Carlos M Farinha is Associate Professor with Habilitation at Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa and PI at the BioISI research centre (Functional Genomics and Proteostasis Unit). His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of cystic fibrosis (CF), in particular the endoplasmic reticulum retention and early degradation of CFTR’s most common mutant as well as its rescue strategies, through modified folding or circumvention of quality control mechanisms and elucidation of the role of novel CFTR interactions. He received the 2012 ERS Romain Pauwels Research Award from the European Respiratory Society for “research into the different aspects of CFTR biology”. He has authored over 50 refereed international papers and was PI in several competitive grants.

Understanding the molecular mechanisms that are responsible for ER retention of CFTR protein (the protein that is in the basis of the autosomic recessive disease cystic fibrosis) and that signal its targeting to the degradative pathway is the main goal of my research work. Our current research interests focus mainly in the following aspects of CFTR biology:

1. Mechanisms of rescue and ER quality control for F508del-CFTR (and for rare trafficking mutants)

2. Characterization of novel CFTR interactors and their role in CFTR membrane stability

3. Disease associated mRNA and protein expression patterns for CF-causing mutations

The expected results will contribute to new advances in CFTR traffic and cell biology, in general, but also to the potential identification of novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of CF patients.