The Research Centre . The Centre’s Researchers

Prof.ª Doutora Maria Luisa Figueira

Clinical and phenomenology psychopathology. Philosophy of Psychiatry. Medical Ethics

Graduation in Medicine – Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon (1969)

Post-graduation in Psychiatry – Santa Maria Hospital and Portuguese Medical Association (2013)

PhD in Psychiatry – Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon (1985)

Aggregation in Psychiatry – Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon (1990)

Public habilitation for Full Professor of Psychiatry and Mental health – Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon (2008)

Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon

Lecturer of Medical Psychology- 1977-1985

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology- 1985 – 1986

Associated Professor of Medical Psychology– 1986 – 1990

Full Professor of Psychiatry and Mental Health since 2008

Faculty of Psychology

Lecturer of Neurophysiology and Psychophisiology– 1976 – 1987

Assistant Professor of Neurophysiology and Psychophisiology -1987 – 2014

Coordination of PhD students and clinical psychiatry scientific projects.

More than 200 presentations in National and International Congresses

Organization of National and International Congresses

European Psychiatric Association Congress EPA Congress, Lisbon January 2009;

“International Review of Bipolar Disorders” (IRBD). Lisbon, May 2009; “International Congress for Philosophy and Psychiatry”. Lisbon, October  2009; World Congress of Social Psychiatry. Lisbon. July 2013. Member of executive comitee– World Congress of Psychiatry. Mexico City. September 2018

Full Professor of Psychiatry and Mental Health – Faculty of Medicine. University of Lisbon

Director of University Clinic of Psychiatry and Medical– Faculty of Medicine. University of Lisbon  – 2004 to 2014

Director of Psychiatric Department (Neurosciences Department) – University Hospital of Santa Maria, Lisbon – 2004 to 2014

Director of Psychology Laboratory. Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon– 2004 to 2014

President of the College of Psychiatrists from the Portuguese Medical Association  – 2001 to 2006

President of Portuguese Society of Psychiatry and Mental Health  – 2012 to 2016

Member of Ethical committee – Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon /Santa Maria Hospital since 1996 and Vice-President since 2004.

  1. M. Luísa Figueira, Lara Caeiro, Ana Ferro, Lara Severino; Pedro M. Duarte, Manuela Abreu, Hagop S Akiskal, Kareen k Akiskal. Validation of the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego (TEMPS-A): Portuguese-Lisbon Version. J Affect Disord. 111 (2008) 193-203.
  2. M. Luisa Figueira , Lara Caeiro , Ana Ferro , Raul Cordeiro , Pedro M. Duarte, Hagop S. Akiskal , Kareen K. Akiskal Temperament in Portuguese university students as measured by TEMPS-A: Implications for professional choice”. J Affect Disorders. Vol.123. Issue 1, Pages 30-35 (June 2010)
  3. Afonso P, Brissos S, Figueira ML, Paiva T. Discrepant nocturnal melatonin levels in monozygotic twins discordant for schizophrenia and its impact on sleep. Schizophr Res. 2010. Jul;120(1-3):227-8.
  4. Figueira ML, Ouakinin. Gender-related endocrinological dysfunction and mental disorders”. S. Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2010 Jul;23(4):369-72.
  5. Guerreiro DF, Navarro R, Telles-Correia D, Martins P, Trigo E, Silva M, Neves A, Góis C, Figueira ML. Effectivity of screening, concepts and attitudes towards metabolic syndrome: a study in bipolar patients followed in Hospital Santa Maria psychiatric consultation. Acta Med Port. 2010 Mar-Apr;23(2):173-82.
  6. Caeiro L, Santos CO, Ferro JM, Figueira ML. Neuropsychiatric disturbances in acute subarachnoid haemorrhage. Eur J Neurol. 2010 Dec 8.
  7. Vanelli I, Chendo I, Levy P, Figueira ML, Góis C, Santos J, Markova I. Portuguese version of the Marková and Berrios Insight Scale. Acta Med Port. 2010 Nov-Dec;23(6):1011-1016.
  8. Vaz-Serra A, Palha A, Figueira ML, Bessa-Peixoto A, Brissos S, Casquinha P, Damas-Reis F, Ferreira L, Gago J, Jara J, Relvas J, Marques-Teixeira J. Cognition, social cognition and functioning in schizophrenia. Acta Med Port. 2010 Nov-Dec;23(6):1043-1058.
  9. Brissos S, Balanzá-Martinez V, Dias VV, Carita AI, Figueira ML. Is personal and social functioning associated with subjective quality of life in schizophrenia patients living in the community? “. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2011 Mar 8. [Epub ahead of print]
  10. Figueira ML, Brissos S. Measuring psychosocial outcomes in schizophrenia patients. Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2011 Mar;24(2):91-9.
  11. Afonso P, Brissos S, Figueira ML, Paiva T. Schizophrenia patients with predominant positive symptoms have more disturbed sleep-wake cycles measured by actigraphy. Psychiatry Res. 2011 Jan.
  12. Ricardo Coentre, Pedo Levy, Maria Luísa Figueira. Early intervention in psychosis: pre-psychotic period . Acta Med Port 2011; 24:117-126
  13. Vieta E, Blasco-Colmenares E, Figueira ML, Langosch JM, Moreno-Manzanaro M, Medina E, Study Group TW Clinical management and burden of bipolar disorder: a multinational longitudinal study (WAVE-bd Study). BMC Psychiatry. 2011 Apr 11;11(1):58.
  14. Martins MJ, Moura BL, Martins IP, Figueira ML, Prkachin KM. Sensitivity to expressions of pain in Schizophrenia patients”. Psychiatry Res. 2011 Apr 4
  15. Brissos S, Dias VV, Balanzá-Martinez V, Carita AI, Figueira ML Symptomatic remission in schizophrenia patients: Relationship with social functioning, quality of life, and neurocognitive performance. Schizophr Res. 2011 Jul;129(2-3):133-6.
  16. Sofia Brissos , Andrew Molodynski , Vasco Videira Dias, Figueira ML. The importance of measuring psychosocial functioning in schizophrenia. Annals of General Psychiatry . 2011, 10 (1):18
  17. Simões do Couto F, Queiroz C, Barbosa T, Ferreira L, Firmino H, Viseu M, Ramos L, Romero J, Figueira ML Clinical and therapeutic characterization of a Portuguese sample of patients with schizophrenia. Grupo de estudio ACORDARE. Actas Esp Psiquiatr. 2011 May; 39(3):147-54.
  18. Santos CO, Caeiro L, Ferro JM, Figueira ML. Mania and Stroke: A Systematic Review. Cerebrovasc Dis. 2011 May 11;32(1):11-21.
  19. Gois C, Barbosa A, Ferro A, Santos AL, Sousa F, Akiskal H, Akiskal K, Figueira ML. The role of affective temperaments in metabolic control in patients with type 2 diabetes”. J Affect Disord. 2011 Jun 2.
  20. Brissos S, Palhavã F, Marques JG, Mexia S, Carmo AL, Carvalho M, Dias C, Franco JD, Mendes R, Zuzarte P, Carita AI, Molodynski A, Figueira ML. The Portuguese version of the Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSP): reliability, validity, and relationship with cognitive measures in hospitalized and community schizophrenia patients. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2012 Jul;47(7):1077-86..
  21. Afonso P, Figueira ML, Paiva T. Sleep-promoting action of the endogenous melatonin in schizophrenia compared to healthy controls. Int J Psychiatry Clin Pract. 2011 Nov;15(4):311-5.
  22. Caeiro L, Ferro JM, Figueira ML Apathy in acute stroke patients. Eur J Neurol. 2012 Feb;19(2):291-7.
  23. Santos CO, Caeiro L, Ferro JM, Figueira ML. A Study of Suicidal Thoughts in Acute Stroke Patients”. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2011 Oct 12.
  24. M.L. Figueira, L. Madeira. Time and space in Manic Episodes. Dialogues in Philosophy, Mental and Neuro Sciences – Volume 4, Issue 2, December 2011.
  25. Beldie A, den Boer JA, Brain C, Constant E, Figueira ML, Filipcic I, Gillain B, Jakovljevic M, Jarema M, Jelenova D, Karamustafalioglu O, Kores Plesnicar B, Kovacsova A, Latalova K, Marksteiner J, Palha F, Pecenak J, Prasko J, Prelipceanu D, Ringen PA, Sartorius N, Seifritz E, Svestka J, Tyszkowska M, Wancata J. Fighting stigma of mental illness in midsize European countries. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2012 Apr;47 Suppl 1:1-38.
  26. Soeiro-de-Souza MG, Dias VV, Figueira ML, Forlenza OV, Gattaz WF, Zarate CA Jr, Machado-Vieira R Translating neurotrophic and cellular plasticity: from pathophysiology to improved therapeutics for bipolar disorder. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2012 Jun 8.
  27. Gois C, Akiskal H, Akiskal K, Figueira ML. The relationship between temperament, diabetes and depression. J Affect Disord. 2012 Oct;142 Suppl:S67-71.
  28. Gois C, Akiskal H, Akiskal K, Figueira ML Depressive temperament, distress, psychological adjustment and depressive symptoms in type 2 diabetes. J Affect Disord. 2012 Aug 15.
  29. Dias VV, Balanzá-Martinez V, Soeiro-de-Souza MG, Moreno RA, Figueira ML, Machado-Vieira R, Vieta E. Pharmacological approaches in bipolar disorders and the impact on cognition: a critical overview. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2012 Nov;126(5):315-331.
  30. Caeiro L, Ferro JM, Pinho E Melo T, Canhão P, Figueira ML. Post-stroke apathy: an exploratory longitudinal study. Cerebrovasc Dis. 2013;35(6):507-13.
  31. Vieta E, Langosch JM, Figueira ML, Souery D, Blasco-Colmenares E, Medina E, Moreno-Manzanaro M, Gonzalez MA, Bellivier F. Clinical management and burden of bipolar disorder: results from a multinational longitudinal study (WAVE-bd). Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2013 Sep;16(8):1719-32.
  32. Guerreiro DF, Cruz D, Frasquilho D, Santos JC, Figueira ML, Sampaio D. Association between deliberate self-harm and coping in adolescents: a critical review of the last 10 years’ literature. Arch Suicide Res. 2013;17(2):91-105
  33. Grunze H, Vieta E, Goodwin GM, Bowden C, Licht RW, Möller HJ, Kasper S; WFSBPTask Force on Treatment Guidelines for Bipolar Disorders (Figueira ML et.al.). The World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) guidelines for the biological treatment of bipolar disorders: update 2012 on the long-term treatment of bipolar disorder. World J Biol Psychiatry. 2013 Apr;14(3):154-219
  34. Afonso P, Figueira ML, Paiva T. Sleep-wake patterns in schizophrenia patientscompared to healthy controls. World J Biol Psychiatry. 2013 Jan 15.
  35. Pombo S, Figueira ML, da Costa NF, Ismail F, Yang G, Akiskal K, Akiskal H. The burden of cyclothymia on alcohol dependence. J Affect Disord. 2013
  36. Guerreiro DF, Sampaio D, Rihmer Z, Gonda X, Figueira ML . Affective temperaments and self-harm in adolescents: a cross-sectional study from a community sample. J Affect Disord. 2013 Dec;151(3):891-8
  37. Caeiro L, Ferro JM, Pinho E Melo T, Canhão P, Figueira ML. Post-stroke apathy: an exploratory longitudinal study. Cerebrovasc Dis. 2013;35(6):507-13
  38. Afonso P, Ramos MR, Saraiva S, Moreira CA, Figueira ML. Assessing the relation between career satisfaction in psychiatry with lifelong learning and scientific activity . Psychiatry Res. 2014 Apr 5
  39. Bellivier F, Delavest M, Coulomb S, Figueira ML, Langosch JM, Souery D, VietaE . Therapeutic management of bipolar disorder in France and Europe: a multinational longitudinal study (WAVE-bd).Encephale. 2014 Oct;40(5):392-400
  40. Guerreiro DF, Cruz D, Figueira ML, Sampaio D. Adaptation and psychometric proprieties study for the Portuguese version of the Adolescent Coping Scale – Escala de Coping para Adolescentes. Acta Med Port. 2014 Mar-Apr;27(2):166-80.
  41. Samuel Pombo, Nuno Félix da Costa, Fátima Ismail, José M. Neves Cardoso, and Maria Luıísa Figueira. Alexithymia and alcohol dependence: Do different subtypes manifest different emotion regulations? Addiction Research & Theory. 2014
  42. Bellivier F, Delavest M, Coulomb S, Figueira ML, Langosch JM, Souery D, VietaE. Therapeutic management of bipolar disorder in France and Europe: a multinational longitudinal study (WAVE-bd)]. Encephale. 2014 Oct;40(5):392-400.
  43. Pombo S, da Costa NF, Figueira ML. Are the binary typology models of alcoholism valid in polydrug abusers? Rev Bras Psiquiatr. 2015 Jan-Mar;37(1):40-8.
  44. Guerreiro DF, Figueira ML, Cruz D, Sampaio D. Coping strategies in adolescents who self-harm. Crisis 2015;36(1):31-7.
  45. Pombo S, da Costa NF, Figueira ML, Ismail F, Lesch OM. Multidimensional alcoholism typologies: could they guide clinical practice? Results from a 3-month prospective study. Int J Psychiatry Clin Pract. 2015 Jun;19(2):137-47.
  46. Self-Harm in Adolescents: A Self-Report Survey in Schools from Lisbon, Portugal Guerreiro DF, Sampaio D, Figueira ML, Madge N.. Arch Suicide Res. 2015 Mar 12:1-17.
  47. Ferro JM, Caeiro L, Figueira ML. Neuropsychiatric sequelae of stroke. Nat RevNeurol. 2016 May;12(5):269-80.
  48. Simões do Couto F, Lunet N, Ginó S, Chester C, Freitas V, Maruta C, Figueira ML, de Mendonça A. Depression with melancholic features is associated with higher long-term risk for dementia. J Affect Disord. 2016 Sep 15;202:220-9.
  49. Data-Franco J, Singh A, Popovic D, Ashton M, Berk M, Vieta E, Figueira ML, Dean OM Beyond the therapeutic shackles of the monoamines: New mechanisms in bipolar disorder biology. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol. Biol Psychiatry. 2017 Jan 4;72:73-86.
  50. Coentre R, Faravelli C, Figueira ML. Assessment of depression and suicidal behaviour among medical students in Portugal. Int J Med Educ. 2016 Oct 29;7:354-363.
  51. Andrea M, Dias Ó, Andrea M, Figueira ML. Functional Voice Disorders: The Importance of the Psychologist in Clinical Voice Assessment. J Voice. 2017 Jul;31(4):507.e13-507.e22..
  52. Madeira L, Carmenates S, Costa C, Linhares L, Stanghellini G, Figueira ML, Sass L. Basic Self-Disturbances beyond Schizophrenia: Discrepancies and Affinities in Panic Disorder. – An Empirical Clinical Study. Psychopathology. 2017;50(2):157-168.
  53. Coentre R, Talina MC, Góis C, Figueira ML. Depressive symptoms and suicidal behavior after first-episode psychosis: A comprehensive systematic review. Psychiatry Res. 2017 Jul;253:240-248.
  54. Paulino S, Pombo S, Ismail F, Figueira ML, Lesch O. The role of affective temperament as a predictor of relapse in alcohol dependence. Personal Ment Health. 2017 Jun 29.
  55. Madeira L, Carmenates S, Costa C, Linhares L, Stanghellini G, Figueira ML, Sass L. Rejoinder to Commentary: “Panic, Self-Disorder, and EASE Research: Methodological Considerations “. Psychopathology. 2017;50(3):228-230.

56 – Andrea M, Andrea M, Figueira ML. Self-perception of quality of life in

patients with functional voice disorders: the effects of psychological and vocal

acoustic variables. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2018 Aug 16.

57- Zuzarte P, Duong A, Figueira ML, Costa-Vitali A, Scola G. Current Therapeutic

Approaches for Targeting Inflammation in Depression and Cardiovascular Disease. Curr Drug Metab. 2018;19(8):674-687.

58 – Zuzarte P, Scola G, Duong A, Kostiw K, Figueira ML, Costa-Vitali A. NT-proBNP  is a potential mediator between reduced ejection fraction and depression in patients with heart failure. J Psychiatr Res. 2018 Sep;104:8-15

Book Chapters

Luis Madeira, Maria Luisa Figueira. Appraising Neuroscience Research in the Field of Mental Disorders. Psychopathology: Theory, perspectives and future approaches. Drozdstoj Stoyanov (ed.). Nova Publishers. USA. 2013

Luis Madeira, Maria Luisa Figueira. An Exteriential Approach to Disociative Phenomena. An Experiential Approach to Psychopathology. Giovanni Stanghellini, Massimiliano Aragona (ed.). Springer, 2016

Maria Luisa Figueira, Luis Madeira. Hysteria, Dissociation, Conversion, and Somatization. The Oxford Handbook of Phenomenological Psychopathology. Oxford University Press, 2018

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