Researcher/ Scientific consultant/ reviewer

I have a Biochemistry degree (Pre-Bologna) and a specialization in Molecular Biology with a master’s in molecular biology and microbiology obtained at the University of Algarve (UALG). From 2013 to 2017, I was enrolled in the PhD programme in Biomedical Sciences at UALG. Meanwhile I have been working as invited Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Medicine (DCBM) in University of Algarve, teaching Cell Biology, Molecular and Cell Biology Techniques and Cell Differentiation and Microenvironments, at partial time. Currently I am a research collaborator involved in research related with musculoskeletal complications at BIOSKEL- Comparative, Adaptive and Functional Skeletal Biology-CCMAR-Centre of Marine Sciences-University of Algarve. In addition, I am involved
in KCITAR-Algarve project, promoting molecular biology activities to Algarve high schools.

My PhD project was entitled “Contribution to the molecular characterization of osteoarthritis and osteoporosis phenotypes associated with Hereditary Hemochromatosis” and was done under the supervision of Prof. Leonor Cancela (BIOSKEL lab, at UALG), Prof. Ea Hang Korng (Inserm U1132, BIOSCAR at Hôpital Lariboisière, service de Rhumatologie, Université Paris 7 Denis Diderot, Paris, France) and Prof. Graça Porto (I3S Research Center at University of Porto, Portugal), which is related with the study of osteoarthritis and osteoporosis associated to hereditary hemochromatosis using mice models for the molecular characterization of musculoskeletal complications. I have been accumulating experience in research of osteoarthritis and osteoporosis associated to iron overload phenotypes with knowhow in histological approaches for characterization of cartilage and bone tissues and micro computerized tomography (micro-CT) technique for bone histomorphometric analysis. I have also solid experience in the development of primary cultures of osteoblasts and chondrocytes, in fluorescent and confocal microscopy and in molecular biology techniques. Part of this work was done also at INSERM U1132 group, BIOSCAR at Hôpital Lariboisière, Paris, France and at I3S, Porto.

I have also experience in coordinating the research projects of undergraduate master students from biochemistry and biomedical sciences degrees, as well as in dissemination of science, being responsible for the development of molecular biology mini-projects in secondary schools of Algarve through the Project molecular genetics itinerant laboratory (Lab-IT) within KCITAR-Algarve, (https://www.ualg.pt/pt/content/lab-it-laboratorio-itinerante).