My name is Alexandra Mónica Bastos Viana da Costa. I hold a degree in Biochemistry from the Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto (1989). From 1990 to 1994, I worked at the Parasitology Laboratory of the National Health Institute (INSA) in Porto. In 1994, I was awarded a Marie Curie Fellowship to conduct research at the Pasteur Institute in Lille, France, where I completed my PhD in 1998, accredited by Université de Lille I (USTL). From 1998 to 2002, I carried out a Post-Doctoral Fellowship (FCT-funded) at the Institute of Biology of Lille (IBL, France), focusing on leishmaniasis and immune response. Since 2002, I have been serving as an Assistant Professor at the University Institute of Health Sciences (IUCS) – CESPU, Portugal. Throughout my career, I have contributed to the scientific literature with 13 published articles in peer-reviewed journals and authored one book chapter. I have participated in 8 research projects as a collaborator, served as Principal Investigator in 2 projects, and contributed as both Researcher and Supervisor in several others. My primary expertise lies in Medical and Health Sciences, with a focus on Oral Immunology, Periodontitis, Inflammatory Mediators, Hematological Parameters, and Parasitic Immunology.