Alícia Candeias is currently a PhD student enrolled in the Biochemistry Program at NOVA School of Science and Technology (NOVA-FCT). She was previously hired as a Senior Technician by NOVA-FCT to work at the BioNMR Lab and GlycoLab from the Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit (UCIBIO) at NOVA-FCT in the framework of the EU-funded GLYCOTwinning project (HORIZON-WIDERA-2021-101079417). The passion for Glycoscience started since the early beginning of her research path. Alícia completed her Master's degree in Biochemistry in 2022 and her Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry in 2020, both from the NOVA-FCT. Her Bachelor's thesis was important to be trained in ELISA and flow cytometry in glycobiology field. During her Master's thesis, she has developed valuable experience on protein expression and purification of glycan-binding protein (GBPs). Also, she gained skills in protein crystallization, data processing and 3D structure solution via Molecular Replacement methods, electron density maps calculation and interpretation, model building and 3D structure validation. This training was pivotal to solving and interpreting protein structures, isolated and in complex with relevant glycans. After obtaining her Master's degree, she held a prestigious Research Fellowship under the GlycoMed project (LISBOA-01-0247-FEDER-047033) within the Macromolecular Crystallography & GlycoLab Groups (UCIBIO, NOVA-FCT), further enriching her expertise, working at the interface of Structural Biology and Glycobiology. More recently, following her Master’s thesis research line and in the framework of her PhD project, she is focused on deciphering, at a molecular level, novel GBPs produced by commensal bacteria and their profound impact on host biology, through the exhaustive study of host mucin O-glycans/bacterial GBPs interactions. To do this, Alícia currently integrates different techniques and methodologies from glycomics (glycan microarrays) to structural biology (NMR & X-ray Crystallography) approaches. Also, in the scope of GLYCOTwinning, Alícia received training in producing mucins (e.g. MUC1) and in chemoenzymatic methods to produce MUC glycodomains, to investigate mucin O-glycans binding specificity and molecular recognition using glycan microarrays, NMR and X-ray Crystallography. This training has been further developed during her PhD project. Finally, she is also engaged as team member in a FCT-funded research project: GlycOSELECT (2022.06104.PTDC), expressing and purifying GBPs from commensal (Bacteroides species). Her research findings have resulted in 15 conference posters and 4 oral communications. She has attended 7 conferences, two of which were international, thus, sharing her work with a broad audience. Alícia's dedication to advancing scientific knowledge extends beyond her research, as evidenced by her active participation in the organization of 9 events and activities aimed at promoting research awareness across diverse audiences, bringing together researchers to share their findings with their peers.