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João David Panão da Costa completed his Integrated Masters in Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2017 and his PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Pharmaceutical Biotechnology) in 2024 by the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra. He is an Invited Auxiliary Researcher in the Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB) in Coimbra, Portugal. Published 9 articles inpeer-reviewed journals and 1 section of a book. Co-supervised 2 MSc dissertation(s). Has received 4 awards and/or honors. Participates and/or participated as Master Student Fellow in 1 project(s) and Researcher in 4 project(s). Works in the area(s) of Medical and Health Sciences with emphasis on Medical Biotechnology with emphasis on Health-Related Biotechnology, Medical and Health Sciences with emphasis on Basic Medicine with emphasis on Immunology, Medical and Health Sciences with emphasis on Clinical Medicine with emphasis on Gastroenterology and hepatology, Medical and Health Sciences with emphasis on Medical Biotechnology with emphasis on Biomaterials, Natural sciences with emphasis on Biological Sciences with emphasis on Virology, Medical and Health Sciences with emphasis on Health Sciences with emphasis on Infectious Diseases and Medical and Health Sciences with emphasis on Clinical Medicine with emphasis on Oncology. In their professional activities interacted with 64 collaborator(s) co-authorship of scientific papers.
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Identification

Personal identification

Full name
João David Panão da Costa

Citation names

  • Panão Costa, João
  • Costa, João
  • Panão-Costa, João

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
D812-B92E-4FCD
ORCID iD
0000-0002-2414-8945

Email addresses

  • jpanao94@gmail.com (Professional)
  • uc45732@uc.pt (Professional)

Knowledge fields

  • Medical and Health Sciences - Medical Biotechnology - Health-Related Biotechnology
  • Medical and Health Sciences - Basic Medicine - Immunology
  • Medical and Health Sciences - Clinical Medicine - Gastroenterology and hepatology
  • Medical and Health Sciences - Medical Biotechnology - Biomaterials
  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Virology
  • Medical and Health Sciences - Health Sciences - Infectious Diseases
  • Medical and Health Sciences - Clinical Medicine - Oncology

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
Portuguese (Mother tongue)
English Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1)
Education
Degree Classification
2018/01/01 - 2024/11/15
Concluded
 PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Pharmaceutical Biotechnology) (Doutoramento)
Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Farmácia, Portugal
"Development of a therapeutic Hepatitis B vaccine: designing a particulate-based multicomponent prototype for immunomodulation" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 Approved with Praise and Distinction
2023/03/06 - 2023/03/08
Attended
 Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorting - From Basic Concepts to Artificial Intelligence applied to Data Analysis (Outros)
CNC.IBILI, Portugal
2019/07/15
Concluded
 Course on Laboratory Animal Science, Felasa Category B (Outros)
Sociedade Portuguesa de Ciências em Animais de Laboratório, Portugal
2019/03/28
Attended
 Training Course on Adjuvants and Vaccine Formulation (Outros)
Vaccine Formulation Institute, Switzerland
2019/01/18
Attended
 Course on Biostatistics (Outros)
Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Medicina, Portugal
2017/08/20 - 2018/06/02
Concluded
 Pharmaceutical Biotechnology (Curso de mestrado (conclusão do curso de especialização))
Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Farmácia, Portugal
 17
2012/09/10 - 2017/09/22
Concluded
 Pharmaceutical Sciences (Mestrado integrado)
Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Farmácia, Portugal
"Internship Reports and Monograph titled "Chitosan-based Nanoparticles for Gene Delivery"" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 16
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2025/01/02 - Current Invited Auxiliary Researcher (Research) Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Inovação em Biomedicina e Biotecnologia, Portugal
(...)
2023/07/19 - 2025/01/01 Researcher (Research) Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Inovação em Biomedicina e Biotecnologia, Portugal
(...)
2018/04/16 - 2018/12/31 Researcher (Research) CNC.IBILI, Portugal
Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Farmácia, Portugal
2017/09/25 - 2018/04/13 Research Trainee (Research) Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Farmácia, Portugal
2014/11/14 - 2017/09/22 Research Trainee (Research) Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Farmácia, Portugal

Others

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2019/01/01 - 2024/11/15 PhD student Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal
Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Farmácia, Portugal
(...)
2017 - 2017 Trainee - Quality Control Department - Pharmaceutic Industry Medinfar - Produtos Farmacêuticos SA, Portugal
2017 - 2017 Trainee - Community Pharmacy São Tomé Pharmacy, Portugal
Projects

Grant

Designation Funders
2025/01/01 - 2026/06/30 Tracing lipid nanoparticle-mediated mRNA delivery in Live Tumor Cells by Raman Confocal Imaging
2023.11762.PEX
Researcher
2021/10/10 - 2022/12/31 Gilead GÉNESE Program - Genetic Intranasal Vaccine against COVID: immunization studies in mice
13824
Researcher
Gilead Sciences Lda
2018 - 2021 Hepatitis B therapeutic vaccine: Production of glucan-based particles towards selective delivery hepatitis B antigens to immune cells to induce antiviral activity - POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030331
POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030331
Researcher
2017/04/01 - 2019/06/30 Polymeric NanoBioMaterials for drug delivery: developing and implementation of safe-by-design concept enabling safe healthcare solutions
ProSafe/0001/2016
Master Student Fellow
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Concluded

Contract

Designation Funders
2023/07/19 - Current CInTech: Technological Hub for Innovation, Translation and Industrialization of Complex Injectable Drugs
7131
Researcher
CNC.IBILI, Portugal

Bluepharma, Portugal

Centro de Inovação em Biomedicina e Biotecnologia (CIBB), Portugal
Ongoing
2026 - 2027 Dendritic Cell Reprogramming in Asbestos-related Mesothelioma: Unveiling New Therapeutic Possibilities
2023.11762.PEX
Researcher
Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Inovação em Biomedicina e Biotecnologia, Portugal

Lunds Universitet, Sweden
Ongoing
Outputs

Publications

Book chapter
  1. Lopes-Cardoso, Hugo; Panão-Costa, João; Amaral, A. T.; SOARES-GONÇALVES, JOÃO MANUEL; Fernandes das Neves, B.; Voronovska, Anastasiya; Batista, Ana; et al. "Advances in RNA-based Therapeutics in Oncology". In Springer Handbook of Medical Biotechnology. Springer Nature, 2025.
    Published
  2. Colaço, Mariana; Panão Costa, João; Borges, Olga. "Glucan Particles: Choosing the Appropriate Size to Use as a Vaccine Adjuvant". In Methods in Molecular Biology, 269-280. Springer US, 2021.
    10.1007/978-1-0716-1892-9_13
Conference poster
  1. Panão-Costa, João; Lopes-Cardoso, Hugo; Mendonça, P. V.; SOARES-GONÇALVES, JOÃO MANUEL; Voronovska, Anastasiya; Vieira-da-Silva, M.; Duarte-Azevedo, F.; et al. Corresponding author: Panão-Costa, João. "Precision myeloid modulation of the tumor microenvironment: Sugar-functionalized lipid nanoparticles rewire TAM phenotypes". Paper presented in EACR Conference - Cancer Cell Plasticity: Cracking the Code of Adaptation and Survival Virtual Event, 2025.
  2. Voronovska, Anastasiya; Salguero-Aranda, C.; Lopes-Cardoso, Hugo; Lobo-Selma, L.; SOARES-GONÇALVES, JOÃO MANUEL; Duarte-Azevedo, F.; Panão-Costa, João; et al. "The matrix reloaded: Modeling, remodeling, and silencing in desmoplastic small round cell tumor". Paper presented in EACR Conference - Cancer Cell Plasticity: Cracking the Code of Adaptation and Survival Virtual Event, 2025.
  3. Vieira-da-Silva, M.; Nikitin, T.; Lopes-Cardoso, Hugo; SOARES-GONÇALVES, JOÃO MANUEL; Voronovska, Anastasiya; Duarte-Azevedo, F.; Panão-Costa, João; et al. "Tracking mitochondria in murine malignant mesothelioma cells using confocal Raman microscopy". Paper presented in EACR Conference - Cancer Cell Plasticity: Cracking the Code of Adaptation and Survival Virtual Event, 2025.
  4. SOARES-GONÇALVES, JOÃO MANUEL; Lopes-Cardoso, Hugo; Voronovska, Anastasiya; Vieira-da-Silva, M.; Duarte-Azevedo, F.; Panão-Costa, João; Batista, Ana; et al. "Dendritic cell reprogramming in malignant pleural mesothelioma: Unveiling new therapeutic possibilities". Paper presented in EACR Conference - Cancer Cell Plasticity: Cracking the Code of Adaptation and Survival Virtual Event, 2025.
  5. Amaral, A. T.; Salguero-Aranda, C.; Voronovska, Anastasiya; Lopes-Cardoso, Hugo; SOARES-GONÇALVES, JOÃO MANUEL; Lobo-Selma, L.; Duarte-Azevedo, F.; et al. "Mapping the immuno-landscape of desmoplastic small round cell tumor". Paper presented in EACR Conference - Cancer Cell Plasticity: Cracking the Code of Adaptation and Survival Virtual Event, 2025.
  6. Lopes-Cardoso, Hugo; Mendonça, P. V.; SOARES-GONÇALVES, JOÃO MANUEL; Vieira-da-Silva, M.; Voronovska, Anastasiya; Duarte-Azevedo, F.; J.S., Ferreira,; et al. "Targeting cancer plasticity and therapy resistance with sugar-functionalized mRNA-LNP vaccines". Paper presented in EACR Conference - Cancer Cell Plasticity: Cracking the Code of Adaptation and Survival Virtual Event, 2025.
  7. Soares-Gonçalves, João; Lopes-Cardoso, Hugo; Voronovska, Anastasiya; Duarte-Azevedo, F.; Silva, Maria; Carvalheiro, Catarina; Batista, Ana; et al. Corresponding author: Moreira, João Nuno. "Dendritic Cell Reprogramming in Asbestos-related Mesothelioma: Unveiling New Therapeutic Possibilities". Paper presented in IV ASEICA-ASPIC International Meeting, 2025.
  8. Batista, Ana; Silva, Maria; Nikitin, Timur; Lopes-Cardoso, Hugo; Voronovska, Anastasiya; SOARES-GONÇALVES, JOÃO MANUEL; Duarte-Azevedo, F.; et al. Corresponding author: Batista, Ana. "Raman Profiling of Lipid Nanoparticles and Live Tumor Cells". Paper presented in Spanish & Portuguese Advanced Optical Microscopy Meeting (SPAOM) Meeting 2025, 2025.
  9. Lopes-Cardoso, Hugo; Mendonça, P. V.; SOARES-GONÇALVES, JOÃO MANUEL; Voronovska, Anastasiya; Vareda, João P.; Fonseca, A. C.; Batista, Ana; et al. "Targeted immunotherapy with mRNA cancer vaccines: harnessing sugar-functionalized LNPs for precision antitumor immunity". Paper presented in 20th ASEICA International Congress, Bilbao, Spain, 2025.
  10. Panão-Costa, João; Lopes-Cardoso, Hugo; Mendonça, P. V.; SOARES-GONÇALVES, JOÃO MANUEL; Voronovska, Anastasiya; Vareda, João P.; Fonseca, A.C.; et al. "Sugar-functionalized lipid nanoparticles for targeted reprogramming of tumor-associated macrophages". Paper presented in 20th ASEICA International Congress, Bilbao, Spain, 2025.
  11. Moreira, R.; Henriques, D.; Leandro, K.; Panão-Costa, João; Moreira, João Nuno; Nóbrega, C.; Pereira de Almeida, L.; Mendonça, L.. "Brain-targeted and pH-sensitive liposomes delivering small-drug molecules to enhance differentiation of human iPSC-derived neuroepithelial stem cells into neurons". Paper presented in 35th Annual Symposium of the Network for European CNS Transplantation and Restoration (NECTAR2025), 2025.
  12. Panão-Costa, João; Lopes-Cardoso, Hugo; Mendonça, Patrícia; SOARES-GONÇALVES, JOÃO MANUEL; Voronovska, Anastasiya; Vareda, João P.; Fonseca, Ana C.; et al. "mRNA Cancer Vaccines: Leveraging Sugar-Functionalized LNPs for Targeted Antitumor Immunity". Paper presented in EACR 2025 Congress, 2025.
  13. Voronovska, Anastasiya; Laura Lobo Selma; SOARES-GONÇALVES, JOÃO MANUEL; Duarte-Azevedo, F.; Lopes-Cardoso, Hugo; Panão-Costa, João; Batista, Ana; et al. "Modeling extracellular matrix-tumor interactions in desmoplastic small round cell tumor: development of a new organotypic model". Paper presented in EACR 2025 Congress, 2025.
  14. Duarte-Azevedo, F.; SOARES-GONÇALVES, JOÃO MANUEL; Lopes-Cardoso, Hugo; Voronovska, Anastasiya; Vieira-da-Silva, M.; Batista, Ana; Panão-Costa, João; et al. "Establishing robust in vitro and in vivo models of mesothelioma for enhanced translational research.". Paper presented in EACR 2025 Congress, 2025.
  15. Cardoso, Hugo; Soares-Gonçalves, J.; Voronovska, Anastasiya; Duarte-Azevedo, F.; Vieira-da-Silva, M.; Batista, Ana; Amaral, A. T.; Panão-Costa, João; Moreira, João Nuno. Corresponding author: Moreira, João Nuno. "Impact of aqueous buffer composition on RNA-LNP physicochemical properties". Paper presented in Applied Biophysics Forum in Drug Delivery, 2025.
  16. Batista, Ana; Nikitin, T.; Vieira-da-Silva, M.; Cardoso, Hugo; Voronovska, Anastasiya; Soares-Gonçalves, J.; Panão-Costa, João; et al. Corresponding author: Moreira, João Nuno. "Exploring the Interactions of Lipid Nanoparticles with Tumor Cells using Confocal Raman Microscopy". Paper presented in Applied Biophysics Forum in Drug Delivery, 2025.
  17. Batista, A.; Nikitin, T.; Voronovska, Anastasiya; Cardoso, H.; Panão Costa, João; Amaral, A. T.; Moreira, J. N.. "Confocal Raman Microscopy for Exploring Lipid-Nanoparticle Intracellular Trafficking in Cancer Cells". Paper presented in Applied Biophysics Forum in Drug Delivery, 2024.
  18. Batista, Ana; Nikitin, T.; Cardoso, H.; Voronoska, A.; Panão Costa, João; Pedroso, S.; Amaral, A. T.; Moreira, J. N.. Corresponding author: Batista, Ana. "Towards tracing lipid-nanoparticle intracellular trafficking in cancer cells by confocal Raman microscopy". Paper presented in 6th ASPIC International Congress, 2024.
  19. Panão Costa, João; Colaço, M.; Félix, P.; Melo, A. A.; Lebre, F.; Cruz, M. T.; Alfaro-Moreno, E.; Moreira, J. N.; Borges, O.. Corresponding author: Panão Costa, João. "ß-glucan polymeric microparticles: innovating cancer immunotherapy through targeted antigen delivery". Paper presented in 6th ASPIC International Congress, 2024.
  20. Félix, Paulo; Panão Costa, João; Colaço, Mariana; Borges, Olga. "Toll-like Receptor Ligands as Oral Vaccine Adjuvants: Immunomodulatory Effects against SARS-CoV-2". Paper presented in X Congresso Iberoamericano de Ciências Farmacêuticas. Coimbra, Portugal, 2023.
  21. A. Melo, Alexandra; Colaço, Mariana; Panão Costa, João; Borges, Olga. "The Immunomodulatory Effect of the Roots of Withania somnifera Encapsulated Into ß-Glucan Particles". Paper presented in X Congresso Iberoamericano de Ciências Farmacêuticas. Coimbra, Portugal, 2023.
  22. Félix, Paulo; Panão Costa, João; Colaço, Mariana; Borges, Olga. "The immunomodulatory potential of a dual TLR agonist strategy as an oral vaccine adjuvant for SARS-CoV-2". Paper presented in iMed Conference 15.0 Lisbon 2023, 2023.
  23. FÉLIX, PAULO; Panão Costa, João; Colaço, Mariana; Borges, Olga. "The immunomodulatory potential of a dual TLR agonist strategy as a vaccine adjuvant". Paper presented in IV Young Scientist Meeting of the Spanish Portuguese Local Chapter-Controlled Release Society (SPLC-CRS), 2023.
  24. Colaço, Mariana; Panão Costa, João; Jesus, Sandra; Borges, Olga. "The contamination of nanoparticles with endotoxins does not always influence immunotoxicity studies: chitosan as a case study". Paper presented in IV Young Scientist Meeting of the Spanish Portuguese Local Chapter-Controlled Release Society (SPLC-CRS), 2023.
  25. Panão Costa, João; Colaço, Mariana; Jesus, Sandra; Borges, Olga. Corresponding author: Panão Costa, João. "Immunotoxicological properties of yeast-derived glucan particles". Paper presented in XIV Spanish-Portuguese Conference on Controlled Drug Delivery, Tenerife, 2022, 2022.
  26. Jesus, Sandra; Duarte, Henrique; Panão Costa, João; Colaço, Mariana; Borges, Olga. "Inulin-PCL nanoparticles as an adjuvant delivery system for highly purified recombinant antigens". Paper presented in XIV Spanish-Portuguese Conference on Controlled Drug Delivery, Tenerife, 2022, 2022.
  27. Colaço, Mariana; Panão Costa, João; Roquito, Tiago; Jesus, Sandra; Borges, Olga. "Evaluation of the hemocompatibility and immunotoxicity properties of two sized curcumin-loaded glucan nanoparticles". Paper presented in XIV Spanish-Portuguese Conference on Controlled Drug Delivery, Tenerife, 2022, 2022.
  28. Jesus, Sandra; Colaço, Mariana; Panão Costa, João; Borges, Olga. "Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) vaccine: Shedding light on the immunotoxicity of chitosan as a nano-delivery system". Paper presented in CIBB Metting, Coimbra, Portugal, 2019.
  29. Jesus, Sandra; Da Silva, Jessica; Bernardi, Natália; Panão Costa, João; Borges, Olga. "Polyester nanoparticles: Relationship between structure and activity". Paper presented in 46th Controlled Release Society Annual Meeting & Exposition, Valencia, Spain, 2019.
  30. Jesus, Sandra; Marques, Ana Patrícia; Duarte, Alana; Soares, Edna; Colaço, Mariana; Panão Costa, João; Som, Claudia; et al. "Safe-by-design of chitosan nanoparticles: the role of immunotoxicological properties". Paper presented in SPI XLV Annual Meeting, Coimbra, Portugal, 2019.
  31. Jesus, Sandra; Da Silva, Jéssica; Bernardi, Natália; Panão Costa, João; Borges, Olga. "Polyester Nanoparticle Immunotoxicological Profile". Paper presented in SPI XLV Annual Meeting, Coimbra, Portugal, 2019.
  32. Raquel Araújo; Mariana Colaço; Panão Costa, João; Natalia Bernardi; Sandra Jesus; Olga Borges. "Nanocapsules containing sucupira oil: cytotoxicity and hemolysis evaluation". Paper presented in 22nd International Symposium on Microencapsulation, 2019.
  33. Duarte, Alana; Marques, Ana Patrícia; Jesus, Sandra; Panão Costa, João; Soares, Edna; Colaço, Mariana; Borges, Olga. "Assessment of immunotoxicological features of chitosan nanoparticles.". Paper presented in 2nd SPLC-CRS Young Scientists Meeting, Santiago de Compostela, Spain, 2019.
  34. Panão Costa, João; Jesus, Sandra; Soares, Edna; Borges, Olga. "Chitosan-based nanoparticles for gene delivery". Paper presented in XII Spanish-Portuguese Conference on Controlled Drug Delivery, Coimbra, Portugal, 2018.
Journal article
  1. Colaço, M.; Panão-Costa, João; Cruz, Maria Teresa; de Almeida, Luís Pereira; Borges, Olga. "Optimizing mucosal vaccination: Exploiting Lactobionic acid-modified chitosan for superior gene delivery systems". International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 327 (2025): 147492. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.147492.
    10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.147492
  2. Panão-Costa, João; Colaço, M.; Jesus, Sandra; Lebre, Filipa; Cruz, Maria T.; Alfaro-Moreno, Ernesto; Borges, Olga. "Yeast-Derived Glucan Particles: Biocompatibility, Efficacy, and Immunomodulatory Potential as Adjuvants and Delivery Systems". Pharmaceutics 17 8 (2025): 1032. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics17081032.
    10.3390/pharmaceutics17081032
  3. Panão-Costa, João; Oliveira, Rui Caetano; Teixeira, Paulo; Caramelo, Francisco; Cipriano, Maria Augusta; Borges, Olga; de Carvalho, Armando. "Immunohistochemical Profiling of Immune Checkpoints in Chronic Hepatitis B Liver Tissue". Pathogens 14 6 (2025): 596. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14060596.
    Published • 10.3390/pathogens14060596
  4. Félix, Paulo; A. Melo, Alexandra; Panão Costa, João; Colaço, Mariana; Pereira, Dina ; Núñez, Jisette; Pereira de Almeida, Luis ; Borges, Olga. Corresponding author: Borges, Olga. "Exploring TLR agonists as adjuvants for COVID-19 oral vaccines". Vaccine 53 19 (2025): 127078.
    Open access • Published
  5. Roquito, Tiago; Colaço, Mariana; Panão Costa, João; Borges, Olga. "Curcumin-encapsulated glucan nanoparticles as an oxidative stress modulator against human hepatic cancer cells". Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces 245 (2025): 114326. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfb.2024.114326.
    Published • 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2024.114326
  6. Panão Costa, João; de Carvalho, Armando; Paiva, Artur; Borges, Olga. "Insights into Immune Exhaustion in Chronic Hepatitis B: A Review of Checkpoint Receptor Expression". Pharmaceuticals 17 7 (2024): 964. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ph17070964.
    10.3390/ph17070964
  7. Panão Costa, João; Jesus, Sandra; Colaço, Mariana; Lebre, Filipa; Mateus, Daniela; Sebastião, Ana Isabel; Cruz, Maria Teresa; Alfaro-Moreno, Ernesto; Borges, Olga. "Exploring the immunomodulatory properties of glucan particles in human primary cells". International Journal of Pharmaceutics 655 123996 (2024): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378517324002308?via%3Dihub.
    Open access • Published
  8. Panão Costa, João; Jesus, Sandra; Colaço, Mariana; Duarte, Alana; Soares, Edna; Borges, Olga. Corresponding author: Borges, Olga. "Endotoxin contamination of nanoparticle formulations: A concern in vaccine adjuvant mechanistic studies.". Vaccine 41 23 (2023): 3481-3485.
    Published • https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.04.063
  9. Colaço, Mariana; Roquito, Tiago; Panão Costa, João; Cruz, Maria Teresa; Borges, Olga. Corresponding author: Borges, Olga. "The Effect of Curcumin-Loaded Glucan Nanoparticles on Immune Cells: Size as a Critical Quality Attribute". Pharmaceutics 15 2 (2023): 623. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15020623.
    Published • 10.3390/pharmaceutics15020623
  10. Jesus, Sandra; Bernardi, Natalia; da Silva, Jessica; Colaço, Mariana; Panão Costa, João; Fonte, Pedro; Borges, Olga. "Unravelling the Immunotoxicity of Polycaprolactone Nanoparticles—Effects of Polymer Molecular Weight, Hydrolysis, and Blends". Chemical Research in Toxicology 33 11 (2020): 2819-2833.
    Published
  11. Jesus, Sandra; Marques, Ana Patrícia; Duarte, Alana; Soares, Edna; Costa, João Panão; Colaço, Mariana; Schmutz, Mélanie; et al. "Chitosan Nanoparticles: Shedding Light on Immunotoxicity and Hemocompatibility". Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology 8 (2020): http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2020.00100.
    Open access • Published • 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00100
  12. Panão Costa, João; Carvalho, Sofia; Jesus, Sandra; Soares, Edna; Marques, Ana Patrícia; Borges, Olga. "Optimization of Chitosan-a-casein Nanoparticles for Improved Gene Delivery: Characterization, Stability, and Transfection Efficiency". AAPS PharmSciTech 20 3 (2019): http://dx.doi.org/10.1208/s12249-019-1342-y.
    Published • 10.1208/s12249-019-1342-y
  13. Jesus, Sandra; Soares, Edna; Costa, João; Borchard, Gerrit; Borges, Olga. "Immune response elicited by an intranasally delivered HBsAg low-dose adsorbed to poly-e-caprolactone based nanoparticles". International Journal of Pharmaceutics 504 1-2 (2016): 59-69. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2016.03.013.
    Published • 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2016.03.013
Thesis / Dissertation
  1. "Development of a therapeutic Hepatitis B vaccine: designing a particulate-based multicomponent prototype for immunomodulation". PhD, Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Farmácia, 2025.
  2. Panão Costa, João. "Chitosan-based nanoparticles for gene delivery". Master, Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Farmácia, 2017.

Intellectual property

Provisional application for patent
  1. 2024. "Vaccine Adjuvants with Mucoadhesive Properties for Enhanced Immunogenicity Across a Spectrum of Diseases - nº 119808".
    Protected
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2025 Differentiation-inducing drug encapsulated in brain targeted liposomes with enhanced brain delivery increased human iPSC-derived neuroepithelial stem cell differentiation into neurons. 32nd Annual Meeting of the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ESGCT2025)
(Seville, Spain)
2024/02/14 Hepatic-Targeted Dual Oral Vaccine Formulation for Chronic Hepatitis B: Amplifying Immune Efficacy with Glucan Particles. XV Spanish Portuguese Conference on Controlled Drug Delivery
(Lisbon, Portugal)
2024 Innovative Intranasal SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine: Exploiting TLR Agonist with Carbohydrate-Functionalized Chitosan Nanoparticles Controlled Release Society 2024 Annual Meeting
(Bologna, Italy)
2024 Innovative Intranasal SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine: Exploiting TLR Agonist with Carbohydrate- Functionalized Chitosan Nanoparticles Pharma PhD Day Personalized Pharmaceuticals: a new concept on disease management
Faculty of Farmacy, University of Coimbra (Coimbra, Portugal)
2024 Intranasal DNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 Particles XV Spanish Portuguese Conference on Controlled Drug Delivery (SPLC-CRS)
(Lisbon, Portugal)
2023/02/06 ß-glucan and TLR 7/8 agonist combination as a new adjuvant against chronic hepatitis B 4th SPLC-CRS Young Scientists Meeting
Spanish Portuguese Local Chapter-Controlled Release Society (SPLC-CRS) (Porto, Portugal)
2023 Toll-like Receptor Ligands as Oral Vaccine Adjuvants: Immunomodulatory Effects against SARS-CoV-2 X Congresso Iberoamericano de Ciências Farmacêuticas
(Coimbra, Portugal)
2022/02/10 Immunotoxicological properties of yeast-derived glucan particles SPF Meeting 2022
Sociedade Portuguesa de Farmacologia (Porto, Portugal)
2022 Polysaccharide-based nanocarriers as vaccine adjuvants – chitosan and glucan contribution for improved Hepatitis B vaccine efficacy 5th International EPNOE Junior Scientist Meeting
(Aveiro, Portugal)
2022 The Influence of Curcumin-encapsulated Glucan Nanoparticles on Hepatic Cells and Immune Cells: Oxidative Stress and Immunomodulatory Properties LIII SPF Meeting - Sociedade Portuguesa de Farmacologia
(Porto, Portugal)
2021/07/27 The immunostimulatory ability of glucan particles on human DCs: a promising platform for the design of a chronic hepatitis B vaccine Controlled Release Society 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting
Controlled Release Society (CRS)
2019/02/07 Endotoxin-free chitosan does not stimulate human PBMCs proinflammatory cytokine secretion SPF Meeting 2019
Sociedade Portuguesa de Farmacologia (Porto, Portugal)

Supervision

Thesis Title
Role 		Degree Subject (Type)
Institution / Organization
2025/09 - 2030/02 Lactobionic Acid-Guided mRNA-LNP Cancer Vaccine for Non-Viral Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Translational Approach to Overcome the Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment
Supervisor
 Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology (PhD)
Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Farmácia, Portugal

Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Inovação em Biomedicina e Biotecnologia, Portugal

Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal
2025/09 - 2026/09 Effect of critical manufacturing parameters on the physicochemical properties and activity of nanoparticle systems.
Supervisor
 Pharmaceutical Biotechnology (Master)
Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Farmácia, Portugal
2022/09/01 - 2023/10/16 The immunomodulatory potential of a dual TLR agonist strategy as a vaccine adjuvant
Co-supervisor
 Pharmaceutical Biotechnology (Master)
Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Farmácia, Portugal
2021/09/01 - 2023/07/28 Lactobionic acid-modified polylactic acid nanoparticles as a vaccine adjuvant delivery system
Co-supervisor
 Pharmaceutical Biotechnology (Master)
Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Farmácia, Portugal

Event organisation

Event name
Type of event (Role) 		Institution / Organization
2025/09/26 - Current European Researchers’ Night (2025/09/26)
Exhibition (Co-organisor)
 European Commission, Belgium
2025/09 - Current Ciência Viva -“Vaccines of the Future: Lipid Nanoparticles in the Fight Against Cancer” Scientific Summer Internship for Young People 2025 - National Agency for Scientific and Technological Culture 2 students (2025/09)
Workshop (Co-organisor)
 Ciência Viva, Portugal
2025 - Current Science in School - “What Are Vaccines and How Do They Work?” - Colégio Bissaya Barreto Basic School, São Martinho do Bispo, Coimbra, Portugal (2025)
Exhibition (Co-organisor)
 Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Inovação em Biomedicina e Biotecnologia, Portugal
2023 - Current Science in School - “What Are Vaccines and How Do They Work?” - Almas de Freire Basic School, São Martinho do Bispo, Coimbra, Portugal (2023)
Exhibition (Co-organisor)
 Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Inovação em Biomedicina e Biotecnologia, Portugal
2019/09/01 - 2022/09/01 Summer University (2019 - 2022)
Workshop (Co-organisor)
 Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event 		Event name
Institution / Organization
2020 - 2020 Ineo Start Acceleration Program: Transforming technologies and ideas into businesses
Workshop
 Ineo Start Acceleration Program
Instituto Pedro Nunes, Portugal

Ad Hoc journal article review

Journal title (ISSN) Publisher
2025 - Current International Journal of Molecular Sciences
2025 - Current International Immunopharmacology
2025 - Current Vaccines
2024 - Current Communications Biology Nature Portfolio
2024 - Current Frontiers in Immunology, section Viral Immunology
2024 - Current European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics

Association member

Society Organization name Role
2025/01/01 - Current American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Associate Member
2024/03/03 - Current Association for Cancer Immunotherapy (CIMT)
2024/01/01 - Current Sociedade Portuguesa de Imunologia (SPI)
2023/01/01 - Current Associação Portuguesa de Investigação em Cancro (ASPIC)
2023/01/01 - Current European Association for Cancer Research (EACR)
2021/01/01 - Current Spanish Portuguese Local Chapter of the Controlled Release Society (SPLC-CRS)
2021/05/01 - 2021/12/31 Controlled Release Society (CRS)
2019/03/11 - 2020/03/10 Sociedade Portuguesa de Ciências em Animais de Laboratório (SPCAL)

Course / Discipline taught

Academic session Degree Subject (Type) Institution / Organization
2025 - Current Coordinator – “Research, Valorization and Entrepreneurship”. Master’s in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra Master’s in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology (Mestrado) Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Farmácia, Portugal
2024/04/09 - Current Lecture on: Glucan-based particle adjuvants as a strategy for an oral vaccine PHD Programme in Experimental Biology and Biomedicine (Doutoramento) Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Inovação em Biomedicina e Biotecnologia, Portugal
2024 - Current Lecture on: The Power of Immunotherapy: Adjuvants and Vaccines in Cancer and Chronic Infection Treatment Master in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology (Mestrado) Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Farmácia, Portugal

Interview (newspaper / magazine)

Activity description Newspaper / Forum
2025/09/23 Grupo de investigação da UC explora potencial terapêutico de immune checkpoints na hepatite B News Farma - My Gastrenterologia

Mentoring / Tutoring

Topic Student name
2024 - 2025 2nd Edition of the Mentorship Program - Find Your Career 2024/2025 Francisco Costa
Distinctions

Award

2021 Bolsa de Investigação APEF/MSD 2021
Associação Portuguesa para o Estudo do Fígado, Portugal
2019 TRANSVAC2/ ENOVA Adjuvant and Vaccine Formulation Training School Studentship
European Network on Vaccine Adjuvants (ENOVA), United Kingdom
2018 FCT individual PhD studentship (SFRH/BD/139142/2018)
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal

Title

2019 Accreditation as Investigator for scientific experimentation involving animals (FELASA category B, certified by DGAV, Portugal)
Direcção-Geral de Alimentação e Veterinária, Portugal, Portugal