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Helena Correia Dias

Orcid profile

Ciência Vitae profile

962903987
Research Interests
Age estimation
Forensic Anthropology
Forensic Epigenetics
DNA methylation
Forensic Genetics

Maria Helena Correia Dias is a researcher focused on the age estimation field through DNA methylation (DNAm). She is a biologist since 2012, a master in Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences since 2014, and a Ph.D. in Forensic Anthropology since 2021. Helena has a postgraduate in Forensic Anthropology (2016) and in Legal Medicine (2013). Helena is a team member of the Research Centre for Anthropology and Health (CIAS), of the Centre for Functional Ecology – Science for People & the Planet (CFE) and of the Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology (LFA).

Helena as a Doctoral Fellow developed the project (Funded by FCT, SFRH/BD/117022/2016): DNA methylation as an age predictor in living and deceased individuals. As a researcher, she has published 9 articles in journals with peer reviews and impact factor. She has organized 16 events promoting the fields of Forensic Anthropology and Epigenetics, and participated in another 14 events related to Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences. During her academic career, Helena has received 11 awards and/or honors.

At this moment, Helena is involved in teaching Forensic Anthropology and Epigenetic classes at the CRIAP Institute, reviewed journal articles and is guest editor of Jove in Collection Methods: Age Estimation Methods in Forensics.

Teaching

Class of Forensic Anthropology in the “Curso Especialização avançada em Medicina Legal e Ciências Forenses” at the CRIAP Institute

Workshop of Forensic Epigenetics at the CRIAP Institute

Main Publications

Correia Dias, Helena; Cunha, Eugénia; Corte Real, Francisco; Manco, Licínio.Corresponding author: Correia Dias, Helena. “Challenges and (Un)Certainties for DNAm Age Estimation in Future”. Forensic Sciences 2 3 (2022): 601-614. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/forensicsci2030044.

Manco, Licínio; Correia Dias, Helena. Corresponding author: Manco, Licínio.”DNA methylation analysis of ELOVL2 gene using droplet digital PCR for ageestimation purposes”. Forensic Science International 333 (2022): 111206. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2022.111206.

Correia Dias, Helena; Manco, Licínio; Corte Real, Francisco; Cunha, Eugénia.Corresponding author: Correia Dias, Helena. “A Blood-Bone-Tooth Model for Age Prediction in Forensic Contexts”. Biology 10 12 (2021): 1312. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/biology10121312

Correia Dias, Helena; Corte Real, Francisco; Cunha, Eugénia; Manco, Licínio.”DNA methylation age estimation from human bone and teeth”. Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences (2020): 1-14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00450618.2020.1805011

Correia Dias, Helena; Cunha, Eugénia; Corte Real, Francisco; Manco, Licínio.”Age prediction in living: Forensic epigenetic age estimation based on blood samples”. Legal Medicine 47 (2020): 101763. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.legalmed.2020.101763.

Correia Dias, Helena; Cordeiro, Cristina; Pereira, Janet; Pinto, Catarina; CorteReal, Francisco; Cunha, Eugénia; Manco, Licínio. “DNA methylation age estimation in blood samples of living and deceased individuals using a multiplex SNaPshot assay”. Forensic Science International 311 (2020): 110267.http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110267.

Correia Dias, Helena; Cordeiro, Cristina; Corte Real, Francisco; Cunha, Eugénia;Manco, Licínio. “Age Estimation Based on DNA Methylation Using Blood Samples From Deceased Individuals”. Journal of Forensic Sciences 65 2 (2019):465-470. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.14185.

Manco, L; Dias, H; Muc, M; Padez, C. “The lactase -13910C>T polymorphism(rs4988235) is associated with overweight/obesity and obesity-related variables in a population sample of Portuguese young adults”. European Journal ofClinical Nutrition 71 1 (2016): 21-24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2016.164.

Dias, Helena; Muc, Magdalena; Padez, Cristina; Manco, Licínio. “Association of polymorphisms in 5-HTT (SLC6A4) and MAOA genes with measures of obesity in young adults of Portuguese origin”. Archives of Physiology and Biochemistry122 1 (2015): 8-13. http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/13813455.2015.1111390.

Research Projects

DNA methylation as an age predictor in living and deceased individuals (SFRH/BD/117022/2016)