We’re thrilled to welcome new master students to our lab! ✨
Read below to get to know them and hear their perspective on what this new chapter means to them.
Joana Ribeiro holds a BSc in Biology from the Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics at the NOVA Institute of Chemical and Biological Technology António Xavier (ITQB NOVA). Joana has joined the Biomolecular Engineering Lab for her Master’s thesis, which focuses on the development of computational tools for the clustering and classification of optical signal datasets from diverse biological samples, with a particular focus on Parkinson’s disease.
Joana: “My main goal in the lab is to develop a machine learning toolkit that processes optical signals from an artificial olfaction device, and I am eager to learn from fellow researchers and grow within a collaborative environment.”
Pedro Agualusa is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Biotechnology at the NOVA Faculty of Science and Technology, where his thesis research focuses on the development of supramolecular bioinspired adhesives. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Universidade Lusófona. With a strong analytical and experimental background, his scientific skill set includes practical experience in fluorescence microscopy, animal model handling, and data analysis using MATLAB. His former position was as a Trainee Researcher at the Champalimaud Foundation (Orger Lab), where he developed his final undergraduate project.
Pedro: “My main goal in the lab is to successfully develop novel supramolecular bioinspired adhesives for my Master’s thesis, while expanding my expertise in biotechnology. I am eager to learn from the team and contribute to the innovative research conducted by the group. “
Sofia Pinto is a master’s student in Biochemistry for Health at NOVA School of Science and Technology (FCT NOVA), in collaboration with ITQB and NMS. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from FCT NOVA, where she completed a research internship and her undergraduate project focused on protein expression, purification, and biochemical characterization. She is currently joining the INSPIRE project at the Biomolecular Engineering Lab, where she works on biomarker production using cell-free expression systems.
Sofia: “My main goal in this master’s thesis is to develop hands-on experience in protein and biomarker research through the application of advanced biochemical techniques. I am particularly motivated to pursue this project due to its focus on cancer research and its close connection with FCT NOVA, as well as the opportunity to contribute to a research project with potential relevance to disease biomarker detection and characterization.”
Welcome, Joana, Pedro and Sofia!