Rita L. Sousa

I received a doctoral fellowship grant (DOCPRO) from the University of Antwerp (Belgium) in the field of in vitro gametogenesis in the context of fertility preservation at the Department of Veterinary Sciences. The aim of my PhD is to isolate and fully characterise stem cells that we believe are present in porcine ovaries and to differentiate them into oocyte-like cells, that could potentially be fertilised and produce viable offspring.

Fertility preservation, stem cell research, gametogenesis and embryology are my main interests, since the existence of stem cells with germline potential might be the key for infertility treatments and a source for fertility restoration.

I hold a master’s degree in biological engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico (Lisbon, Portugal).