Raquel Leão Monteiro (RLM) completed her Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto (FCUP)/ICBAS, where her research path began in regenerative biology at i3S’s Microenvironment for New Therapies Group, focusing on targets related to disc degeneration. Her resulting bachelor´s report received the highest cohort distinction of 20/20, with a final classification of 17/20. During her BSc, RLM was also elected Student Head Representative for Physiopathology, where she advocated for peers, honed leadership and communication skills, and participated in workshops and voluntary mentorship programs. Then, she pursued a master´s in Techniques of Biopathology- Molecular Pathology branch, at ESS-P. PORTO. The thesis, graded 19/20 (final average of 18/20), was developed at IPO-Porto´s Cellular Therapy Department under Drº Sérgio Lopes and Drª Susana Roncon's supervision. It uncovered immunomodulatory interactions between BM-MSCs and hematopoietic grafts, focusing on proliferative and phenotypic changes in-vitro. RLM gained hands-on experience in flow cytometry, biomarker analysis, primary cell isolation, and clinical research coordination, along with presenting it at key national events like IPO SUMMIT 2024, IJUP 2024, and Encontro Ciência 2024, in both oral presentations and poster sessions. Simultaneously, RLM collaborated with Drº Irina Amorim at the Molecular Pathology Department of ICBAS, on immunohistochemical EpCAM peptides analysis in human and canine gastric tissues, leading to her first co-authorship e paper " Clinicopathological implications of EpCAM immunoexpression in canine gastric carcinoma and its association with other immunomarkers”, up to publication in Veterinary and Comparative Oncology (2025). Currently, she´s a research fellow in the CELLECTED project, working with Drº Raphaël Canadas to evaluate biophysical cellular markers for precision medicine, by employing microfluidic and acoustic separation platforms paired with advanced imaging techniques- flow cytometry, quantitative phase imaging, and confocal microscopy- to investigate BC cells. Through CELLECTED, RLM has also gained experience as a project associate in the Nieder Group at the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), while still collaborating with INESC-TEC and the urology department of CHUSJ to enhance the model´s robustness and applicability. As first author, the work has been showcased in presentation at the IPO SUMMIT 2024 and poster sessions in the XVI International Congress of Uro-Oncology at São Paulo, Brazil (April 2025) and upcoming for XXXI Porto Cancer Meeting - Breaking Boundaries: Adhesion regulation in Cancer (May 2025) and the Annual Congress of the European Association for Cancer Research (June 2025). Outside the lab, RLM is passionate about science communication and education. She´s worked as a pedagogical mentor with Teach For Portugal, collaborating with educators and community stakeholders to foster inclusive learning. Since 2023, contributed as a writer for the Native Scientists Blog in the “Science and Society” series. Always keen to explore new tools, recently started a Python programming course at FCUP to strengthen data processing and image analysis automation skills. RLM received two awards or honor. She is also involved in Medical and Health Sciences (Clinical Medicine - Oncology), Basic Medicine (Pathology) and Medical and Health Sciences (Health Sciences and Biotechnology). In her Ciência Vitae profile, the most frequently mentioned terms related to her research are: Diagnostic & Prognosis; Primary Cells; Clinical Study; Acoustic Platforms; Translational Research; Oncology; Animal Models; Organ Culture Establishment; Cell Culture; Flow Cytometry ; Precision Medicine; Microfluidics; Bladder Cancer & Bioengineering;