Joana Carvalho, PhD, managing science editor —

Joana holds a bachelor’s in biology, a Master of Science in evolutionary and developmental biology, and a PhD in biomedical sciences from Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal. Her work has been focused on the impact of non-canonical Wnt signaling in the collective behavior of endothelial cells — those that make up the lining of blood vessels — found in the umbilical cord of newborns. In addition to several research fellowships, she was awarded two Erasmus scholarships to conduct part of her studies in France.

Articles by Joana Carvalho

Indotecan Shows Early Promise in Treatment of Angelman Syndrome

Indotecan (LMP400), a compound already in Phase 1 clinical trials, showed promising results as an Angelman syndrome treatment, a mouse study reported. The study, “Characterization and structure-activity relationships of indenoisoquinoline-derived topoisomerase I inhibitors in unsilencing the dormant Ube3a gene associated with Angelman syndrome,” was published in Molecular Autism. Angelman…

Humor is Crucial for Social and Emotional Well-being in People With Intellectual Disabilities, Review Shows

Humor is essential for the social, developmental and emotional well-being of people affected by different types of intellectual disabilities, including Angelman syndrome, and their caregivers, according to a recent literature review. The review, “Investigating humor in social interaction in people with intellectual disabilities: A systematic review of the literature,”…

Dihydropyrimidine Dehydrogenase Deficiency Found in Boy Later Diagnosed with Angelman, Case Study Reports

Angelman syndrome can occur alongside a condition called dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) deficiency, which has varying degrees of severity and elusive disease mechanisms, a case report suggests. A connection between the two disorders, however, was not established and may be coincidence. The study, “Dihydropyrimidine Dehydrogenase Deficiency: Metabolic Disease or Biochemical…

Tonic Inhibition Deregulation May Be Key to Understanding Angelman Syndrome, Researchers Believe

Deregulation of the brain’s ability to filter real neural signals without becoming overloaded could be the key to understanding the variety and severity of symptoms experienced by Angelman syndrome patients, according to researchers. The study, “Pathophysiological impact of diverse dysregulation of tonic inhibition in Angelman syndrome,” was presented by…