Born in Lourenço Marques in May 1974.
She is an Associate Professor with Habilitation in the Department of Biological Engineering (DEB) and an integrated member of the Centre of Biological Engineering (CEB) and of LABBELS – Associated Laboratory in Biotechnology, Bioengineering and Microelectromechanical Systems, at the School of Engineering of the University of Minho (EEUM).
She graduated in Biological Engineering from the University of Minho.
She received a Master's degree in Biotechnology and a PhD in Chemical and Biological Engineering from EEUM. During her PhD she was a visiting student at the University of Groningen.
She carried out postdoctoral research at IPATIMUP, at CEB and at Lund University, as well as postdoctoral research periods at MIT and at the University of California, Berkeley. She completed her habilitation in December 2017.
Her research focuses on the development of bioprocesses for the production of bioactive molecules and their industrial applications. She is the author of more than 200 indexed scientific publications and has coordinated or participated in more than 45 competitive research projects, including large-scale initiatives and international ITN advanced training networks. She has received multiple Merit Diplomas from EEUM. She was a member of the Scientific Committee of the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking. She coordinates the SynBiomics research group.
She teaches in master's and doctoral programmes in Biological Engineering and related areas. She was Director of the Master's in Food Science and Technology and of the Doctoral Program in Bioengineering (MIT-Portugal), and is also a member of the programme committees of the Master's and PhD in Chemical and Biological Engineering. She has supervised more than 100 master's dissertations, 36 doctoral theses and 19 postdoctoral researchers.
She has held several management positions, namely Vice-President and President of the Pedagogical Council of EEUM; Deputy Director of CEB; and Director of the Department of Biological Engineering.
She was a Board Member of the College of Chemical and Biological Engineering and a Member of the Disciplinary Council of the Northern Region of the Portuguese Engineers' Association. She co-founded and was CEO of the spin-off BIOTEMPO and was a promoter of INCEPTION, and she currently sits on the Board of Directors of BioData.pt, the Supervisory Board of CeNTI, and the Local Advisory Council for Innovation and Science of Braga.
