Rita Ferreira

Rita Margarida Gonçalves Ferreira holds a BSc in Cell and Molecular Biology (Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2018) and a MSc in Biomedic Sciences (Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2021). She has a Post-Graduation in Clinical Trials (Universidade Lusófona de Lisboa, 2021) and in Science Communication (Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2022). This has allowed her to hone her knowledge in Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Immunology, Virology and Genetics. She has a strong passion for discovering and improving gene therapies that can target infectious agents or be used in immunotherapy. Her educational background focused on neurological disorders related to HIV as well as the manipulation of T lymphocytes for breast cancer immunotherapy, which further contributed to her interest in this field. She is currently a PhD student at the Católica Medical School, Universidade Católica Portuguesa. She worked as a technician at the COVID-19 Diagnostic Center, where she focused on COVID diagnosis. She worked with a master’s scholarship at Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology lab on ArmCART project, both at iMED.Ulisboa. The main goal of the project was to contribute to the promotion of T-cell memory and innate immunity to increase the efficacy of CAR-T cells. Published 2 articles in peer-reviewed international research journals. She is proficient with some techniques such as molecular biology techniques cloning (e.g. PCR, nested-PCR, RT-qPCR, nucleic acid electrophoresis, ELISA, ELISPOT), DNA and RNA extraction, cell culture assays including primary cells isolation, transfection and transduction of cell lines, infectivity assays and flow cytometry. Therefore, she has experience in working with biological samples in bio-safety facilities necessary for handling level 3 microorganisms. Apart from the lab, Rita can be found volunteering at Corpo Nacional de Escutas (CNE), where she dedicates most of her time to the social development of children and young people, photography, dynamizing civil society projects or enjoying time on a theatre.