Diogo Luís Campos Vaz Leal

Diogo Luís Campos Vaz Leal

Institution: ISMAI

Community: GERON

Research: Integrated

Diogo Leal is a Research Fellow and Lecturer with a demonstrated history of working in the higher-education field. Diogo holds a BSc in Sport Sciences and Physical Education and completed an MSc in the same topic. He then obtained a PhD in Exercise Physiology and Immunology at the University of Bedfordshire in the UK, which has examined the effects of excessive exercise with limited recovery in endocrine pathways and inflammatory and immune mechanisms and function, which led him to being awarded one internal grant and an award for student research excellence.

Whilst in the UK and during his PhD, Diogo also worked as an hourly paid lecturer, whose teaching background focused on laboratory techniques in Exercise Physiology, Sport and Exercise Sciences. He then moved onto a full lectureship in Exercise Physiology at the same University, where he was the Unit Coordinator for Laboratory Practicals in Exercise Physiology (undergraduate unit) and Unit Leader in Exercise Testing and Diagnosis (MSc in Clinical Exercise Physiology). Throughout his time in the UK, he worked as an Exercise Physiologist within the Human Performance Centre at the University of Bedfordshire, having worked with professional elite MMA fighters, cyclists, football players and ironman athletes and triathletes, one of which moved on to be an ironman world champion.

Diogo is currently developing his research at the University Institute of Maia (ISMAI) in Portugal, focusing on the effects of exercise in immunity, inflammation and the bone and muscle crosstalk in Chronic Kidney Disease. Additionally, Diogo is still also interested in understanding endocrine and immune pathways that may elicit a detrimental physical performance in an attempt to avoid its prevalence.