Researcher

I graduated from Instituto Superior de Ciências da Saúde-Norte in Portugal with a Master Degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences in September, 2013 and obtained the PhD degree in Biotechnology and Food Science and Engineering in 2018. Through my years of studying, I became fascinated with molecular therapies and nanotechnology. I also participated, during my academic course, in the Chemical and Pharmaceutical Group from The Health Sciences Research Center (CICS), as a research assistant. I still belonged to the Students Association as the president of general shareholders. I present experience in nanotechnology, nanomedicine, therapeutic polymers as drugs, controlling delivery of drugs across biological barriers, structural characterization of proteins (e.g. by FTIR), new materials for nanoparticle drug delivery systems, lipid carriers (e.g. SLN, NLC) for drug delivery, physical and chemical characterization of pharmaceutical dosage forms, with special regards to protein interactions (DSC, FTIR, CD, PCS, LDA, SEM,TEM, HPLC, UV), In vitro (e.g. A549, Calu-3, CACO-2, HFF-1, THP) models of drug bioavailability, cell-material interaction; development of new drug delivery systems using collidal nanoparticles, citotoxicity (e.g. MTT and LDH test, including preparation and interpretation of the obtained results). Recently I initiated the development of a new food product - edible strips carrying nanoencapsulated caffeine - as a research project for my PhD studies in Universidade Católica Portuguesa - Escola Superior de Biotecnologia (CBQF).