I hold a degree in Biotechnology and a PhD in Microbial Biology from NOVA University of Lisbon (2012). My doctoral research focused on biogenic amines in wine and on the molecular and oenological characterization of Portuguese Oenococcus oeni strains for malolactic fermentation, within a project funded by the Portuguese Innovation Agency and conducted in collaboration with INIAV, FCUL, UTAD, and Proenol. This work provided me with strong expertise in microbiology, molecular biology, and chemical, genomic, and transcriptomic analyses. In 2008, I worked in food safety and quality consulting. From 2009 to 2013, I served as Head of the Microbiology Laboratory at BioAr, where I implemented new laboratory facilities, managed quality systems, developed technical procedures, supervised staff, and contributed to national standards in food microbiology and environmental analysis. Between 2014 and 2019, I was a postdoctoral researcher at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência and later at CE3C–FCUL. My research focused on the genetic basis of bacterial adaptation and its ecological consequences, using experimental evolution models involving Escherichia coli, Caenorhabditis elegans, and Schizosaccharomyces pombe. I gained extensive experience in fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, molecular cloning, homologous recombination, and NGS library preparation. I contributed to laboratory management, trained and mentored students and technicians, supported grant writing, and played a key role in establishing the Eco Evolutionary Genetics Laboratory. I disseminated my work widely at national and international conferences in evolutionary biology. In 2019, I joined the Membrane Processes Laboratory at iBET, where I worked on water quality and treatment, food safety, and disinfection technologies. I became a research member of iNOVA4Health and developed expertise in filtration, UV LED, and photocatalytic systems for microbial and biofilm inactivation. My work contributed to applied solutions for environmental, agricultural, and food industry challenges. During this period, I supervised students and research fellows, prepared successful funding proposals, served as Principal Investigator in two projects and Co PI in two others, and published eight peer reviewed papers. I also established collaborations with academic institutions and agro food companies and served on academic evaluation panels. In 2024, I joined the Green it Research Unit and became a coordinator member of the EU projects Microbes 4 Climate and MALDIBANK at MIRRI ERIC. Between 2024 and 2025, I also served as a coordinator member of the MPS_NOVA EU project at NOVA University of Lisbon (ITQB NOVA and NMS). In 2025, I joined the MOSTMICROBE Research Unit and later returned to Green it where I currently coordinate the Vitis and Fruits research group. In December 2025, I was awarded an FCT Tenure position at INIAV as an Assistant Researcher in Wine Environmental and Production Microbiology. I have authored 15 peer reviewed papers (380 citations), 2 submitted peer reviewed papers, eight conference proceedings papers, 33 oral presentations, 50 posters, 68 published abstracts, three scientific videos, and one NCBI Sequence Read Archive dataset. I have participated in 23 research projects (3 as PI, 2 as Co PI, 12 as team member, 3 as collaborator, and 3 as coordinator member of EU projects). I have supervised 20 students and researchers, served on seven academic juries, reviewed manuscripts for several journals, and contributed to scientific societies and outreach activities.