I am currently a researcher studying cell-Extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions in the context of neuromuscular disease, focusing on Lama2-congenital muscular dystrophy (LAMA-CMD), a severe neuromuscular disorder stemming from mutations in the LAMA2 gene. My research is being conducted at the Developmental and Evolutionary Morphogenesis (DEM) laboratory, part of Ce3C at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (FCUL) led by Professor Doctor Solveig Thorsteinsdóttir. Previously, I have occupied the position of Research Technician in the same lab, where I helped establish lab routines and was responsible for logistics and animal house management. While working in this position, I contributed actively to the lab projects and co-authored a recent publication that explores the multifaceted nature of LAMA-CMD showing deregulation on multiple cell mechanisms during fetal stages, resulting in debilitating symptoms (see https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.01.20.576409 for more details. I hold a Master’s degree in Evolutionary and Developmental biology from FCUL, graduating with a qualification of Excellent. My thesis was, supervised by Professor Doctor Gabriela Rodrigues, involved developing an innovative in vitro model using decellularized matrices from fetal muscle using the dyW mouse model to study Cell-ECM interactions in the context of LAMA2-CMD. This work led to a first-author publication in the international peer-reviewed journal JoVE, demonstrating the potential of this model in mimicking in vivo conditions and providing a robust platform for studying disease mechanisms (see DOI:10.3791/65069 for more details). I began my academic journey at FCUL, graduating in the top 6% of my class with a BSc in Biology. My academic and professional experiences have equipped me with expertise in several technical areas. I am skilled in 2D and 3D mammalian cell culture, including decellularization and recellularization of mammalian tissues and spheroid preparation. I am also well-versed in stem cell culture and experienced in the dissection and collection of tissues from chicken and mice embryos. I am adept at preparing tissue and cell samples for immuno(cyto)histochemistry and conducting advanced microscopy techniques, including confocal, widefield, brightfield microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and proficient in Western blot analysis, PCR and RT-PCR. In addition to these technical skill, I am an experienced user of statistical and image analysis software, including R, FIJI/ImageJ, GraphPad Prism, and Imaris for 3D processing. I have completed a course on Animal Experimentation organized by the Organismo Responsável pelo Bem-Estar dos Animais (ORBEA) at FCUL in collaboration with Sociedade Portuguesa de Ciências em Animais de Laboratório (SPCAL), following the recommendations of FELASA for B category and certified by Direção-Geral da Alimentação e Veterinária (DGAV). Throughout my career, I had the opportunity to showcase my work in several international and national conferences through both oral presentations and poster sessions. I also gave practical assistance for several biology classes and mentored a MSc student during her thesis year, and guided 8 undergraduate students in their Estudo Orientado project, over the course of several years. Additionally, I am actively involved in science outreach and public engagement, participating in the organization of events and as a demonstrator.