Ever since my higher education I have been directing my studies and training towards the understanding of severe mental illness, motivated by both personal and professional reasons. I have always been more fascinated by human flaws, rather then perfections and as I assimilated knowledge in psychopathology and neuroscience gradually, my mind became enriched and my interest reinforced. The interaction between our central nervous system and the environment, the relational nature of our brain, to say it with Siegel, perplexed me to a great extent. My interest for severe mental illness drove me to undertake a dissertation on the on Schizophrenia rehabilitation, which I conducted between Portugal and Italy funded by an EU Thesis Abroad scholarship. During the writing, I came across the latest research finding into the prodromal phases of psychiatric disorders and I decided to spend my clinical training in an Early Detection and Intervention Centre in Milan. I consider that experience fundamental for my formation and after more than two years as a member of the team, I still hold a collaboration agreement with the service. It was my first-hand involvement as a clinician to trigger a peculiar interest for research in the early stage of psychiatric disorders and in the possibility of prevention. Despite being involved in the research studies that run alongside the clinical practice in the service, I became more aware of my drive for research in the filed and realised I could not grow professionally in that sense by comfortably remaining where I was: I decided to move to London specifically to nurture my interest for research in mental illness and clinical neuroscience. I chose to complete a Master in Science at the Institute of Psychiatry, aware of their renowned expertise in the field. The course allowed me to explore the biological mechanism underpinning severe mental illness and its treatment, and to familiarize with cutting-edge neuroimaging tools while conducting research with world-class professionals. While I was concluding the MSc, I successfully applied for a position at the Biomedical Research Centre, in the Neuropsychiatry cluster. The main reasons why I decided to apply for my current position, is that the BRC aims at implementing translational research: I believe research in these filed should always attempt to address questions that are relevant to the patients’ treatment and well being. Currently I am one of the coordinators for the BRC Clinical Trial Office for psychosis and together with the members of my team, I run different pharmacology and neuroimaging trials. I believe that working at King’s is an extremely privileged experience as researchers can benefit from continuous access to training and scientific updates via dedicated lectures as well as through the contact with some of the most prominent members of the scientific community. Moreover young researchers are encouraged to push their boundaries and allowed to approach teaching experiences within the Post Graduate School. A part from co-leading a module in an MSc course, I had the chance to give lectures on my most stringent interests: the neurobiology and treatment of eating disorders and the influence of environmental factors on vulnerability toward severe mental illness. Most importantly, since January 2016, I have afforded the opportunity of using one day a week to cultivate my personal interest, as part of a career development scheme. In this time I had the chance to cultivate my interest for the biological and psychological mechanisms of Anorexia nervosa and its treatment and I am currently receiving training in both neuro-navigation and TMS administration.
Over the last year it became clearer that Lisbon was the place where I was destined to settle down and start building my own life. Since then, I have been working hard to make the best out of this transition and managed to establish a collaboration between my current institution (King’s College London) and the University of Lisbon. Thank to the invaluable support of my academic supervisors, I could afford the opportunity of bringing together the passion of a young, brilliant and growing Portuguese research team with the experience of a prestigious and established group in London.Within this partnership I am given the chance to set up a cutting edge study on the treatment of eating disorders implying neuro-modulation techniques. I have recently been accepted into a Doctorate Programme in Integrated Neuroscience where I will be able to develop the project as part of my PhD. I am currently writing up a paper on Ethnicity in At Risk Mental State and one on siblings of young people with psychosis which I aim at submitting in the next months.