Catarina Cunha obtained her graduation degree in Biology (2018) and her master degree in Biotechnology for Health Sciences (2021), at the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD). During her graduation degree, she acquired knowledge and skills in several areas such as cell biology and physiology, genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, systematics, developmental biology, and ecology. At the end of her degree, Catarina developed her curricular internship, where she acquired experience and knowledge in laboratory techniques: extraction and purification of genomic DNA; primer design for PCR; PCR and Multiplex-PCR; agarose gel electrophoresis, in order to molecularly characterize vegetal samples. During this time, he developed a report entitled "Caraterização de acessos de pereiras regionais da coleção de campo da Estação de Fruticultura de Vieira Natividade". The knowledge acquired during her master's degree in several areas such as medical biotechnology and nanotechnology, cancer genetics, among others, was applied during her dissertation. Catarina developed her master's dissertation at the Laboratory of Cytogenomics and Animal Genomics/Gene Expression and Regulation Group of the Institute of Biosystems and Integrative Sciences (CAG-BioISI/UTAD). The focus of the work was the analysis of the potential involvement of transposable elements in the neuromuscular disease Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Throughout her experimental work, Catarina performed a wide range of laboratory techniques, such as extraction and purification of DNA and RNA (manual and semi-manual); primer design for PCR and RT-qPCR; molecular biology techniques, among them PCR and RT-qPCR; analysis and processing of RT-qPCR results; agarose gel electrophoresis; cytogenetic analysis (G-banding); experience in DNA-FISH and RNA-FISH; fluorescence microscopy (DNA-FISH; RNA-FISH; Immunofluorescence); image capture and processing; in vitro culture of animal cells; cloning of DNA fragments. The application of these techniques allowed the characterization of the cell lines under study from different perspectives, from genetic and cytogenetic analysis to genomics and transcriptomic characterization. At the end of her master's, she contributed as co-author to a scientific paper (https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11060824). Catarina completed the first year of the PhD program in Biology at the University of Aveiro (UA), and during academic year 2022/2023 she continue as a volunteer in the laboratory team of Dr. Helena Oliveira at the Center for Environmental and Marine Studies at the University of Aveiro (CESAM) to improve her skills and learn more about different molecular techniques (in vitro cell culture, cell viability tests). During this year she wrote a review article (https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13111838) and an original article (https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28124776), both as first author. She presented preliminary results by poster in scientific conferences. Her academic career has allowed her to gain knowledge in a wide range of scientific areas. Catarina has participated in several national and international conferences, and has also presented her work in conferences through poster communications and an oral communication. In addition, she has also participated in several seminars, workshops, and advanced courses to increase her knowledge in different areas.