Afonso Fernandes is a 6th-year medical student from the School of Medicine, University of Minho. His Master’s thesis focused on finding the sociodemographic, clinical, and lifestyle factors that influenced stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. During his graduation, he undertook 2 laboratory rotations at ICVS Research Institute, acquiring essential research skills and further knowledge on the neurobiology of stress and neurodegenerative diseases.