I am an Assistant Researcher at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, with over 15 years of experience in Microbiology, Bacterial Signal Transduction, Synthetic Biology, and One Health-focused pathogen surveillance. My scientific trajectory spans fundamental and applied microbiology, synthetic genetic circuits, bacteriophage biology, and environmental genomics, integrating laboratory, computational, and field-based methodologies. This multidisciplinary background positions me strongly to lead innovative projects aligned with national research priorities in antimicrobial resistance (AMR), infectious diseases, and biotechnological innovation. My research has combined molecular biology, genomics, bioinformatics, synthetic biology, and environmental surveillance to address pressing challenges in bacterial physiology, pathogen detection, and antimicrobial strategies. Early in my career, I contributed seminal work on the viable-but-nonculturable (VBNC) state in foodborne pathogens, producing highly cited studies and a comprehensive PhD on Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli resuscitation mechanisms. During international postdoctoral training (LMU Munich, TU Dresden, University of Copenhagen), I became recognised for my contributions to the study of extracytoplasmic function (ECF) siga factors - key regulators of bacterial stress responses - and their application as tunable genetic switches. This work resulted in high-impact publication (e.g., Nature Microbiology, Nucleic Acids Research, Molecular Microbiology, iScience) and laid the foundation for my current line of research in synthetic biology applied to health. Since returning to Portugal, I consolidated and interdisciplinary research portfolio at iMed.ULisboa and CE3C/FCUL, leading and contributing to projects on environmental and genomic surveillance of Mycobacterium bovis, a Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex bacteria, phage-based therapeutics, and AMR spread at the livestock-wildlife interface. I am co-author of multiple studies demonstrating, for the first time in Portugal, the detection of viable environmental M. bovis in multi-host systems and the integration of flow cytometry, PCR, and ecological modelling to map transmission hotspots. These contributions directly address One Health priorities and have supported national authorities and surveillance programs. I have a consistent publication record across top journals in microbiology, infectious diseases, genomics, and synthetic biology, including recent first-author or co-leading works in FEMS Microbiology Ecology, Science of the Total Environment, Journal of Hazardous Materials, IJMS, and Microbiology Spectrum. My productivity reflects both independence and leadership, with >20 peer-reviewed articles, numerous conference contributions, and active participation as reviewer and editorial board member for international journals. I currently lead the project Engineering Probiotics for Production and Delivery of Protein Drugs (PEX 2023.12038) as Principal Investigator, demonstrating my capacity to coordinate funding, supervise students, and drive innovative research agendas. My experience supervising MSc and PhD trainees, organizing scientific events, and serving as main arguer in academic juries further reinforces my leadership profile. I have also secured competitive individual funding throughout my career, including an FCT CEED.IND contract, an EMBO Short-Term Fellowship, a Marie-Curie Intra-European Fellowship, and an FCT PhD Scholarship. Overall, my career combines international excellence, interdisciplinarity, and proven ability to generate impactful results in microbiology, synthetic biology, and antimicrobial strategies. I am well positioned to lead competitive PTDC projects that integrate fundamental research with translational potential, aligned with national and European priorities in AMR, One Health, and biotechnological innovation.