Ana Campilho

Biography

"Ana Campilho graduated in Biology from the University of Porto (1996) and obtained a MSc in Cell Biology from the University of Coimbra (2001). She completed her PhD degree (2005) in Developmental Genetics from the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands. Following a post-doctoral research period at University of Helsinki, Finland she returned to Portugal in 2009 to work at the Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, Porto. Since May 2015, Ana Campilho is a research fellow at CIBIO-InBIO, University of Porto. Ana Campilho is curious about how plants are able to undergo a continuous growth and development and simultaneously accomplish functions such as support, transport, protection or reproduction. Overall research interests relate to understanding genetic mechanisms that control plant stem cell niches maintenance, cell fate and identity, or tissue pattern formation. Ana Campilho previously researched on the genetic control of stem cell division (PhD work), regulation of vascular development and lateral root formation (post-doc works)."

Research Interest

Ana Campilho current research aims to unravel the genetic control of plant periderm development. The plant periderm is the protective tissue that replaces the epidermis when organs increase in thickness (secondary growth). The molecular mechanisms controlling periderm development are unknown, despite its obvious importance for plant performance. These studies can also have significant economic implications, since the periderm includes the cork (phellem) tissues.