My primary research interest is deciphering the intricate molecular and cellular mechanisms that govern the distribution of neuronal cell surface receptors across the neuronal membrane. Additionally, I aim to elucidate the functions of certain neuronal cell surface receptors that remain uncharacterized. Importantly, I aim to address these questions under healthy, aging, and disease conditions. This approach will enable me to understand the mechanisms underlying normal neuronal function and brain wiring, essential for proper brain function, as well as identify novel therapeutic avenues to mitigate the impact of neurological disorders and aging on brain function. During my PhD, completed in September 2013 under the supervision of Prof. Ana Luísa Carvalho at the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra (CNC-UC) in Portugal, I investigated the hippocampal function of ghrelin, an appetite-stimulating hormone, and its receptor. This work was published in PNAS (DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1313798111) and Science Signaling (DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.abb1953), and it gave me a great deal of knowledge on how synapses and neural circuits operate. In May 2014, I joined Prof. Joris de Wit's lab at VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research in Belgium for my postdoctoral studies. Here, I gained expertise in imaging, biochemical, and proteomic approaches. These methods were instrumental in identifying new molecules and mechanisms involved in regulating synaptic and surface protein composition in neurons. This work was published in Neuron (DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.08.007) and PLoS Biology (DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000466). Following my postdoc, I secured funding from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology – FCT (project grant and 6-years’ salary support as an Assistant Investigator – Scientific Employment Stimulus Program) and European Commission (Marie Sklodowska-Curie Action Individual Fellowship – MSCA-IF). These grants enabled me to establish my independent research line at CNC-UC, where I began as an Assistant Investigator in September 2021. In June 2024, I was appointed independent Group Leader at the Multidisciplinary Institute of Ageing (MIA-Portugal). I am currently expanding my research programme to dissect alterations in the distribution and function of neuronal cell surface receptors, particularly cell-adhesion molecules, that drive changes in synaptic connectivity and contribute to cognitive decline during ageing and in chronic age-associated neurological disorders. Supporting these research objectives, I have recently secured funding from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (Collaborative Pairs Pilot Project Award) and participate in a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Doctoral Network focused on developing passive antibody-transfer models to study anti-IgLON5 disease. Overall, my career path demonstrates scientific independence, resilience, and the ability to lead innovative research that advances fundamental understanding of brain function while addressing mechanisms of neurological dysfunction and ageing.