RESEARCH
Mafalda is fascinated by how tiny things such as viruses, bacteria or mutations in our DNA cause illnesses.
After a brief period working in biotechnology, she started by studying the effects of a potential anti-cancer drug in the mitochondrial metabolism of hepatocarcinoma (liver cancer) cells. Currently, Mafalda's research is focused on how a family of viruses, called Flaviviruses, are able to escape the cell's innate immune response.
ACADEMIC JOURNEY
PHD STUDENT IN IMMUNOLOGY
University of Surrey
Guildford, United Kingdom
2016 - now
Department of Biochemical Sciences, Immunology Section
Supervised by Dr Peter Mayerhofer and Dr Rachel Simmonds.
RESEARCH INTERNSHIP
Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam
Amsterdam, Netherlands
September 2014 - December 2014
Laboratory Genetic Metabolic Diseases
Supervised by Dr Ronald JA Wanders.
MASTERS DEGREE IN BIOPHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon
Lisbon, Portugal
2013-2015
​Drug discovery - Metabolism and Genetics
Supervised by Dr Margarida FB Silva (FFUL, UL) and Dr Ronald JA Wanders (AMC, UvA). Thesis title: "The role of a KDAC inhibitor in nitrogen metabolism: the therapeutic challenges for liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma."
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH TRAINING COURSE
Institute of Chemistry and Biologic Technology (ITQB)
Oeiras, Portugal
September 2012 - March 2013
​Plant Cell Biology Laboratory
Supervised by Dr Rita Abranches. Project title: "Establishment of cell suspension cultures of Medicago truncatula expressing human recombinant L-PGDS enzyme by transformation mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens."
BACHELOR IN CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Faculty of Sciences and Technology (FCT), New University of Lisbon (UNL)
Almada, Portugal
2009-2013
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ACADEMIC WRITING
Below is the collection of published scientific papers to which I am an author.
ADVANCES IN METHODS FOR CHARACTERIZATION OF HEPATIC UREA CYCLE ENZYMATIC ACTIVITY IN HEPARG CELLS USING UPLC-MS/MS.
