05 May 2026
Gonçalo Cotovio, MD, PhD, psychiatrist and clinical researcher at the Champalimaud Foundation, has been named as a Rising Star by Genomic Press, an international scientific publishing group dedicated to advancing biomedical and life sciences research.
Based at the Champalimaud Foundation’s Neuropsychiatry Unit and the newly established Digital Neurotherapeutics Centre, Cotovio is recognised for research that advances a more mechanistic understanding of psychiatric disorders. As part of this distinction, he is featured in the Innovators & Ideas series in Brain Medicine, which highlights emerging leaders in translational neuroscience.
Towards causal models in psychiatry
Cotovio’s work addresses a central challenge in psychiatry: moving beyond correlation to identify causal mechanisms. Using lesion network mapping, he studies patients in whom focal brain lesions trigger symptoms such as mania or obsessive-compulsive behaviours, revealing shared brain circuits associated with these conditions.
This approach provides rare insight into the networks that directly generate psychiatric symptoms, contributing to a more precise and biologically grounded understanding of mental illness.
Personalised neuromodulation approaches
Building on these findings, Cotovio is developing personalised neuromodulation strategies that integrate neuroimaging with connectivity-guided transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a non-invasive brain stimulation treatment for neuropsychiatric conditions. By tailoring interventions to individual brain network profiles, he aims to improve treatment precision and outcomes in psychiatric disorders.
His research has already supported the development of early-stage clinical trials at the Champalimaud Foundation.
Training and collaboration
Cotovio trained in medicine at NOVA Medical School and completed a PhD in biomedicine, followed by clinical specialisation in psychiatry. At the Champalimaud Foundation, he has been working under the mentorship of Albino J. Oliveira-Maia, Head of the Neuropsychiatry Unit and Director of the Digital Neurotherapeutics Centre.
He has also undertaken research training at Harvard Medical School, collaborating with Alvaro Pascual-Leone, Michael D. Fox, and Daniel Press, reinforcing the translational scope of his work.
Recognition and looking ahead
The Rising Star distinction from Genomic Press places Cotovio among a select group of early-career scientists recognised for both scientific excellence and future impact. The Innovators & Ideas series aims to spotlight researchers whose work bridges disciplines and advances translational science.
Interview: https://interviews.genomicpress.com/goncalo-cotovio/
Cotovio will continue to develop his research at the Digital Neurotherapeutics Centre, a new Champalimaud Foundation initiative dedicated to technology-driven approaches to brain health. The centre will be inaugurated on May 15th, 2026 and will integrate research, clinical care, and innovation in neuropsychiatry and neurology.
