Prof. Dr. Claudio Sunkel
Director of i3S · Full Professor at ICBAS · Group Leader (Genomics)
i3S – Institute for Research and Innovation in Health · ICBAS – University of Porto
Career Trajectory & Contribution
Cláudio Sunkel is one of Portugal and Europe’s foremost leaders in molecular genetics and cell biology. After earning his PhD in Genetics from the University of Sussex (UK) in 1983, he completed postdoctoral research at Imperial College London before joining the University of Porto in 1988, where he founded the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics.
Across more than four decades of pioneering research, he gained worldwide acclaim for the discovery and characterization of the Polo-like kinase (Plk) family—key regulators of eukaryotic cell division and chromosomal stability whose malfunction drives tumorigenesis.
In institutional leadership, he served as Director of the Institute for Molecular and Cellular Biology (IBMC) from 2009 to 2019 and spearheaded the creation of i3S, Portugal’s flagship health research institute, where he currently serves as Director. He was elected to EMBO in 2000 and served as Chair of the EMBL Council from 2013 to 2016.
Specialty Areas & Research Domains
Blind peer review focused on fundamental scientific merit, methodological rigor of biological hypotheses, and research team excellence.
Formal recusal policy if an application originates from his research group ("Cell Division and Genomic Stability") or involves direct collaborators within the past 3 years.
