Maria Assunção has a strong background in molecular biology and sample management. She holds a Master’s degree in Biotechnology, with a specialization in nanodiagnostics, and a PhD in “Plants for Life” from ITQB-NOVA.

In July 2020, she began working as the coordinator of the COVID-19 Task Force laboratory at NOVA Medical School (NMS), where she was responsible for the development and implementation of standard operating procedures (SOPs). In parallel, she contributed to several research projects and services that leveraged the available samples and accumulated knowledge.

In October 2022, she became the technical coordinator of the Comprehensive Health Biobank (CHAIN) at the CHRC, NMS. Since its launch in 2024, CHAIN has established 14 collections and initiated 7 new projects. In total, the biobank stores samples collected from more than 12,000 participants.

Maria Assunção is actively involved in the development of the national biobank network (Rede Nacional de Biobancos, Biobanco.pt) and is also working on the creation of a Lusophone network aimed at connecting biobanks and collections across Portuguese-speaking countries.

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