Maria Vasconcelos-Cardoso is currently a PhD student enrolled in the Health Sciences Program at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra (FMUC), after being awarded a fully-funded FCT PhD grant (2021.07080.BD). In 2020, completed her MSc degree in Biomedical Research at FMUC, after her BSc degree in Biochemistry at NOVA School of Science and Technology of the NOVA University of Lisbon in 2018. During an internship at the Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for the final project of the BSc degree, Maria worked with genetic and biochemical tools, a work that culminated in two posters and a conference paper published. During her master thesis, she focused on the mechanisms whereby cells repair their plasma membrane in the context of cardiovascular diseases, with an emphasis on the role of deubiquitylating enzymes. This work was developed in the Group of Ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis and Intercellular Communication (GUIC) led by Henrique Girão, being the main goal of the group the elucidation of how the mechanisms of ubiquitin-dependent lysosomal degradation and intercellular communication either by gap junctions or extracellular vesicles, contribute to cardiovascular diseases, such as myocardial infarction. In 2021, Maria was awarded a grant from the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) within the Cardioprotection Action to perform a Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) at Cardiovascular Diseases Research Group led by Antonio Rodríguez-Sinovas, at Vall d'Hebron Institute of Research (VHIR) in Barcelona, Spain. In this group, she had the opportunity to participate in different studies using the Langendorff-perfused isolated heart mice model to assess cardiac pathophysiology. Maria participated in national and international congresses. Importantly, she was invited to present the work developed during her STSM at the international 7th EU-Cardioprotection COST Action WG Online Workshop/Meeting, and her exceptional communication skills were further recognized with the Best Graphical Abstract (2024) and Best Flash Talk (2025) awards, both attributed by the Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB). Her research outputs include peer-reviewed publications in international and national journals, such as Trends in Biochemical Sciences (2025), Journal of Cell Science (2022), and Revista Portuguesa de Cardiologia (2022, 2023). Beyond her research, Maria has been involved in science outreach activities, such as the European Researchers' Night, as well as in the training of pre-graduated students, having successfully co-supervised 3 MSc students to completion. Demonstrating strong leadership and commitment to institutional service, she also served for two years on the organizing committee of the "PhDoing" event and is actively involved in organizing the community health initiative "PicNic com Saúde", now in its 4th edition.