I am a Biochemist (2005) and a PhD in Biomedicine (2011) by University of Porto. Through my international curricular pathway, I got trained in proteomics at the BRC-Centre of Excellence of the European Union (Hungary), in Proximity Ligation Assays at Uppsala University (Sweden), in oncobiology and glycobiology at the Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of University of Porto (Portugal) and in bacterial adhesion and pathogen adaptation at Umea University (Sweden). My research experience has resulted in a solid publication record in cancer glycobiology as I contributed to 49 peer-reviewed publications (6 with IF>10), with more than 250 different co-authors: 8 as first author and 7 as senior corresponding author. My publications have received more than 1700 citations (H-index 23). My scientific findings have been translated in two international patents. I have been distinguished with several prizes including: Fundação Eng. António de Almeida (2005); EMBO fellowship (2012) and FEBS Letters award (2019). I have successfully complete the supervision of 3 PhD and 6 MSc students, as main or co-supervisor. All these theses articulate fundamental and clinical research.

Since 2017, I am Junior Researcher at i3S/University of Porto, where I established a new line of research focused on the mechanistic roles of proteoglycans in cancer-extracellular matrix dynamics and cell communication. I have been successful in raising competitive funding as Principal Investigator (238K from FCT), and as participant researcher in national and international project grants (>1,5M from FCT, EU Regional Development Fund, EU-funded Marie Curie ITN GastricGlycoExplorer and INNOGLY COST action). These grants allowed me to build a dedicated research team, which is currently composed one 1 pos-doc and 2 PhD students. I additionally co-supervise a medical PhD student from the Faculty of Medicine of University of Porto.

My international recognition in cancer glycobiology is reflected by the organization of 3 international meetings, my roles in European consortiums, invitation for 3 keynote lecturers and 14 selected oral presentations. 

In addition to my main research activities, I teach in post-graduate courses of University of Porto; I participate in juries of academic degrees; I act as reviewer for several journals and I am an Associated Editor of Frontiers in Oncology and a Topic Board Member of Biomolecules.