Bárbara Albuquerque (BA) holds a bachelor and a master’s degree in Biochemistry (2018-2023) from the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto (FCUP) / Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS). Currently, BA is a PhD student in the Doctoral Program of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology at Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP) since 2024. Driven by a longstanding fascination with brain function and drug mechanisms, her research journey into neurological diseases began in 2021 with a curricular internship at the Institute of Research and Innovation in Health, where she collaborated with the Glial Cell Biology Group and the LAQV/REQUIMTE group. In 2023, in the scope of her MSc thesis, BA received a research fellowship (UIDB/04308/2020) from the Center for Drug Discovery and Innovative Medicines to evaluate the pharmacological properties of novel catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitors, in collaboration with FMUP (Department of Biomedicine, Unit of Pharmacology and Therapeutics) and the Research Center in Chemistry of the University of Porto (CIQUP) / Institute of Molecular Sciences (IMS). BA acquired theoretical and practical knowledge in drug screening assays, pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic evaluations, and in vitro and in vivo studies to assess the efficacy, safety, and bioavailability of novel therapeutic compounds for Parkinson’s disease (PD) and neuropsychiatric disorders. She also has strong experience in technical writing, oral communication, science dissemination, project planning, data analysis, and collaboration with (inter)national research groups. Despite her young age, BA has been providing groundbreaking contributions to neuropharmacology. As part of the COMT4BRAIN project, BA co-authored two original publications in prestigious Q1 journals (doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c01682 and 10.1021/acsptsci.4c00124). She identified compound 9 as a promising, brain-permeable, and low-toxicity catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitor for PD and demonstrated that tolcapone’s hepatotoxicity stems from direct mitochondrial effects, unlike the safer entacapone. She is also co-inventor of one patent application enclosing the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of the compound 9 (N/Ref. PAT546). She has actively participated in several congresses and scientific meetings, contributing as first-author with one poster and two oral communications. She has also pursued complementary training, including a certified course in Laboratory Animal Science. Beyond academia, BA has been actively involved in mentoring and volunteering, having supported a first-year student through the Peer Mentoring Program at the University of Porto (2021–2022). In 2025, she played an active role in supervising the research activities of a PhD student during a hands-on internship focused on cell culture and in vitro bioassays, reflecting her commitment to collaborative learning and scientific outreach. Currently, she works as a researcher at RISE-Health (Cell Signaling, Biomarkers, and New Drug Targets Group), where she is focused on drug screening for neuropsychiatric disorders. She is also involved in two recently FCT-funded projects (RESTORE and ARTPD) and one BIP-Proof project from UP Innovation (DMD4PD), all dedicated to developing next-generation, disease-modifying drugs for Parkinson’s disease. BA’s dedication, critical thinking, and collaborative spirit underscore her commitment to advancing biomedical research, making her a valuable contributor to the scientific community.