The RESPIRA-CV project — “Airway colonization and microbiome in relation to asthma and atopy in children from Cabo Verde” — is making important strides in understanding childhood respiratory and allergic diseases. Led by Professor Isabel Inês Araújo and immunoallergologist Dr. Maria do Céu Teixeira, the project aims to deepen scientific knowledge of asthma and other atopic conditions in children, with a focus on identifying modifiable risk factors that can inform primary prevention strategies.
From March 30 to April 5, Researcher Dr. Ana Paula Arez and PhD candidate MSc. Alexandra Santos, carried out a working visit to the University of Cabo Verbe (Uni-CV) in Praia. During the mission, the team worked closely with Professor Isabel Inês Araújo and held institutional meetings with members of the One Health Research Center of Cape Verde (NEST-CV), Professor Dr. Sónia Semedo (Pro-Rector for Research and Advanced Training), and Professor Dr. Maria dos Anjos Lopes (Director of the Faculty of Science and Technology).
A key component of this collaboration is the development of a biological collection at Uni-CV—one of RESPIRA-CV’s core objectives and a critical step toward establishing a biobank within the institution. This initiative is integrated into the strategy of the Lusophone Network of Biobanks and Biological Collections, coordinated by BIOTROP—the biobank hosted at GHTM | IHMT-NOVA—which seeks to strengthen scientific infrastructures and foster collaboration across Portuguese-speaking countries.
