Ana Sousa graduated in biology by the University of Aveiro in 2001, and completed her PhD in Biology in September 2009 from the same institution. During her career she worked at several foreign institutions including the University of Coruña, Spain; the Swiss Federal Institute for Environmental Science and Technology (EAWAG), Switzerland; the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), Japan; the Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Japan; The Colorado School of Mines, USA and Hokkaido University, Japan. Her first postdoc under the theme “Human Exposure to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: Levels, Pathways and Health Risk Assessment” was developed between Portugal (University of Aveiro and University of Beira Interior) and Japan (CMES, Ehime University). Her second postdoc was developed at CICECO, University of Aveiro and focused on the evaluation of toxicological properties of ionic liquids and the development of new strategies for the purification of biomarkers to be used as in early stage diagnosis of chronic diseases. Between October 2017 and September 2018 she was a researcher at Centre National de la Reserche Scientifique – CNRS, in France, and her work focused on the environmental determinants of respiratory diseases. Upon finishing her contract with CNRS, she moved to Japan, as a lecturer of Environmental Toxicology at Hokkaido University. Since January 2019, she is a researcher at CICECO, Aveiro University. Ana Sousa’s main research interests and experience include the evaluation of exposure levels and pathways to environmental contaminants, particularly endocrine disrupting chemicals. She is also interested in the use of Ionic Liquids as alternative solvents and in the characterization of their in vitro and in vivo toxicological properties.

PhD in Biology, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro. Supervisors: Dr. Carlos M. Barroso (University of Aveiro, Portugal) and Dr. Shinsuke Tanabe (Ehime University, Japan). Thesis: “Levels and Biological Effects of selected EDC’s in the Portuguese Coast”, 198 p. (September 2009)

MSc in Coastal Zones Sciences, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro. Supervisors: Dr. Carlos M. Barroso and Dr. Sónia A. L. V. Mendo. Thesis: “Impact of tributyltin (TBT) along the Portuguese Coast”, 114 p. (June 2004)

Degree in Biology, University of Aveiro (July 2001)

Biology | Ecotoxicology

15 years of experience in ecotoxicological assays using model test organisms and on the development of new ecotoxicological assays using alternative species (e.g. gastropods). Use of imposex to monitor tributyltin pollution and studies on the mechanism of imposex induction.

Environmental sciences

13 years of experience on the evaluation of environmental levels of several classes of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) including organotins, phenolic compounds (e.g., Bisphenol-A and nonyphenol), metals and persistent organic pollutants (e.g. organochlorine pesticides, flame-retardants, polychlorinated biphenyls).

Health sciences | Epidemiology

8 years of experience in the evaluation of exposure pathways and biological levels of EDCs in humans and on the implementation of epidemiological surveys at the national and international scale.

Biotechnology | Medical biotechnology

3 years of experience in the medical biotechnology field, namely on the use of ionic liquids based aqueous biphasic systems as new platforms for the purification of biomarkers for early stage diagnosis and prognosis, and on the development of new ionic liquid based pharmaceutical drugs in order to improve their bioavailability.

Portuguese Society of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Grant “Bolsa Conceição Barbas”  awarded to Ana Catarina Sousa on the project: “Endocrine disruptors and menopause: role of plastics and cosmetics”.

The Encyclopedia of the Anthropocene is already available and includes a contribution from the CICECO researcher Ana Catarina Sousa. 

Sousa, A.C.A., Tanabe, S., and Pastorinho, M.R. (2018). Organotins: Sources and Impacts on Health and Environment. In: Encyclopedia of the Anthropocene.  A2 - Dellasala, Dominick A. and M.I. Goldstein, Eds. (Elsevier), pp. 133-139.

International R&D projects

Coordination and co-coordination of international R&D projects

1. “TesseRESPIRA - A comparative study of environmental risk factors for the progression of pulmonary diseases between Tessekéré (Senegal) and Estarreja (Portugal)” | Project financed by Labex DRIIHM (PIA), ROHM - International Observatory Hommes-Millieux, tool of CNRS/INEE - National Center for Scientific Research/Institute of Ecology and Environment | Co-Principal Investigator | 2018-2019
2. “MULTIRESPIRA - Multidisciplinary approach to understand the role of environmental contaminants in respiratory diseases in Estarreja Region”. Project financed by Labex DRIIHM (PIA), International Observatory Hommes-Millieux, tool of CNRS/INEE - National Center for Scientific Research/Institute of Ecology and Environment | Principal Investigator | 2016-2017
3. “microRESPIRA - Microbial community in houses from patients with chronic respiratory diseases in Estarreja”. Project financed by Labex DRIIHM (PIA), via OHMI Estarreja - International Observatory Hommes-Millieux, tool of CNRS/INEE - National Center for Scientific Research/Institute of Ecology and Environment | Principal Investigator | 2016-2017
4. “RESPIRA - Environmental risk factors for the development and progression of pulmonary diseases’. Project financed by Labex DRIIHM (PIA), via OHMI Estarreja - International Observatory Hommes-Millieux, tool of CNRS/INEE - National Center for Scientific Research/Institute of Ecology and Environment | Principal Investigator | 2015-2016

Participation in international R&D projects

1. “PRISMA - Pulmonary Rehabilitation: a response for patients with COPD in an InduStrialized environment and its implication on lung MicrobiotA” | Project financed by Labex DRIIHM (PIA), via OHMI Estarreja - International Observatory Hommes-Millieux, tool of CNRS/INEE - National Center for Scientific Research/Institute of Ecology and Environment | Team member |  2018-2019
2. “LaMer - Center of Excellence for Cooperative and Collaborative Studies - Leading Academia in Marine and Environmental Research “. Project financed by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan (MEXT) | Team member | 2016-2018
3. “Chemical pollution in companion animals: contamination status and ecotoxicological assessment of organohalogen compounds and their metabolites”.  Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A) (No. 25241013), Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Min. Education, Culture, Sports, Science & Technology, Japan (MEXT) | Team member | 2013-2017

National scientific projects

Coordination and co-coordination of national R&D projects

1. “Endocrine disruptors and menopause: role of plastics and cosmetics” | Portuguese Society of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Grant “Bolsa Conceição Barbas” | Principal investigator | 2019-2020
2. “ IonCytDevice ‐ Development of Ionic‐Liquid‐based Devices for the Removal of Cytostatic Drugs from Urine Excreted by Cancer Patients” | POCI-01-0145-FEDER-03110 (Compete 2020)| Co-Principal Investigator | 2018-2022

Participation in national R&D projects

1.  “IL2BioPro ‐ Towards the Improvement of Recombinant Proteins Bioprocessing using Ionic Liquids” |POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030840 (Compete 2020) | Team member | 2018-2022
2. DEGAS Project: “Endocrine disruptors exposure and gestacional diabetes in the 1^st trimester” | Portuguese Society of Diabetes Grant “Bolsa Almeida Ruas, Sociedade Portuguesa de Diabetologia” | Team member | 2018-2019
3. “Maternal exposure to endocrine disruptors and effects on tyroid function in the mother and newborn” | Portuguese Society of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism grant “Bolsa Prof. E. Limbert Sociedade Portuguesa de Endocrinologia Diabetes e Metabolismo / Sanofi-Genzyme em Patologia da Tiróide” | Team member | 2018-2019
4. “Smart Green Homes”- Project financed by POCI-01-0247-FEDER-f007678 (FEDER) | University of Aveiro |Team member (Research line 4) | 2017-2021
5. “ECOBOAT (POCI/MAR/61893/2004)” Project financed by "Fundação para Ciência e Tecnologia" (FCT) and "Programa Operacional Ciência e Inovação 2010" (POCI 2010), cofunded by FEDER | Collaborator | 2005-2008
6. “MEMO-CONTAMINA (Methodologies for monitoring contaminants and their effects in the portuguese coastal zone)”, Project financed by "Fundação para Ciência e Tecnologia" (FCT) | Collaborator

Sousa ACA (2019) “The interference of environmental contaminants on the thyroid gland.” VII Jornadas de Endocrinologia, Diabetes e Nutrição de Aveiro, 23-24 May, Aveiro, Portugal

Sousa ACA (2018) “Health impacts of climate change”. International Environment Day activities organized by Covilhã Municipality (Câmara Municipal da Covilhã), Covilhã, Portugal

Sousa ACA (2018) “Environmental pollution - a biotechnological perspective”. IV Encontro Nacional de Estudantes de Biotecnologia, Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal

Sousa ACA (2017) “Environmental Contaminants and Endocrine Disruption: A perspective”. Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University. 16 June 2017, Sapporo, Japan

Sousa ACA (2016) “Superimposed sex and super imposed fat: The story of TBT”. Chemistry Department, University of Aveiro, Portugal. 20 October 2016, Aveiro, Portugal

Sousa ACA, Barroso CM, Takahashi S, Kunisue T, Tanabe S (2016) “A decade of organotin research - past, present and future”.  International Symposium on Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology – To accelerate a Global Network of Environmental Researchers. 19 March 2016, Matsuyama, Japan, p. 35-36

Sousa ACA (2016) “An ecotoxicological point of view of endocrine disruption”; II Ciclo de Conferências em Biotecnologia - Ambiental e Ecotoxicologia, University of Beira Interior, Portugal

Sousa ACA (2016) “Endocrine Disruptors and Diabetes”, Symposium Diabetes em Investigação, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Aveiro, Portugal

Sousa ACA (2016) "Endocrine disrupting chemicals and obesity: a missing link”.  Luso-spanish Symposium on endocrine disruptors in Human Pathology. Portuguese Congress of endocrinology 2016/67ª Anual Meeting of SPEDM. 28-30 January 2016, Coimbra, Portugal, p.28

Sousa ACA (2015)“Hormones messed up: environmental contaminants as endocrine disruptors”. Scientific lunch: MEDUBI Science Communication activities. Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Beira Interior. 2015.10.19

Sousa ACA (2015) “Guidelines for a successful proposal to Horizon 2020”. Workshop on Funding Opportunities in 2016-2017 H2020 call, organized by Gabinete de Promoção do Programa Quadro de I&DT, Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), University of Aveiro, 18.09.2015

Sousa ACA (2013) “What goes around comes around: unraveling organotins in humans“. TBTrense Project Workshop, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 9.10.2013

Sousa ACA (2019) “The interference of environmental contaminants on the thyroid gland.” Jornal das VII Jornadas de Endocrinologia, Diabetes e Nutrição de Aveiro, p. 9.

Gomes D, Cestelli F, Iria D, Luz A, Sousa ACA, Barros R, Pastorinho MR (2019) “Alerta Mercúrio: Avaliação da exposição ao mercúrio através da quantificação dos seus em amostras biológicas (cabelo) e de pó doméstico”. XIV Congresso Nacional Cientistas em Ação, 2-4 May 2019, Estremoz, Portugal (Honorable Mention Award)

Sousa ACA* (2018) “O papel da ciência numa escola aberta ao mundo”. Gazeta Valsassina, N0. 68, p. 14

Sousa ACA* (2016) Disruptores endócrinos e obesidade: “o elo perdido?” Jornal do Congresso Português de Endocrinologia 2016. (invited paper) p. 4

Barros AR, Mendes RT, Santos GC, Sousa ACA* (2014) A história de um biomarcador de sucesso: o imposexo em gastrópodes como ferramenta de estudo no ensino experimental das ciências. Revista Captar, Ciência e Ambiente para Todos 5 (2): 75-87, ISSN 1647-323X

Sousa ACA, Coelho SD, Pastorinho MR, Taborda-Barata L, Nogueira AJA, Isobe T, Kunisue T, Takahashi S, Tanabe S (2017) Levels of TBT and other selected organotin compounds in duplicate diet samples. Science of the Total Environment 574: 19-23; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.09.037

Coelho SD, Maricoto T, Tanabe S, Nogueira AJA, Sousa ACA (2017) Dietary Habits of a Portuguese Academic Community - A Food Frequency Questionnaire Approach. Journal of Nutrition and Diabetes Research 1 (1)

Coelho SD, M. Ramiro Pastorinho, Takaaki Itai, Isobe T, Kunisue T, Nogueira AJA, Tanabe S, Sousa ACA (2016) Lead in duplicate diet samples from an academic community.  Science of the Total Environment 573: 603-607; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.08.133

Amaro R, Coelho SD, Pastorinho MR, Taborda-Barata L, Vaz-Patto MA, Monteiro M, Nepomuceno M, Lanzinha JCG, Teixeira JP, Pereira CC, Sousa ACA (2016) House dust fungal communities’ characterization: a double take on the six by sixty by six project (6x60x6). Open Engineering 6: 542-547; http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/eng-2016-0071

Coelho SD, Sousa ACA, Isobe T, Kunisue T, Nogueira AJA, Tanabe S (2016) Brominated flame retardants and organochlorine compounds in duplicate diet samples from a Portuguese academic community. Chemosphere 160: 89-94; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.06.038

Coelho SD, Sousa ACA, Isobe T, Kim J-W, Kunisue T, Nogueira AJA, Tanabe S (2016) Brominated, chlorinated and phosphate organic contaminants in house dust from Portugal. Science of the Total Environment 569–570: 442-449; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.06.137

Sánchez-Marin P, Oliveira IB, Sousa ACA, Takahashi s, Tanabe S, Galante-Oliveira S (2016) Evaluation of female aphally in imposex-affected populations of Nucella lapillus in the species southernmost distributional limit in Europe. Journal of Molluscan Studies, 82 (1): 144-153; http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mollus/eyv043

Sousa ACA, Takahashi S, Tanabe S (2014) Editorial (Thematic Issue): Organic contaminants in house dust. Current Organic Chemistry 18(17): 2181, http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/138527281817141021095531

Coelho SD, Sousa ACA, Isobe T, Tanabe S, Nogueira AJA (2014) Flame Retardants in Indoor Dust - A Review on the Levels of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers and Hexabromocyclododecanes. Current Organic Chemistry 18(17): 2218-2230, http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1385272819666140804231237

Sousa ACA, Almeida JSRL, Pereira CC, Pastorinho MR, Pereira AMC, Nogueira AJA, Taborda-Barata L, Teixeira JP, Correia ACM, Alves A (2014). Characterization of fungal diversity in house dust samples collected from central Portugal - a preliminary survey. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health – Part A Current Issues 77: 1-11, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15287394.2014.911137; 5 year IF 2014: 2.042, Q2, 70.0%

Cruz A, Henriques I, Sousa ACA, Baptista I, Almeida A; Takahashi S, Tanabe S, Correia A, Suzuki S, Anselmo AM, Mendo S (2014) A microcosm approach to evaluate the degradation of tributyltin (TBT) by Aeromonas molluscorum Av27 in estuarine sediments. Environmental Research 132: 430-437, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2014.04.031

Sousa ACA, Pastorinho MR, Takahashi S, Tanabe S (2014) History on organotin compounds, from snails to humans. Environmental Chemistry Letters 12 (1): 117-137, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10311-013-0449-8

Sousa ACA, Teixeira I, Marques B, Vilhena H, Vieira L, Soares AMVM, Nogueira A, Lillebø AI (2013) Mercury, pets' and hair: baseline survey of a priority environmental pollutant using a noninvasive matrix in man's best friend. Ecotoxicology 22(9): 1435-1442, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10646-013-1130-5

Coelho P, da Costa S, Silva S, Walter A, Ranville J, Sousa ACA, Coelho M, da Costa C, Coelho M, García-Leston J, Pastorinho MR, Lage B, Harrington C, Taylor A, Teixeira JP (2012) Metal(loid)s levels in biological matrices from human populations exposed to mining contamination - Panasqueira Mine (Portugal). Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health - Part A - Current Issues, 75 (13-15): 893-908,  http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15287394.2012.690705

Sousa ACA, Oliveira I, Laranjeiro F, Takahashi S, Tanabe S, Cunha MR, Barroso CM (2012) Organotin levels in Nazaré Canyon (West Iberian Margin, NE Atlantic) and adjacent coastal area. Marine Pollution Bulletin 64(2): 422-426, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2011.11.013

Barroso CM, Rato M, Veríssimo A, Sousa ACA, Santos JA, Coelho S, Gaspar M, Maia F, Galante-Oliveira S  (2011) Combined use of Nassarius reticulatus imposex and statolith age determination for tracking temporal evolution of TBT pollution in NW Portuguese Continental Shelf. Journal of Environmental Monitoring 13 (11): 3018-3025,  http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C1EM10508F

Jonkers N, Sousa A, Galante-Oliveira S, Barroso CM, Kohler H-P, Giger (2010) Occurrence and sources of phenolic endocrine disruptors in the Ria de Aveiro, Portugal. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 17 (4): 834-843,  http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11356-009-0275-5

Sousa A, Schönenberger R, Jonkers N, Suter M, Tanabe S, Barroso CM (2010) Chemical and biological characterization of estrogenicity in effluents from WWTPs in Ria de Aveiro (NW Portugal). Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology  58 (1): 1-8,  http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00244-009-9324-9

Sousa A, Laranjeiro F, Takahashi S, Tanabe S and Barroso CM (2009) Imposex and Organotin Prevalence in a European Post-Legislative Scenario: Temporal Trends from 2003 to 2008. Chemosphere 77 (4): 566-573,  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2009.06.049

Oliveira I, Richardson C, Sousa A, Takahashi S, TanabeS and Barroso CM (2009) Spatial and temporal evolution of imposex in dogwhelk Nucella lapillus (L.) populations from North Wales, UK. Journal of Environmental Monitoring 11 (8): 1462-1468 (Journal front cover paper), http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1039/b906766c

Sousa A, Ikemoto T, Takahashi S, Barroso CM and Tanabe S (2009) Contribution of organotin compounds to total tin levels in M. galloprovincialis collected along the Portuguese Coast. Marine Pollution Bulletin 58 (8): 1130-1136,  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2009.04.007

Génio L, Sousa A, Vaz N, Dias JM and Barroso CM (2008) Effect of low salinity on the survival of recently hatched veliger of Nassarius reticulatus (L.) in estuarine habitats: the case study of Ria de Aveiro. Journal of Sea Research 59 (3): 133-143,  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.seares.2007.09.001

Sousa A, Matsudaira C, Takahashi S, Tanabe S and Barroso CM (2007) Integrative assessment of organotin contamination in a southern European estuarine system (Ria de Aveiro, NW Portugal): tracking temporal trends in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the EU ban. Marine Pollution Bulletin 54 (10): 1645-1653,  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2007.07.005

Rato M, Sousa A, Quintã R, Langston W and Barroso CM (2006) Assessment of inshore/offshore TBT pollution gradients in the NW Portugal continental shelf using Nassarius reticulatus as a bioindicator. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 25 (12): 3213-3220,  http://dx.doi.org/10.1897/06-167R.1

Sousa A, Génio L, Mendo S and Barroso CM (2005) Comparison of the acute toxicity of tributyltin and copper to veliger larvae of Nassarius reticulatus (L.). Applied Organometallic Chemistry 19: 324-328, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/aoc.886

Sousa A, Mendo S and Barroso CM (2005) Imposex and organotin contamination in Nassarius reticulatus (L.) along the Portuguese coast. Applied Organometallic Chemistry 19: 315-323,  http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/aoc.856