Affiliation: Universidade Nova de Lisboa (ITQB-NOVA, iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica and Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier

Dr. Catarina Brito pursued her PhD from the Laboratory of Glycobiology (ITQB), Portugal, and during this period she had also the opportunity to be a visiting PhD student, at the Membrane Traffic in Neuronal & Epithelial Morphogenesis Laboratory, Institut Jacques Monod, France. After her postdoctoral work at the Animal Cell Technology Unit, iBET, Portugal, she became Head of the Bioassay Development Team, Cell Bioprocesses Laboratory, Animal Cell Technology Unit, iBET and ITQB‐UNL, Portugal in 2009 and since 2014 she is the Head of the Advanced Cell Models Laboratory, Animal Cell Technology Unit, iBET and ITQB‐NOVA, Portugal. Her main research interests are mostly translational and focused on development of advanced human cell models (employing induced pluripotent stem cells and other patient‐derived cells) to study deregulation of cellular microenvironment in disease progression and evaluate its role in therapeutic response. Key areas of interest include the role of the innate immune microenvironment in cancer, neurological disorders, and in response to immunotherapies and gene therapies.