Short Biography
I am a Scientist at the Stem and Immune Cells Bioengineering Lab, where since 2017 I have focused on developing bioprocesses for the production of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-based products to accelerate next-generation cell therapies.
I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology and a Master’s degree in Biotechnology from NOVA University. In 2024, I completed my PhD in Molecular Biosciences, specializing in Biotechnology, at ITQB-NOVA and iBET, under the supervision of Dr Margarida Serra and Prof Paula M. Alves. During my PhD, I developed and optimized protocols for generating hiPSCs, hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes, and hepatocyte-like cells in suspension culture systems. My expertise includes stirred-tank bioreactors, integrated bioprocess development for hiPSC expansion and differentiation, the implementation of process analytical technologies (PAT), and process scale-up strategies to enable robust, scalable, and high-quality cell production for research and therapeutic applications.
As part of my PhD, I was also a visiting student at University College London in the Department of Biochemical Engineering. During this internship, I performed the engineering characterization of small-scale stirred-tank bioreactors commonly used for hiPSC culture, determining key parameters such as impeller power number as well as mixing and suspension dynamics.