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Location

Rua do Instituto Bacteriológico, nº5 1150-082 Lisboa, Portugal

Nuno Mendonça

Investigador  Investigador Principal
Co-Principal Investigator, PhD / Nutritional Epidemiology

Nutritional Epidemiologist, Co-PI of EpiDoC unit and Assistant Professor at NOVA Medical School, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa. BSc (Hon) in dietetics and nutrition, MSc from Wageningen University and PhD from Newcastle University on epidemiology, ageing and nutrition. Previous Marie Curie postdoctoral fellow and current CEEC research fellow researching the impact of dietary intake on physical function, frailty and malnutrition in ageing, using mostly large databases. 40+ peer-reviewed publications, mostly as 1st and 2ndauthor. Track record of securing funding, teaching and coordinating at the under and postgraduate level, and supervising MSc and PhD students. Co-Leader of the Special Interest Group on Nutrition of the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society.

Keywords: epidemiology; nutrition; ageing; malnutrition; protein; frailty; sarcopenia

  • Henriques AR et al. (2026) Digital interventions for improving quality of life and physical function in adults aged 50 and over living with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Doi:10.1002/14651858.CD016341. 
  • Pita C et al. (2026) Communicating Science Matters: Positive Evidence from the BASCOE Study, a quantitative study from Brain Awareness Week outreach activities. Front Commun. Doi:10.3389/fcomm.2026.1721770.
  • Bahat G et al. (2025) Nutritional Care Using Oral Nutritional Supplements: 22 Questions Every Clinician Asks – Answered by Global Experts in a Delphi Consensus Study. Clin Nutr.Doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2025.106552.
  • Mendonça N et al. (2025) Protein intake and transitions between frailty states in middle-aged and older adults: a multi-state transition model in the UK Biobank. BMC Med. Doi:10.1186/s12916-025-04397-0.
  • Barcelos A et al. (2025) Usability and User Experience of a Digital Platform Prototype (Healthy Bone) to Promote Pharmacological and Non-pharmacological Treatment in Patients with Osteoporosis: Mixed Methods Study. JMIR Form Res. Doi:10.2196/72468.
  • Mendonça N et al. (2024) Critical outcomes to be included in the Core Outcome Set for nutritional intervention studies in older adults with malnutrition or at risk of malnutrition: a modified Delphi Study. Eur J Clin Nutr. Doi: 10.1038/s41430-024-01444-6.
  • Destri K et al. (2024) Hospitalization costs in Portugal among people with obesity: Results from a nationwide population-based cohort 2011 to 2021. Front Public Health, 12. Doi:10.3389/fpubh.2024.1380690.
  • Henriques AR et al. (2023) Usability and Utility of a Mobile App to Deliver Health-Related Content to an Older Adult Population: The DigiAdherence Study. JMIR Form Res. Doi:10.2196/46151.
  • Lopes D., Mendonça N* et al. (2023) Trajectories and determinants of Ageing in Portugal: Insights from EpiDoC, a nationwide population-based cohort. BMC Public Health, 23(1564). Doi:10.1186/s12889-023-16370-8. *Joint first authorship.
  • Tsai LT. et al. (2023) Associations between Appetite, Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour from Hip- and Wrist-Worn Accelerometers in Community-Dwelling Older Adults. Geriatr Gerontol Int.doi:10.1111/ggi.14588.
  • Visser M., Mendonça N. et al. (2023) A Core Outcome Set for nutritional intervention studies in older adults with malnutrition and those at risk: a study protocol. BMC Geriatr, 23(221). Doi:10.1186/s12877-023-03832-2.
  • Lopes D. et al. (2023) Association of physical activity with physical function and quality of life in people with hip and knee osteoarthritis: longitudinal analysis of a population-based cohort. Arthritis Res Ther, 25(14). Doi:10.1186/s13075-023-02996-x.
  • Carvalho, Á. Et al. (2023). Persistence of IgG COVID-19 antibodies: A longitudinal analysis. Front Public Health, 10. Doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.1069898.
  • Brodbeck J. et al. (2022) An online self-help intervention for coping with the loss of a partner: protocol for randomised controlled trials in three countries. JMIR Res Protoc, 11(11). Doi:10.2196/37827.
  • Mendonça N et al. (2022) Protein intake, physical activity and grip strength in European and North American community-dwelling older adults: a pooled analysis of individual participant data from four longitudinal ageing cohorts. Br J Nutr, 1-26. Doi:10.1017/S0007114522002033.
  • Salvador C,...,Mendonça N (2022) Animal foods and mobility limitations in community-dwelling young-old adults: longitudinal analysis of the EpiDoC cohort. BMC Geriatr, 22(687). Doi:10.1186/s12877-022-03381-0.
  • Destri K et al. (2022) Obesity-attributable costs of absenteeism among working adults in Portugal. BMC Public Health, 22(978). Doi:10.1186/s12889-022-13337-z.
  • Mendonça N et al. (2022) Low Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet Is Associated with Poor Socioeconomic Status and Younger Age: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the EpiDoC Cohort. Nutrients. Doi:10.3390/nu14061239.
  • Visser M, Mendonça N et al. (2022) Towards developing a Core Outcome Set for malnutrition intervention studies in older adults: a scoping review to identify frequently used research outcomes. Eur Geriatr Med. Doi:10.1007/s41999-022-00617-5.
  • Hakeem S et al. (2021) The Association between 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentration and Telomere Length in the Very-Old: The Newcastle 85+ Study. Nutrients. Doi:10.3390/nu13124341.
  • Teh R, Mendonça N et al. (2021) Dietary Protein Intake and Transition between Frailty States in Octogenarians Living in New Zealand. Nutrients. Doi:10.3390/nu13082843.
  • Lourida I et al. (2021) Association of Daily Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour with Protein Intake Patterns in Older Adults: A Multi-Study Analysis across Five Countries. Nutrients. Doi:10.3390/nu13082574.
  • Lochlainn MN et al. (2021) Nutrition and Frailty: Opportunities for Prevention and Treatment. Nutrients. Doi:10.3390/nu13072349.
  • Mendonça N et al. (2021) Low protein intake, physical activity and physical function in European and North American community-dwelling older adults: a pooled analysis of four longitudinal aging cohorts. Am J Clin Nutr. Doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqab051.
  • Okello EJ, Mendonça N et al. (2020) Tea consumption and measures of attention and psychomotor speed in the very old: the Newcastle 85+ longitudinal study. BMC Nutr. Doi:10.1186/s40795-020-00361-8.
  • Hakeem S, Mendonça N et al. (2020) The association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and disability trajectories in very-old adults: The Newcastle 85+ Study. Nutrients. Doi:10.3390/nu12092742.
  • Perri G, Mendonça N et al. (2020) Dietary Selenium Intakes and Musculoskeletal Function in Very Old Adults: Analysis of the Newcastle 85+ Study. Nutrients. Doi:10.3390/nu12072068.
  • Hengeveld L et al. (2020) Prevalence of protein intake below recommended in older adults: a meta-analysis across cohorts from the PROMISS consortium. J Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle. Doi:10.1002/jcsm.12580.
  • Mendonça N et al. (2020) Transitions between frailty states in the very old: the influence of socioeconomic status and multi-morbidity in the Newcastle 85+ cohort study. Age Ageing. Doi:10.1093/ageing/afaa054.
  • Mendonça N et al. (2019) Protein intake and transitions between frailty states and to death in very old adults: The Newcastle 85+ Study. Age Ageing. 49(1):32–38.
  • Mendonça N et al. (2019) Contribution of protein intake and its interaction with physical activity to transitions between disability states and to death in very old adults: the Newcastle 85+ Study. Eur J Nutr. 59(5):1909-1918.
  • Granic A, Mendonça N et al. (2019) Effects of dietary patterns and low protein intake on sarcopenia risk in the very old: the Newcastle 85+ Study. Clin Nutr. 39(1):166-173.
  • Mendonça N et al. (2018) Protein intake and disability trajectories in the very old: The Newcastle 85+ Study. J Am Geriatr Soc. 67(1):50-56.
  • Mendonça N et al. (2018) Elevated total homocysteine in all participants and plasma vitamin B12 concentrations in women are associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in the very old: The Newcastle 85+ Study. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 73(9):1258-1264.
  • Granic A, Mendonça N* et al. (2018) Nutrition in the very old. Nutrients. 10(3):269. *Joint first authorship. 
  • Madeira T et al. (2018) Malnutrition among older adults living in Portuguese nursing homes: the PEN-3S study. Public Health Nutr. 15:1-12.
  • Granic A, Mendonça N et al. (2018) Low protein intake, muscle strength and physical performance in the very old: the Newcastle 85+ Study. Clin Nutr. 37(6 Pt A):2260-2270.
  • Mendonça N et al. (2018) Prevalence and determinants of low protein intake in very old adults: Insights from the Newcastle 85+ Study. Eur J Nutr. 57(8):2713-2722.
  • Mendonça N et al. (2017) One-carbon metabolism biomarkers and cognitive decline in the very old: the Newcastle 85+ Study. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 18(9):806.
  • Mendonça N et al. (2016) Intakes of folate and vitamin B12 and biomarkers of status in the very old: The Newcastle 85+ Study. Nutrients. 8(10):604.
  • Madeira T et al. (2016) National Survey of the Portuguese Elderly Nutritional Status: Study Protocol. BMC Geriatr. 16:139. 
  • Mendonça N et al. (2016) Micronutrient intake and food sources in the very old: Analysis of the Newcastle 85+ Study. Br J Nutr. 116(4):751-61.
  • Hill T, Mendonça N et al. (2016) What do we know about the nutritional status of the very old? Insights from three cohorts of advanced age from the UK and New Zealand. Proc Nutr Soc. 75(3):420-30. 
  • Mendonça N et al. (2016) Macronutrient intake and food sources in the very old: Analysis of the Newcastle 85+ Study. Br J Nutr. 115(12):2170-80.
  • Sun S. et al. (2014) Sel1L is indispensable for mammalian endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation, endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis, and survival. Proc Natl Acad Sci. 111(5): p. E582-91.
  • CUoRE - FCT’s Individual Call to Scientific Employment Stimulus (CEEC) – PI (2027-Present).
  • POLIFLAMMe_PD, FCT’s Exploratory Projects (PeX) – PI (2025-2026).
  • European Society of Clinical Investigation’s exploratory grant - PI (2024-2025).
  • IPHUNCTION, FCT’s Individual Call to Scientific Employment Stimulus (CEEC) – PI (2022-2027).
  • CHRC’s 2022 research grant - PI (2022-2023).
  • InDEPENDEnt, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Individual Fellowship - PI (2019-2021).
  • Runner-up for the Faculty of Medical Sciences doctoral award for outstanding PhD in a medical sciences discipline (2018).
  • Swales Bequest Fund – PI (2014-2017).