João Valente Santos (JVS) obtained his BSc in Chemistry (2021) from the University of Aveiro, Portugal. Throughout his academic path, he has focused on understanding physiological changes and pathological mechanisms through a biomedical lens. His early research involved the development and characterization of fluorescent nanomaterials using molecular and vibrational spectroscopies. This work culminated in his BSc thesis, conducted within an Organic and Computational Chemistry group that is part of CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials, one of Portugal’s leading research units in (bio)materials science and nanotechnology. His project focused on Egyptian Blue as a near-infrared probe for cancer cell detection, sparking his interest in health sciences and biomedical applications. Motivated to explore the interface between science and health, JVS pursued a MSc in Biochemistry (2023), with a specialization in Clinical Biochemistry, at the same university, deepening his understanding of the biochemical mechanisms underlying various pathological conditions. He conducted his MSc thesis within a multidisciplinary team investigating aging mechanisms and muscular pathophysiology, at the LAQV-REQUIMTE research unit. His research examined the effects of chronic supraphysiological testosterone exposure and aging on salivary gland remodeling in rats, combining proteomics, histology, zymography, and MS-based approaches, which led to his first peer-reviewed publication as first author. After his successful Master thesis defense, JVS has also gained valuable international research experience. At i3S – Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (Porto, Portugal, 2024), he visited a team studying the proteolytic activity of the ATXN3 protein, a key factor in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3, gaining hands-on experience with neurodegenerative disease mechanisms. At the Institut Pasteur de Lille (Lille, France, 2025), he briefly joined a vascular biology team investigating mitochondrial regulation in endothelial cells under metabolic stress. Since July 2025, JVS has been a Research Fellow in the Advanced Therapies Research Group (CNC - Centre for Neurosciences and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra), contributing to the EXCAVATOR project (2023.15026.PEX), which aims to engineer small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) to transiently modulate blood-brain barrier permeability and explore their rejuvenating potential in immune cells. His work includes sEVs isolation from urine, plasma, and blood mononuclear cells, surface modification, characterization (NTA, Zeta potential, protein quantification), as well as cell culture, bioactivity assays (migration, proliferation, survival), and immunocytochemistry. Collectively, these experiences have provided JVS with broad technical expertise, interdisciplinary knowledge, and a focused interest in nanomedicine, regenerative therapies, aging and immune rejuvenation, and extracellular vesicle biology. He is highly dedicated, resilient, and motivated, with a cooperative mindset and a strong enthusiasm for continuous learning and contributing to the advancement of the scientific community.