Carla Iris Cadima Couto is a biomedical researcher with expertise in the fields of immunology and antiviral drug discovery and development. She completed a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences in the field of Microbiology field in 2008 by the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Lisbon. She holds a Master in Virology by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, and a Licentiate degree in Biology by Universidade de Évora. She is a Senior Postdoctoral Researcher contracted by the Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes (IMM). She published 6 articles in international journals in the field of HIV research. Has 1 international patent registered on the discovery of a potent anti-HIV-1 peptide. Carla has participated in 12 international conferences with oral and poster presentations. She has been involved in 10 research projects as PhD student, postdoctoral researcher and principal investigator. She participated in science dissemination events and as a lecturer in iMM’ PhD programmes and in Master degree courses in the fields of Antiviral Peptides and Pharmaceutical Applications, respectively. Has received 4 awards and/or honors. Works in the area(s) of Medical and Health Sciences with emphasis on Infectious Diseases focused on the discovery & development of antiviral compounds against HIV-1, SARS-CoV-2 and Zika virus.