My name is Rita Peixoto, and I am a PhD student at the PhD Program in Experimental Biology and Biomedicine (PDBEB), Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra (III-UC) and the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra (CNC-UC), and a member of the ‘Mitochondria and Neurodegenerative Disorders’ (MiND) research group at CNC-UC and Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB). In 2024, I completed the Master in Molecular and Translational Neuroscience at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra (FMUC). This program helped me gain advanced scientific and technical knowledge in biomedicine and experimental neuroscience. I developed the Master project at the Università della Sapienza di Roma, Rome, Italy, at the Redox Biochemistry in Neuroscience Laboratory under Prof. Marzia Perluigi guidance. The project was centered on the role of miR-802 in insulin signaling and its effects on neurodegeneration in a model of Down Syndrome. Additionally, I participated in laboratory rotations at CNC-UC, where I focused on neural IP3-receptor and VDAC1 co-localization by confocal microscopy, and at ICNAS-UC, where I examined proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy data in Alzheimer’s disease patients samples. I completed the Master degree with distinction (final grade of 17/20). Prior to the Master’s studies, in 2022, I completed the Bachelor degree in Medical Biotechnology at ‘Escola Superior de Saúde’ of Polytechnic Institute of Porto. This program taught me the principles of biotechnology, biochemistry and cell biology, and enhanced my technical and analytical abilities in several lab-based practices. As a part of the Bachelor’s, I completed an Erasmus research project at the Università degli Studi di Trieste, Trieste, Italy, at the Cellular and Developmental Neurobiology Laboratory, coordinated by Prof. Enrico Tongiorgi. My work focused on the immunofluorescence study of mouse primary hippocampal neurons in a model of Rett’s Syndrome. I graduated summa cum laude with a final grade of 17/20. More recently (21st of February, 2026), I published a review article as co-author, entitled “Linking mitochondrial DNA release to neurodegeneration and cognitive decline” in Ageing Research Reviews (IF=12.4). In May 2025 I orally presented the work “Exploring the changes in mitochondrial MOTS-c in Alzheimer’s disease models” at the ‘39a Reunião Anual do Grupo de Estudos de Envelhecimento Cerebral e Demência’. In addition, I performed a Training Course in Ethical and Social Aspects in Clinical Laboratory Genetics at FMUC, which enabled to deepen my understanding on bioethical issues related to biobanks, and further performed a course on animal experimentation (FELASA A, B and D certification). During the past year I have been also involved in tutoring students enrolled in the Integrated Master in Medicine in the context of the applied research subject in the context of the project “Characterization of ApoE genotyping and related mitochondrial modifications in Alzheimer’s disease patients’ blood mononuclear cells”. In addition to these activities, in September 2025 I participated in a science communication activity, the ‘European Researchers Night’, which allowed me to share scientific concepts with a wider community. Besides, I have also been part of the organizing committee of two scientific conferences/congresses, “Biotech&Beyond” in 2021, and "BEBIN Day 2026: Day-to-day Science: Translating Research into real-world solutions" in 2026.