I completed a Bachelor’s in biology at the University of Coimbra (UC) in 2019, followed by a Master’s degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology with a specialization in Neurobiology at the same institution in 2022. During the final year of my undergraduate degree, I conducted my first research project at the Micro Resistant Lab (Centre for Functional Ecology, UC), under the supervision of Prof. Isabel Henriques. I investigated antibiotic resistance-associated genes in microplastic-associated bacteria collected from the Mondego River. This project provided foundational training in laboratory research, including bacterial plating, culture maintenance, DNA extraction, and RT-PCR. During my Master’s degree, I completed two laboratory rotations. The first took place at the Synapse Biology Lab (Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, UC), led by Prof. Ana Luísa Carvalho, where I studied the effects of CASPR2 autoantibodies on rat cortical neuronal cultures. Using microelectrode arrays (MEA), I demonstrated that patient-derived autoantibodies increase neuronal excitability and enhance network connectivity. The second rotation was conducted at the Membrane Traffic in Disease Lab (NOVA Medical School), under the supervision of Prof. Duarte C. Barral. There, I investigated whether genetic and pharmacological inhibition of lysosomal exocytosis could reduce the growth and invasiveness of triple-negative breast cancer cells. I analyzed tumor-associated molecular markers and treatment-induced changes using 3D spheroid models, migration assays, RT-PCR, and flow cytometry. For my Master’s thesis, I returned to the Synapse Biology Lab to pursue a project in neuroimmunology. I studied anti-CASPR1 autoantibodies from patients with painful demyelinating neuropathies, demonstrating their binding to hippocampal neurons and brain slices through immunofluorescence. I also characterized their functional impact using microelectrode arrays, calcium imaging, and electrophysiological recordings. After completing my Master’s degree, I was invited to remain in the Synapse Biology Lab as a contracted researcher. I have since accumulated nearly two years of full-time laboratory research experience and have been involved in multiple projects within the lab, expanding my repertoire of research techniques. In parallel with research activities, I became a founding member of the Group of Studies in Neuroimmunology and Encephalitis – GENIE (https://encefalites.pt/) a Portuguese association dedicated to research, awareness, and patient support in autoimmune encephalitis. This involvement further consolidated a strong interest in neuroimmune disorders and their translational implications. Over the past year, I completed two advanced doctoral-level courses at my research center with distinction (final grades 19/20 and 20/20). I have presented first-author work orally at national conferences, co-authored oral communications at both national and international conferences, and developed and published the first version of an open-source Python-based toolkit for microelectrode array data analysis (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18662994). I am actively engaged in the organization of scientific activities, training students, science communication and I am developing programming skills that I intend to expand during the PhD, with certified training related to bioinformatics, data-analysis, and artificial intelligence for research and healthcare. Collectively, my academic training, sustained research experience, technical development, scientific dissemination, and commitment to neuroimmunology provide a solid foundation for doctoral training and the development of rigorous, high-impact research in neuroimmune mechanisms of disease.