenesis by AMPK phosphorylation of FNIP1” Science, 2023 (doi: 10.1126/science.abj5559) https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abj5559
Princiotto S, Jiménez L, Domínguez L, Sequeira JGN, Mourato C, Orea-Soufi A, Santos B, Dallavalle S, Machuqueiro M, Ferreira BI*, Link W* “Chromenone derivatives as CRM1 Inhibitors for Targeting Glioblastoma.” Chembiochem. 2025 Apr 23:e202500195. doi: 10.1002/cbic.202500195.
Jimenez L, Mayoral-Varo V, et al., Ferreira BI* & Link W* “Multiplexed cellular profiling identifies an organoselenium compound as an inhibitor of CRM1-mediated nuclear export” Traffic, 2022
Vitorino M, Pinheiro GG, Grenho I, Araujo IM, Ferreira BI, Link W, Tiscornia G. “Resistance to tumorigenesis in the african spiny mouse (Acomys) correlates with upregulation of multiple tumor suppressor genes.” https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-45001-6