Joana Lobo Vicente

My Ph.D research project investigated the influences of alcohol in the increase of testosterone/epitestosterone for doping purposes, using immunoassay, GC-MS and LC-MS/MS.

I am currently a research associate at King's. For my staff page, please click here.

My PhD research project investigated the influences of alcohol in the increase of testosterone/epitestosterone for doping purposes, using immunoassay, GC-MS and LC-MS/MS analytical techniques.

The administration of the anabolic steroid testosterone (T) is prohibited in sports and regulated by the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA). With T administration, the ratio to its epimer, epitestosterone (E), increases. WADA accredited laboratories have to undertake further analysis on any urine sample collected from an athlete with a T/E greater than 4.

Acute alcohol consumption may increase this ratio but this has not been fully investigated and the mechanism is not known. My project aimed to show whether this increase in T/E could be confirmed and its mechanisms.

Other research interests are toxicology and drugs of abuse.

I did my 4-year Chemistry undergraduate (Hons, 1st Class) in the Faculty of Chemistry in the University of Lisbon (http://www.fc.ul.pt/pt/dqb). I was awarded a Leonardo da Vinci mobility exchange grant and went to Orléans, France, to do research in synthetic organic chemistry.

I carried on my studies by doing an MSc in Forensic Science at King's and then went on to the my Ph.D in the same department (Forensic Science & Drug Monitoring), in the Drug Control Centre (UK Anti-Doping laboratory).