Carlos B. Duarte got his PhD at the University of Coimbra (Portugal) in a collaborative project with the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto (Ontario, Canada), and is Full Professor at the same University. His research has been dedicated to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms contributing to the plasticity of glutamatergic synapses, and how dysregulation of these synapses, together with an impairment of GABAergic synapses, contribute to neuronal death in brain ischemia and to excessive activity of neuronal networks in epilepsy. In particular, his work has contributed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in synaptic regulation by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which plays an important role in learning and memory formation. The work in his laboratory has been funded by FCT (Portugal) and by international agencies, pharmaceutical companies and private foundations. Carlos B. Duarte is co-author of over 130 publications in international peer-reviewed journals, including Journal of Neuroscience, Cell Death and Differentiation and Science Signaling (h- index = 36), and 14 book chapters. He was also editor of two books. Carlos B. Duarte is presently Associate Editor of the journals Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, Frontiers in Synaptic Neuroscience and Neurochemical Research, and member of the Editorial Board of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience. He has also served ad-hoc reviewer for over 45 different international journals and as grant reviewer for international agencies in the USA, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, European Union, Portugal, Israel, Poland, Romania and Estonia. Throughout his career Carlos B. Duarte supervised/co-supervised 26 PhD students. In addition to the long teaching experience at the University of Coimbra (since 1989), he was also invited Professor at the University of Sannio (Italy), University of Trieste (Italy), University of Pecz (Hungary) and University of Catanzaro (Italy). Presently, Carlos B. Duarte is a member of the European Society for Neurochemistry council and member of the Neurasmus (European MSc Program in Neuroscience) Educational Board. He was Vice-Dean of the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (University of Coimbra, Portugal) (2014-2018) and Director of the Cell Biology Unit, Biocant – Center for Innovation in Biotechnology (Cantanhede, Portugal) (2005-2012).