Mónica Teotónio Fernandes is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Algarve and Principal Investigator of the Cancer Stemness and Immunity Lab at the Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-Ri). She teaches Cell Biology, Microbiology, Human Genetics, and Immunology, combining academic training with active biomedical research. Her work focuses on cancer biology, particularly molecular prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for brain tumors, as well as the development of stem cell-based disease models. She has extensive expertise in cellular and molecular biology, cancer epigenetics, cancer stem cells, and preclinical research. She has authored 22 scientific articles in international journals, three book chapters, and has received competitive funding and innovation awards.
The lab is composed of 1 PI, 2 PhD researchers, 2 PhD students, and 2 Master students.
Our research focuses on understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms that drive cancer stemness, with a particular emphasis on brain tumors. We investigate how cancer stem cell-like populations interact with the tumor microenvironment to promote tumor growth, invasion, metastasis, and resistance to therapy. By combining multi-omics, genetic engineering, iPSC-derived organoid models, and advanced imaging, our lab aims to identify novel biomarkers for personalized medicine and uncover new therapeutic targets. This work is supported by close collaborations with clinicians enabling access to patient-derived tumor samples and strengthening the translational relevance of our research.
Omics,
Genetic engineering,
iPSC-derived organoid models
De Sousa-Coelho AL, Solaković B, Bento AD, Fernandes MT (2025) Drug Repurposing for Targeting Cancer Stem-like Cells in Glioblastoma. Cancers, 17(18), 2999.
Fernandes MT, De Sousa-Coelho AL and Méndez-Lucas A (2025) Editorial: Advancing cancer therapy: innovative strategies targeting immune evasion and metabolic modulation. Front. Med. 12:1677300.
Fernandes MT, De Sousa-Coelho AL and Méndez-Lucas A (2025) Editorial: Advancing cancer therapy: innovative strategies targeting immune evasion and metabolic modulation. Front. Med. 12:1677300.
Cardoso C, Pestana D, Gokuladhas S, Marreiros AD, O'Sullivan JM, Binnie A, Fernandes MT, Castelo-Branco P (2024) “Identification of novel DNA methylation prognostic biomarkers for Acute Myeloid Leukemia with Normal Cytogenetics”. Clinical Cancer Informatics 8, e2300265.
Apolonio JD, Dias J, Fernandes MT, Komosa M, Leao R, Zhang CH, Lipman T, Maia AT, Tabori U, Castelo-Branco P (2022) “THOR is a targetable epigenetic biomarker with clinical implications in breast cancer”. Clinical Epigenetics 14, 178.