Sofia Araújo Pereira is a PhD candidate in Biomedicine and Health Sciences at the School of Medicine, University of Minho (Braga, Portugal). She integrates the Translational Neurogenetics Research Team at ICVS (Life and Health Sciences Research Institute) and the Bañobre Research Group on Nanomedicine at INL (International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory). Her PhD work is focused on the development of a nanotherapeutic strategy capable of halting or reversing neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s and Machado-Joseph diseases. Driven by the lack of effective therapeutics, she aims to synthetize and encapsulate novel immunomodulating drugs within magnetic nanoformulations, acting as potential neuroprotective agents by reducing oxidative stress and modulating the inflammatory neuronal microenvironment.

Sofia earned her M.Sc. in Biological Engineering (2013), from the University of Minho and completed her master thesis project at the University of Salerno, Italy. Her prior research experience includes participation in university-industry joint projects focusing on antimicrobial resistance, bacterial biofilms and biosensors for medical applications. To date, she has co-authored 4 research articles in international peer-reviewed journals, contributed to 4 book chapters, delivered 3 oral communications, and participated in 7 posters in international meetings.