Afonso Almeida graduated in Biology (Fac. Ciências- U.Porto-1996) and obtained his PhD in Immunology (ICBAS-U. Porto-2002) from his work on T cell homeostasis performed at the Pasteur Institute (Paris-France). He worked on thymic T cell export but also took part in regulatory T cell resurgence, demonstrating the role of IL2 in CD4+CD25+ Treg homeostasis. He moved next to the Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Switzerland, in order to establish his own line of research studying CD4/CD8 T cell interactions and later to the Instituto de Medicina Molecular, in Lisbon, to study the completely novel role of neurotrophic factors in T cell development and function. He moved on to adapt fundamental immunology, developing cellular immunotherapy (co-author in the pending patent) while joining the StartUP Lymphact, and after that he worked in Leukemia, dissecting the role of mutated IL-7R in leukemogenesis and leukemia growth. All his experience is at present time applied in his current position, as Assistant Professor in Clinical Immunology at the Faculty of Medicine of Univ. Lisboa and as a researcher in Clinical Immunology at the Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine (GIMM). With 25 publications and a filed patent, he was productive in diverse but connected themes, using diverse methodologies. With 1928 citations and an h-index of 17 Afonso Almeida gained a reputation in the field, the basis for a regular contribution as a reviewer in several journals and invitation to teach in post-graduate programs. He is actively involved in teaching master's and PhD students, adding to his role as assistant professor in the formation of MDs and scientists.