I am a mother of 4 sons; in parallel, I have pursued full-time University scientific and teaching careers.

I am a Full Professor of Molecular Biology at the University of Lisboa (Dept. Chemistry & Biochemistry) and former Director of BioISI- Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute and Director of FCT-funded PhD programme BioSys – Biological Systems: Functional and Integrative Genomics.

Research in my lab focusses on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of the genetic disease Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and on translating this knowledge into the benefit of people with CF. To understand CF mechanisms globally we use transcriptomics, proteomics, and functional genomics (functional siRNA screens). Our results translate into the clinic for better CF diagnosis, prognosis, and personalized therapies.

My scientific career, like most (I believe) is full of highs and lows, but some moments stand out as truly memorable. I share a few of these below.

A major discovery: the model of the endoplasmic reticulum quality control (ERQC) which I conceived to interpret our original data on the protein CFTR when bearing the most common Cystic Fibrosis (CF) mutation (p.Phe508del). Its first version was published in Molecular & Cell Biology in 2005 (PMID: 15923638) and then ‘refined’ and published in PNAS (PMID: 17098864). Later we used this model to postulate that the rescue of p.Phe508del-CFTR required two corrector drugs to rescue it to the cell surface (PMID: 23890012) which happens to be the case for the drugs now in the clinic for people with CF who have the p.Phe508del variant.

A landmark paper: when our research was published in the prestigious journal Cell, resulting from a 2-year sabbatical at EMBL as a visiting researcher, where I coordinated an EU project (TargetScreen2).

Prestigious Awards: among others, three awards make me very proud, namely the Award for the Most Productive Scientist at the University of Lisboa (2023) in Biology, Bioengineering, Biochemistry & Biotechnology (and ranking as the 2^nd top scientist in Cell Biology in Portugal in research.com); the Pfizer Award for Basic Biomedical Research (2013); and the Annual Award of European Cystic Fibrosis Society, jointly with DN Sheppard, Bristol, UK (2010).

Being a Keynote Speaker: the presentation of our work at the Opening Plenary Session of the North-American CF Conference (to ~5,000 people) in 2007, Anaheim (CA, USA).

Peer Recognition: being elected a member of EMBO-European Molecular Biology Organization and of the Lisboa Academy of Sciences (both in 2014).

Public and Societal Impact: seeing how our work changes lives of people with CF. By offering tests to help the medical community to do better diagnosis and prognosis for people with CF, as well as assays predicting effective of treatment directly impacts people with CF in different parts of the country.

I’m inspired by the potential of our research to improve human health by impacting directly in the quality of life of people with CF.

I also like the excitement of breaking a “scientific puzzle” by uncovering new biological mechanisms based on data.

The landscape for women in science has improved globally, with more support systems, mentorship, and policies promoting gender equity. However, research positions are not yet equally accessible across genders, and the level of.” I must say that I find that the landscape for women inclusivity in science varies by country due to cultural and economic factors.

Many countries (like Portugal and Southern European/American countries and some countries in Asia) have strong female representation in scientific education, yet funding instability and traditional gender roles (family role vs career) create barriers to career progression and limit long-term academic roles for women, especially in leadership positions.

In Northern European countries (also US), due to gender diversity efforts, funding opportunities, and work-life balance policies have improved, but challenges like the “leaky pipeline” (women leaving academia at high rates, due to lower economic need to work) and underrepresentation in leadership persist.

Of course I am not even considering countries with gender biases, that even prevent women from attending school or having a profession. Thus, while progress is being made, true equality in research careers will require continued efforts to address systemic biases, cultural expectations, and economic disparities worldwide.

Being a mother of 4 sons (with 7 years’ difference between the eldest and the youngest), has certainly made me face many challenges and impacted my career.

I am aware that I was ‘late’ in many career landmarks because of my family options but I don’t regret it for 1 min. I have been asked many times how I overcome these challenges, especially when I lived in Germany, as I guess women there face more gender issues there than in Portugal. I must say that I only think about this when I’m asked. In fact, when my kids were small and I had to teach at University, pursue research and do all sorts of things, my only thought was ‘focus, keep going, and don’t stop’! So, I trained myself to use well every bit of time I had, but this also meant often long nights working (and sometimes also weekends) to get things done!

Besides travelling, I love photography and doing scrapbooking albums. Also cinema and spending time with friends.

I would give 3 pieces of advice:

• Believe in your yourself – if you came this far is because your brain and expertise are good, so you belong in science just as much as anyone else. So always do your best and speak up for your ideas, but always consider other people’s criticism (even less positive)
• Find a good support network – seek mentors and colleagues who can guide you through work challenges, and friends who uplift you through bad moments.
• Don’t just quit – if you fail, don’t give up because, as someone said, “FAIL means: First Attempt In Learning”, of course with boundaries because there’s a difference being persistent and stubborn.