I am a mechanistic toxicologist developing human-relevant testing strategies to bridge exposure science and regulatory toxicology for emerging food contaminants. My research integrates cellular toxicology, advanced analytical chemistry and exposure-oriented experimental design to move toxicological assessment from descriptive hazard testing toward mechanistically informed, exposure-driven risk evaluation. During my PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences (FFUP, 2021), I pioneered the implementation of toxicometabolomic strategies at FFUP, developing integrative workflows that combined mass spectrometry-based metabolomics with cellular and in vivo models to detect early biochemical signatures of toxicity at sub-cytotoxic levels. This work established a methodological platform later adapted to multiple xenobiotics and exposure contexts and remains a core element of my scientific profile. Building on this foundation, I progressively developed expertise in three complementary areas: (i) human-relevant in vitro systems for mechanistic toxicology and mixture effects, (ii) NAM-based strategies for regulatory-oriented testing, and (iii) exposure-driven models for food-related contaminants. Within the EU H2020 NeuroDeRisk project, I contributed to the validation of neuronal models integrated with untargeted metabolomics to identify early molecular events of neurotoxicity and support non-animal testing strategies aligned with regulatory frameworks. In turn, within Eco-R-Pharmplast, I generated mechanistic evidence on mixture toxicity involving plastics and pharmaceuticals under environmentally realistic conditions. More recently, my research has shifted toward exposome-oriented and food safety–driven toxicology. Within DIETxPOSOME and SALIVA+, I have focused on human intestinal barrier models, biomonitoring strategies and complex dietary exposure scenarios, contributing to the development of FAIR-compliant datasets and translational tools for exposure assessment. Currently, I am a researcher in the NeuroNAMix project, where I work on NAM-based strategies to assess mixture-induced neurotoxicity using human-relevant neuronal models and mechanistic endpoints, directly contributing to the development of regulatory-relevant non-animal testing approaches. This trajectory now converges on my independent research line on nanoplastics, where I integrate physicochemical characterization with intestinal and neuronal models to address how exposure context reshapes biological responses. To date, I have authored or co-authored 43 peer-reviewed publications (h-index 20, >2,140 citations, Scopus), participated in 10 competitively funded projects, and disseminated my work through more than 85 scientific communications. I actively supervise and mentor students from BSc to PhD level, serve as Guest Editor of Special Issues, and regularly act as reviewer for international journals and funding panels. I am an active member of the INFOGEST and UNGAP networks, contributing to the development of harmonized digestion and gastrointestinal models, and of a COST Action on micro- and nanoplastics, where I participate in dedicated WGs on toxicity mechanisms and risk assessment. Currently, as Junior Researcher at LAQV-REQUIMTE/FFUP, my objective is to consolidate an independent research line at the interface of mechanistic toxicology, human-relevant models and exposure science, with a long-term vision to improve how emerging food contaminants are tested and interpreted under realistic exposure conditions in support of age- and exposure-appropriate risk assessment.