Biography

Angela Wyse is Full Professor of Biochemistry at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and was elected, in 2018, Member of the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS, in the area of Medical and Health Sciences). She obtained her Master and PhD degrees in Biochemistry at UFRGS. supervised 13 post-doctoral fellows, 28 PhD and 43 MSc students, some of whom currently hold academic research positions at universities in Brazil and in the USA. Her research work focuses on the neurotoxic mechanisms of homocysteine and other compounds accumulated in inborn errors of metabolism, encompassing multiple experimental approaches ranging from neurochemistry to behavior. She also investigates possible neuroprotective agents, such as antioxidants, folic acid, creatine and physical exercise on behavioral and/or neurochemical alterations in experimental animal models of neurodegenerative disorders. Professor Wyse has shown that homocysteine, an amino acid accumulated in classical homocystinuria and known to be a risk factor for ischemia and neurodegenerative diseases, causes brain and heart damage by affecting energy metabolism, Na+,K+-ATPase activity and neural excitotoxicity. She developed a well-accepted experimental model of hyperhomocysteinemia that has been employed to perform biochemical and behavioral studies to unveil the neurotoxicity of homocysteine. Her contributions have been cited and acknowledged by researchers all over the world; experimental findings show correlation with symptoms in patients affected with classical homocystinuria. Her studies also help the understanding of lipid and DNA damage present in homocystinuric patients and show potential to improve medical practice. She has recently opened a line to investigate the neurobiology of menopause, ranging from biochemistry to behavior in experimental models, with focus on development of alternative treatment to fight brain damage found in menopause. She has published more than 360 scientific papers in international peer review journals that have received an expressive number of citations. Professor Wyse’s contributions to the development of basic health sciences have been recognized by many awards, including “CAPES- Elsevier Award 2014” and “Pesquisador Gaúcho Award 2018”, from the State Research Foundation (FAPERGS). Convinced that access to science and education are pillars to citizenship, she develops a social project for underprivileged children of the public school of Porto Alegre stimulating interest for science. She published a book of poetry “Neuropoesia” (Neuropoetry).
Scientific names: Angela TS Wyse, Souza Wyse AT, Wyse ATS, Wyse A, Wyse AT, Terezininha Souza wyse, A