University of Lisbon Faculty of Medicine | Portugal
Susana Constantino Rosa Santos is a prominent biomedical scientist whose research integrates angiogenesis, vascular regeneration, radiobiology, and translational oncology. Her work has advanced understanding of how low-dose ionizing radiation modulates tissue microenvironments, reprograms metastatic niches, and influences cardiovascular and stromal cell responses. She has led multidisciplinary research efforts that uncover radiation-induced mechanisms driving angiogenesis, cardiac remodeling, and tumor progression, while also identifying molecular markers that predict therapy-related cardiac dysfunction. Her contributions span experimental models, imaging-based functional assessments, biomarker discovery, and cell-based regenerative strategies, establishing new therapeutic and diagnostic perspectives. Widely recognized for her scientific leadership, she contributes to international expert groups evaluating radiation effects and shaping evidence-based guidance for radiation health protection. Her publication record reflects influential findings in endothelial biology, metastatic signaling, fibroblast activation, and immune–stromal interactions. Through competitive research funding and active participation in European collaborative programs, she has advanced cross-disciplinary approaches linking fundamental mechanisms with clinical translation. Her work continues to drive innovation in radiation-responsive tissue repair, vascular therapeutics, and personalized strategies to mitigate radiotherapy-associated toxicity.
Publications
Low-dose ionizing radiation in vivo unlocks the therapeutic potential of prevascularized dermal spheroids in chronic wounds. (2025). Materials Today Bio.
Subtherapeutic dose of ionizing radiation reprograms the pre-metastatic lung niche, accelerating its formation and promoting metastasis. (2025). International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
Cardiac MRI–based subclinical cardiac dysfunction during 2 years after breast cancer irradiation: The MEDIRAD EARLY-HEART study. (2025). Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging.
Growth differentiation factor 15 as a biomarker for risk stratification in the cardiothoracic surgery intensive care unit. (2024). Biomolecules.
Multifunctional nanovaccine sensitizes breast cancer to immune checkpoint therapy. (2024). Advanced Functional Materials.
Early impairment of paracrine and phenotypic features in resident cardiac mesenchymal stromal cells after thoracic radiotherapy. (2024). International Journal of Molecular Sciences.