Careers in Science and beyond, 20-21 October 2016 at i3S Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto

Speed Networking

Meet a Fellow

Academia

		Carla Oliveira Principal Investigator, i3S, Porto
Carla Oliveira heads the Expression Regulation in Cancer group at i3S/Ipatimup and is Associate Professor of Biopathology at FMUP. She has a Biochemistry degree from Coimbra University (1996) and a GABBA PhD from FMUP (2002). After completing two Postdocs at Ipatimup and at University British Columbia, Canada, she became a Junior PI at Ipatimup (2005), and a Tenure track Independent Group Leader (2011). She is consultant at Ipatimup Diagnostics for genetic testing of gastric cancer associated syndromes (2006), and launched the Bioinformatics company Bioinf2Bio (2013). Carla’s research focuses on the identification of gastric cancer biomarker signatures for diagnostics and treatment, and to predict resistance, using NGS and Bioinformatics, cancer patients’ series, cell line and animal models. She has published more than 100 peer review publications with h-index 38.


		Filipe Antunes Invited Assistant Professor, FCTUC, Coimbra
Filipe Antunes was born in Coimbra, and graduated in Industrial Chemistry in 2001 with the best student award. He then focused on Colloid Chemistry and finished his PhD degree in this area at the University of Coimbra (UC) and University of Lund in Sweden, five years later. He developed his Postdoctoral work at Procter & Gamble in the US and at BASF in Germany. During the last 5 years, he has been project leader of more than 20 academic and industrial projects in UC, with external grants of about 2 million euro. He currently coordinates COLLING research group (Colloids and Innovative Nanomaterials Group) at UC and promotes cooperative industry-academia networks, both national and international. He is a member of the advisor team of UC for the New European Support Programme for Research and Development, and delegate of the European Union's Strategy Committee for Research. He published ca. 50 scientific publications and patents, and gave ca. 150 communications at universities and companies, in the context of his areas of expertise that include Physical Chemistry of Surfactants and Polymers, Colloids, detergency, Rheological control, stabilization formulations and coatings. It is considered one of the most active researchers at UC in the knowledge transfer to the society.


		João Cabral Principal Investigator, i3S
João graduated in Biochemistry from University of Porto, followed by a research assistant position at the University´s Chemistry department. From 1988 to 1993 he conducted his PhD at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland after which he did a postdoc with Robert Liddington, first at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard University in Boston and then at the University of Leicester in the UK. From 1997 to 2000 he did a second postdoc with Roderick MacKinnon at Rockefeller University in New York. He then joined the faculty of the MBB department at Yale University as Assistant professor. In 2007 he was promoted to Associate professor. In 2008 he moved to the IBMC as a Principal Investigator.


		José Bessa Principal Investigator, i3S, Porto
José Bessa completed his PhD degree in Developmental Biology at ICBAS (University of Porto; 2008), acquiring advanced knowledge in the development of Drosophila and Zebrafish visual systems, under the supervision of Dr. FCasares. As a postdoc, JBessa has joined the lab of Dr. JLGomez-Skarmeta, an expert in zebrafish Functional Genomics. Currently JBessa is developing an independent research line on transcriptional cis-regulation and gene function in the zebrafish pancreas.


		Maria Oliveira Assistant Researcher, i3S, Porto
Maria José Oliveira graduated in Biology by the Faculty of Sciences-UPorto in 1996 and completed her PhD degree in Health and Medical Sciences at Ghent University Hospital (Belgium) in July 2004, under the supervision of Prof Marc Mareel. From 2004 to 2007, she performed her PostDoc at IPATIMUP, at the Cancer Genetics Group, under the supervision of Prof. Manuel Sobrinho-Simões and Prof. Raquel Seruca. Under the scope of Ciência2007, Maria J Oliveira initiated at INEB a new line of research, at Prof. Mário Barbosas Group. In 2012, she became an investigator FCT and established the Microenvironments in Cancer Cell Invasion Team. This Team has demonstrated that human macrophages stimulate gastric and colorectal cancer cell invasion, proteolysis and migration. Recently, they evidenced that anti-inflammatory macrophages are more efficient in such stimulation than their pro-inflammatory counterparts. The associated signalling pathways were dissected and implicated the activation of cancer cell EGFR-Src-Akt pathway, of small GTPases and of Matrix metalloproteases. The Team is currently dedicated to use this knowledge to design immunomodulatory therapies to counteract cancer invasion and metastasis.


		Pedro Madureira Assistant Researcher, i3S and CEO, Immunethep, Porto
Pedro has graduated in Biochemistry at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto (FCUP) and obtained his PhD in Biomedical Sciences at the Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS) of the same university. The work developed since the beginning of his scientific career follows a line of investigation started a few decades ago by Prof. Mário Arala Chaves, with the discovery of immunosuppressive molecules excreted by bacterial pathogens, so called virulence-associated immunomodulatory proteins (VIP). Currently, his main research interest is the role of a specific VIP in the host-pathogen interactions that are responsible for the high susceptibility of neonates to bacterial sepsis. This research led to the development of a vaccine against multi-resistant bacterial infections that it is now waiting for the approval to start human clinical trials. P Madureira, in partnership with Venture Catalysts, constituted Immunethep SA, a company focused on commercializing therapies based on immunomodulation.

Private Sector
		Ana Patrícia Sousa Project developer, Innovayt, Braga
Patrícia assists clients to obtain funding for their research and technological development projects. Patrícia has a Master and PhD in Physiology and Physiopathology from Université Pierre et Marie Curie and Institute Pasteur, Paris. She has more than 7 years of experience in research, where she was involved in R&D projects in the field transcription mechanism regulation and in cell fate decisions. Her scientific work has been published in a number of scientific papers in peer reviewed journals such Nature Immunology and Journal of Immunology, and presented in international conferences. Patrícia has recently finished the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management Program at Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics and during the last 4 years she has been involved in the development of projects and preparation of proposals in the Life Sciences and Pharmaceuticals domains.


		Daniela Rocha Mar Deputy R&D Manager at Blueclinical, Porto
Daniela received her degree in Biochemistry in 2007 from the University of Porto. Started her scientific career at INEB (Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica) in 2007, where she participated in several funded research projects focused on regeneration within the biomaterials for neuroscience field. Conducted her PhD at INEB, during which she studied mechanotransduction in the central nervous system. These years of scientific research resulted in a patent and 5 scientific publications. Received her PhD degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Porto in 2015, and her MBA from Porto Business School also in 2015. At this stage made the decision to leave the academic work environment and joined Blueclinical’s team in 2016 as Deputy R&D Manager. Blueclinical is a company dedicated to translational medicine and “Blueclinical R&D” is currently one of its three business units. At Blueclinical she believes she can exploit, and further develop, both her scientific and her business management skills.


		Márcia Santos Clinical Research Associate, Covance, Portugal
Marcia is trained in Biochemistry by University of Coimbra (2004), though she never worked as a biochemist. She was appealed to science but the choice of a university degree resided mainly in the fact that, more than certainties, there were doubts about the career that laid ahead, as science represented a path with many doors. During her traineeship, she joined a project within industry whose objective was the elimination of cork taint, which affects the wines bottled with cork. Her guidance to industry remained but only in 2006 she came back to it, this time in the pharmaceutical sector and through a newspaper advertisement to Monitor Clinical Trials - requirement: degree in the field of health sciences. 10 years passed, from DATAMEDICA, to KeyPoint, through DOCS International, COVANCE is now the company where she monitors clinical trials sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry.


		Olga Reis Account Manager, VWR International
Olga graduated in Microbiologia from Escola Superior de Biotecnologia in 2005. She then joined the Molecular Microbiology Lab at IBMC, led by Didier Cabanes, where she later completed her PhD on the identification of new virulence factors from the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes. Afterwards, she made a career change and left research, although remaining connected to science. She worked briefly at the sales department of a recycling company, before joining the VWR team as an Account Manager for the North of Portugal in 2011. VWR is a multinational company involved in the distribution of laboratory products for research and to other companies. Olga’s job involves managing customer accounts from research institutes, food and pharma industries, to introduce products and demo equipment, and provide all information to customers, from technical support to prices. She is the link between the customers and the company and considers that her mission at VWR is to enable science.


		Patrícia Duarte Account Manager at DAYlife, Porto
Patrícia Duarte finished her degree in Biology – Scientific Branch in 1997 in the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto (FCUP) and it was during her degree that she started working in Plant Biology. Patrícia got her first research grant (as a research technician) in 1998 while she was also a demonstrator at FCUP. In 2000 she started her PhD work, divided between the Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC) at the University of Porto, and the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Oxford, UK. During this period Patrícia’s main interest was the study of the vacuolar sorting and maturation of a well-known plant aspartic proteinase involved in milk clotting named cardosin A which is used in the manufacture of “Queijo da Serra”. Patrícia Duarte came back to Portugal to start her post-doc in 2005 and find her true passion in science: the study of the biosynthetic pathway of the anticancer alkaloids produced by the medicinal plant Catharanthus roseus. This work was developed at the IBMC and also abroad at the Institute of Biology of the University of Leiden, The Netherlands. In a time that the buzzwords became “change”, “adaptation” and “career reconversion”, Patrícia decided to diverge into a completely new field of work and started working in Product Management and Application in a company in the area of Immunohematology. Moreover, she accumulates this function with a role as a sales advisor for another company mainly linked to molecular biology products still keeping in touch with the world of science.


		Paula Brochado Business Intelligence Product Owner at Farfetch, Porto
Paula graduated in Physics & Applied Mathematics, and obtained her PhD in Extragalactic Astronomy, about Galaxy Assembly through Mergers, at University of Porto. As a researcher she worked with large sets of data with the main purpose of understanding how and why galaxies form and evolve the way they do. After attending an entrepreneurship program, at Porto Business School, she decided to pursue a career in the corporate sector bringing in the scientific knowledge, method and know-how. She started at SONAE as a business analyst, then as Head of Business Intelligence at E-commerce SONAEMC, the biggest on-line grocery retailer in Portugal. Currently she is a Business Intelligence Product Owner at Farfetch, the first unicorn start-up company (i.e. valued at over one billion dollars) in Portugal. Her commitment is to strengthen the bond between the data-driven framework of the academic research environment and the fast-paced, ever-changing business world.


		Sandra Torrado Clinical Trials Country Director, Eurotrials, Lisbon
Sandra Torrado was trained in Pharmaceutical Sciences and has worked in the field of Clinical Research for more than 15 years. She started as Clinical Research Associate at Lilly and later moved to her current position at Eurotrials. Sandra has 10 years of experience in managing clinical operations organizations, being overall accountable for overseeing project execution and people management in Pharma Industry and Contract Research Organizations. Her expertise also includes Quality Management and Six-Sigma. Between May 2014 and Jun 2015, Sandra was responsible for implementing a quality management system (ISO 9001 certified) with coverage of all Eurotrials functional areas – Clinical Studies, Pharmacovigilance, Regulatory Affairs and Clinical Data, and is a Certified Internal Auditor.


		Tiago Carvalho CEO, LabOrders, Porto
Tiago is a 36-year-old Biochemist, holding a Ph.D. in Computational Neuroscience, and has conducted scientific research in several labs in Portugal, Germany, Sweden and the United States. Currently he is the CEO of LabOrders, a start-up company that develops software for scientific research labs. As a student of the Gulbenkian Ph.D. Program in Biomedicine he spent 5 years at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) trying to understand how the brain works, and in 2009 he was distinguished with the “Eva Kavan Prize for Excellence in Research on the Brain”. He was also the Vice-President of the Portuguese American Postgraduate Society (PAPS). Tiago decided to return from the United States to give his contribute back to Portugal and founded LabOrders, an online platform that manages requests of laboratory products, which brings together Suppliers and Researchers to a single marketplace. By dramatically reducing the time spent in ordering a laboratory product/reagent, LabOrders immediately increases the productivity of the Researcher, allowing him/her to focus on the experiments. Tiago is a fan of Portugal, and invests infinite time convincing his friends to better appreciate this country, highlight the existing opportunities.

Alternative Careers

		Ana Pereira Post-doc, i3S and YScience, Porto
Ana Lúcia Pereira studied Biochemistry at Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto. She divided her Ph.D. research between Erasmus Medical Center (Rotterdam, The Netherlands) and Chromosome Instability & Dynamics Lab (CID) (IBMC, Porto, Portugal). It was during this time that she acquired extensive experience in cell and molecular biology, as well as in laboratory animal science . After receiving her Ph.D. from Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, she continued her studies in animal embryology and physiology working as a Postdoc in CID Lab. Recently, she joined the Yscience team in a project that aims to encourage children's curiosity and fascination with Science, through hands-on activities that adopt the scientific method as an essential pathway to solve their questions about the world.


		Cláudio Nunes-Alves Senior Editor, Nature Reviews Microbiology, London
Cláudio studied Biochemistry at the University of Porto, Portugal, before earning his Ph.D. in Life and Health Sciences from the University of Minho, Braga, Portugal. During his Ph.D., he shared his time between Portugal and the United States, in the laboratories of Margarida Correia-Neves (at the Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, Braga, Portugal), Sam Behar (then at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA) and Christophe Benoist (at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA), studying multiple aspects of immunity to tuberculosis. After a brief postdoctoral position with Sam Behar (now at UMass Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA), Cláudio joined the Nature Reviews Microbiology team as an Associate Editor in April 2014, and after a successful period as locum Chief Editor in 2015, he became a Senior Editor. In March 2016, Cláudio moved to Nature Microbiology, joining the team as a locum Senior Editor. Cláudio loves all microbiology-related things, from bacteria and archaea to viruses, fungi and parasites, but doesn’t hide that he also likes immunology quite a bit.


		Hugo Prazeres Technology Transfer and Programmes Unit of i3S, Porto
Hugo graduated in Biology from the Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Coimbra (FCTUC), where he also completed a Masters degree in Molecular and Cell Biology, and then obtained his doctoral degree in Biomedicine from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto. Hugo has published 19 peer-reviewed scientific papers and has lectured courses in doctoral programs, as well as the Oncobiology Discipline at FCTUC. In 2007 Hugo co-founded Infogene Lda., a Medical Devices company headquartered at the Pedro Nunes Institute, in Coimbra. Besides the experience in management accumulated since then, Hugo has developed skills in the field of industrial property, including courses by Portugal’s INPI on patent preparation, database consultation and writing of patent claims. Hugo also has acted as a consultant in subjects such as CE marking and Manufacture of and In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) Medical Devices. Hugo has been awarded several prizes in research and innovation, including the “Young Investigator Award” of the European Society of Human Genetics, the BES Innovation award in 2007 and the Everis Foundation Innovation Award in 2015. More recently Hugo has also devoted to technology transfer at IPATIMUP, having established 3 licensing deals and assisted the launch of 5 spin-off biotech companies where he acts as management and business development consultant.


		Julio B. Santos Communication Unit of i3S, Porto
Júlio Borlido Santos, biologist who worked in the field of plant Biology, holds an MSc in Molecular and Cell Biology and is currently attending a doctoral program in Communication Sciences. He has worked as a Life Sciences researcher, schoolteacher and demonstrator at the University of Porto. From 2003-2014 he was Head of the IBMC.INEB Office for Science Communication (OSC), and in 2015 became one of the coordinators of i3S Communication Unit. Both units work as a bridge between researchers and society, promoting the Institutions in different events/places in order to reach a wide range of audiences. He teaches and promotes advanced training for scientists on "Science, Ethics and Society" and organizes several continuous training activities for high school teachers; he is/was a member of several national and international Science in Society projects, namely the “Evaluating the state of public knowledge on health and health information in Portugal" and of a Portuguese Science Shop project – “Engaging Society: Life Sciences, Social Sciences and Publics” – both funded by FCT. He is also a member of the General Council of Carolina Michaëlis School group; member of the Communication Council of UPorto; Board of Auditors officer of Viver a Ciência Association; and vice-President of the network Scicom.pt.


		Luís Filipe Santos-Silva Communication Unit of i3S, Porto
Filipe Santos-Silva has a PhD in Human Biology and a Masters in Oncobiology. Leads the Public Awareness of Cancer Unit at IPATIMUP and coordinates the Communication Unit at I3S. Academic affiliations include the Faculty of Medicine – University of Porto and the Buffett Cancer Center - University of Nebraska. Consultant of innovation units and member of national and international review boards (Intel ISEF), he successfully led different projects in both areas of basic research (mucins and oncogenesis) and health education (Harvard Medical School-Portugal Program). Currently he coordinates the dissemination of the European COST action EUPancreas and HYPE (Healthy Youth through Prevention Education) an innovative program of cancer prevention education in Portugal and USA funded by national (Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation) and international sponsors (Komen Foundation).


		Maria João Leão Executive Director of Maratona da Saúde, Lisbon
Maria João Leão is graduated in Biology from Coimbra University, was an Erasmus Student at Utrecht University and did an MSc in Biotechnology offered by De Montfort University (Leicester). The research project was done in German Cancer Institute (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany. Through the Gulbenkian PhD program in Biology and Medicine (PGDBM), she holds a PhD in Cancer Research from Imperial College, University of London. Under the scope of her research postdoctoral work at the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Centre in London, she has participated in science communication and fundraising activities. After returning to Portugal, in 2007, she was a post-doctoral fellow at the Science Communication and Outreach team and Head of Fundraising at Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC). She has been involved in several science communication and fundraising initiatives in Portugal such as the partnership established between IGC and Everything is New, the promoter of the music festival Optimus Alive Oeiras and with Vista Alegre. She is now Executive Director of Maratona da Saúde, a non-profit association that aims to raise awareness and funds for biomedical research.


		Marcia Triunfol Scientific Advisor for the Humane Society International and CEO, Publicase, Rio de Janeiro/ Lisboa
Marcia Triunfol has a PhD done in a collaboration program between the Federal Fluminense University in Brazil and the Johns Hopkins University and a 2-year postdoc at the National Institutes of Health (NIH, USA). After 10 years working as a bench scientist, her career path changed and she accepted a position in the editorial department of Science Magazine. She worked for four years at the American Association for the Advancement of Science and then as a scientific editor at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NIH, USA). She also founded a non-profit organization called DNA Goes to School that had the mission of bringing science closer to society. After living in the United States for 12 years, in 2007 Marcia went back to Brazil to create Publicase Comunicação Científica, a pioneer company specializing in science communication. She currently runs her company and also teaches workshops on how to write a research paper in the biological and biomedical areas. Marcia is also a freelance science writer and journalist who has authored news articles for high-impact journals such as Science, Cell, The Lancet, The Lancet Infectious Disease and The Lancet Oncology. She has written for The Scientist Magazine and has contributed as a scriptwriter for the TV show “100 Greatest Discoveries” for Discovery channel.


		Tiago Barros Research and Analytics Manager, F1000, London
Tiago Barros is the Research and Analytics Manager for the science publisher F1000. He received his Licenciatura degree in Biochemistry in 2004 from the University of Porto. His passion for structural biology and protein structures lead him to complete two internships in X-ray crystallography labs: one in with Janos Hajdu in Uppsala, Sweden and another with Ana Margarida Damas at IBMC in Porto. Following this, he obtained his doctoral degree in 2009 from the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics in Frankfurt am Main, Germany where he worked with Werner Kühlbrandt on the structure and function of plant light-harvesting complexes. He then moved to the University of California at Berkeley, where he joined the lab of John Kuriyan. His work in the Kuriyan Lab, first as a Postdoctoral Fellow and then as a Research Specialist, focused on the structure of bacterial replicative DNA polymerases and protein kinases that carry out cellular signal transduction. Since 2010, he has also been a Freelance Illustrator for Garland Science. His illustration work appears in a number of leading textbooks in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, including Bruce Albert’s Molecular Biology of the Cell.

Meet a Company

Pharmaceutical

		ASTRAZENECA AstraZeneca is a global, science led biopharmaceutical business. We are one of only a handful of companies to span the entire life cycle of a medicine from research and development to manufacturing and supply, and the global commercialisation of primary care and specialty care medicines.
Our primary focus is on three important areas of healthcare: Cardiovascular and Metabolic disease (CVMD); Oncology; and Respiratory, Inflammation and Autoimmunity (RIA). Delivering the full potential of our unique combination of discovery and development strengths in small molecule and biologics, immunotherapies and protein engineering technologies. Building a culture that is science-led and patient-focused, agile and high performing, which retains and attracts great people. This includes simplifying our organisation and improving productivity while creating a vibrant, collaborative work environment. Strategic partnering and business development is a key accelerator of our strategy. We have been active in building early stage biotech and academic alliances in recent years and we want to do more of these, alongside in licensing and acquisitions to strengthen our pipeline and broaden the range of treatment options for physicians and patients. The challenges we face as a business and as an industry are significant. Our business strategy positions us well to manage the challenges and leverage the opportunities to make a meaningful and sustained contribution to healthcare. We collaborate with like-minded science-led companies to create tailored collaborations that are structured to achieve our mutual goals. By contributing complementary technologies, know-how and assets, we share an unrelenting focus on scientific quality, smart risk-taking and good decision-making. This integrated approach combines our scientific and commercial expertise with our significant business development know-how and experience. It enables us to add maximum value to our partnerships by creating arrangements with a clear strategic fit with our portfolio and commercial capabilities.


		BIAL BIAL was founded in 1924, and it’s mission is to develop, find and provide new therapeutic solutions in healthcare. We are currently the largest Portuguese pharmaceutical company and a major the Iberian Peninsula. "Serving your Health" is the motto we assume.
BIAL’s strategic areas are Research and Development, Internationalization and Quality. With the view of improving Human Health, we want to play an active role in the growth of the global economy and be able to meet the ongoing needs of the market. We want to contribute to building a knowledge society, competitive and dynamic, based on scientific development and innovation.


		BLUECLINICAL Blueclinical is a translational medicine company devoted to the development of medicines and medical devices. Through our three business units we offer a variety of innovative services to institutions, startups and established companies, with the aim of bringing their projects to clinical practice.


		Eurotrials Eurotrials is a full-service contract research organization (CRO), with more than 20 years of experience, with strong local expertise in Europe and Latin America.
Our services cover all the steps of any clinical, translational or epidemiological research project, from the initial research question to the final output. Eurotrials provides an extensive array of drug development services, from early-to-late-stage as well as product support in accordance with global and specific regional requirements. Eurotrials has several offices in Europe and Latin America. The company has been validated by international biopharmaceutical companies, has several master agreements and HQ is ISO 9001 certified.

		HOVIONE CAPITAL Hovione Capital is a privately held Asset Management company especializing in the Health sector. As a venture capital investor, we especialize in identifying and investing in high-potential seed/early-stage investment opportunities that provide medical device, medical technology, diagnostic, chronic disease monitoring, IT-integration opportunities. The projects Hovione Capital is looking for benefit from patented differentiating technologies, which are directly scalable and address the global market. Hovione Capital recruits in the field of investment analysis and IP collaborators with a background in economics, engineering and life sciences.


		Janssen Janssen, The Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, are dedicated to addressing and solving some of the most important unmet medical needs of our time in oncology, immunology, neuroscience, infectious diseases and vaccines, and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
Driven by our commitment to patients, we bring innovative products, services and solutions to people throughout the world. We recognize the impact of serious conditions on people’s lives, and we aim to empower people through disease awareness, education and access to quality care. Our research and development strategy focuses on identifying medical needs, and harnessing the best science in the world, whether from our own laboratories, or through strategic relationships and collaborations. We believe transparency of clinical trial data advances science and medicine and is in the best interest of the patients who use our pharmaceutical products and providers who prescribe them.


		NOVARTIS Novartis mission is to discover new ways to improve and extend people’s lives. Our vision is to be a trusted leader in changing the practice of medicine. Novartis strategy is to use science-based innovation to deliver better patient outcomes, aiming to lead in growing areas of healthcare.
Working at Novartis: Novartis has a clear mission, focused strategy and strong culture, all of which we expect will support the creation of value over the long term for our company, our shareholders and society. We recognize that our business depends on the creativity, dedication and performance of our associates. We encourage associates to focus on achievement through collaboration and innovation. A global healthcare leader, Novartis has one of the most exciting product pipelines in the industry today. A pipeline of innovative medicines brought to life by diverse, talented, performance driven people. All of which makes us one of the most rewarding employers in our field. The company culture is guided by high ethical standards.


		PFIZER Pfizer’s mission is to use science and our global resources to improve health and well-being of people in all stages of life. Guided by this purpose, we have a solid and conscious commitment to the values of the company, with our employees, with the industry in which Pfizer is inserted, with the community and with the public.
We are committed to operating with integrity in all our business areas, and in accordance with all applicable laws. We act responsibly in relations with all parties, taking a course to all levels transparent, honest and fair. We demand of ourselves and others the highest ethical standards. We are committed to ensuring quality health services and health professionals, citizens, regulators and our employees rely on Pfizer to achieve results that meet the expectations of all. For this, we are committed to developing products, processes and business practices of the highest quality. Improving health and well-being of the people depends on advances in science and this investment in research and development of innovative and effective drugs. At Pfizer, we are committed to grow and achieve results that enable us to contribute at all levels, for a better world. At Pfizer, we know that people are the pillars of our success and that nothing is achieved without collaboration. We believe in cooperation, teamwork and trust and value the contribution of everyone - colleagues, partners, health professionals and citizens. We are committed to treating each and every one with respect, dignity and fairness, promoting a positive and productive environment. Aware that we are part of the global community, we take an active role in protecting the environment, health and safety of those around us, locally and globally. We assume with responsibility our commitment to the community and cooperate with local governments, authorities, institutions and civil society.


		ROCHE, PT Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is a leader in health research with valences combined both in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Roche is the world's largest biotech company with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and neuroscience.
Roche is also the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and has a prominent position in the diabetes area. Personalized medicine strategy Roche aims to provide medicines and diagnostics that enable tangible improvements in the health, quality of life and survival of patients. Founded in 1896, Roche has made important contributions to global health for more than a century. Twenty-nine medicines developed by Roche are included in the lists of the World Health Organization Essential Drugs, including "life-saving" drugs as antibiotics, anti-malarial drugs and chemotherapy. In 2015 the Roche Group employed 91,700 people worldwide, has invested 9.3 billion Swiss francs in R & D and recorded sales of 48.1 billion Swiss francs. Genentech, United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan For more information, visit:. Www.roche.com or www.roche.pt


		W4Research W4Research is a privately held company founded in 2014. As a scientific and marketing consultancy organisation working in the health domain.
W4Research has a multidisciplinary team with recognized expertise in health consulting, research and training, acquired through a vast experience in the context of Medical Societies, Pharmaceutical Industry and Contract Research Organisations. Being a Full Service CRO, W4Research offers services such as: support in all phases and tasks of Clinical Studies; training and consultancy regarding Clinical Research, Human Behaviour and Marketing; Resourcing/Outsourcing of clinical research specialized human resources.

Biotech SMEs and others
		ABCAM As an innovator in reagents and tools, Abcam’s purpose is to serve life science researchers globally to achieve their mission, faster. Providing the research and clinical communities with tools and scientific support, the Company offers highly validated biological binders and assays to address important targets in critical biological pathways.
Already a pioneer in data sharing and ecommerce in the life sciences, Abcam’s ambition is to be the most influential company in life sciences by helping advance global understanding of biology and causes of disease, which, in turn, will drive new treatments and improved health. Two-thirds of the world’s 750,000 life science researchers use Abcam’s affinity binders, reagents, biomarkers and assays and the Company’s products are mentioned in over 20,000 of the 56,000 peer-reviewed papers published each year in the life sciences. By actively listening to and collaborating with researchers, the Company continuously advances its portfolio to address their needs. A transparent programme of customer reviews and datasheets, combined with an industry-leading validation initiative, gives researchers increased confidence in their results. Abcam’s ten offices are located in the world’s leading life science research hubs, enabling local services and multi-language support. Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Cambridge, UK, the Company sells to more than 100 countries. Abcam was admitted to AIM in 2005 (AIM: ABC).


		CRIOESTAMINAL In 2003 Crioestaminal was the first Portuguese company to offer the service of cryopreservation of the umbilical cord blood stem cells and, since September 2011, the company offers also the service of cryopreservation of the umbilical cord tissue mesenchymal stem cells.
Crioestaminal offers parents-to-be the possibility to isolate and cryopreserve stem cells from their children’s umbilical cord blood and tissue for a minimum of 25 years. Cryopreservation of both types of cells allows their potential future application in the treatment of a number of diseases during the lifetime of the newborn and/or his/her relatives. Crioestaminal boasts a young team, comprising graduates, masters and PhDs, which is a decisive factor in the quality of the services provided. Some of Portugal’s top specialists in the stem cells´ field collaborate with Crioestaminal in several R&D projects. Crioestaminal is one of the founders of Cord Blood Europe, an international non profit organization composed with 7 leading companies in the stem cells storage field, with the mission to raise awareness on the benefits of adult stem cells and on the need to increase their storage at birth. Crioestaminal is certified by the ISO 9001:2000 for Quality Management Standards, a certification given by the German company, TÜV Rheinland. Crioestaminal is accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB), according to the Standards for Cellular Therapy Product Services for the activities related to the processing, storage and distribution of umbilical cord blood and Crioestaminal was the first Portuguese Stem Cells Bank to be authorized by the regulator of the sector, the Autoridade para os Serviços de Sangue e da Transplantação (ASST)[1], according to European Directives.


		Publicase Comunicação Científica Publicase is a science communication company founded in Brazil in 2007.
At Publicase we edit, review and translate research articles in the biological and biomedical fields. We also teach workshops on how to write and elaborate a research article. This year (2016) Publicase is opening its first office in Portugal, where it intends to work with researchers from different universities, research centers and hospitals.

		STABVIDA Our mission is to be Your Easy Genetics Laboratory. Whether you are, we want to provide you (a patient, a doctor, a scientist, a veterinary professional or a student) an easily crossable bridge. We intend to create a fluid flow of your samples, data and information, supported by solid laboratories and high-qualify staff from STAB VIDA, always with the main purpose to give you the results you need.
If the last few decades were characterized by the emergence of information and telecommunication technologies, the 21st century will be remarked by the advances in gene technology. The growth of gene technology is creating platforms for new products and markets. Its high business potential has prompted governments to consider research in genomics and proteomics as a strategic priority. This is the challenging environment in which STAB VIDA operates and intends to enhance its performance by exploring new opportunities. In a more broader sense, our mission consists of harnessing innovation and adopting new technologies in biotechnology through research and development, technology transfer, proper commercialization of products and services in the global market.


		STEMMATTERS Stemmatters is a pre-clinical stage regenerative medicine company developing game changing medical devices for large unmet medical needs. Research and development at Stemmatters centres on unique biomaterial platforms, which offer excellent biological and physicochemical versatility for breakthrough therapeutic applications in regenerative medicine.
Our platforms are endowed with very high biocompatibility and aqueous solubility, providing clear hydrogels with good permeability and mechanical properties, which constitute excellent candidates for efficient encapsulation and facile delivery of cells or other therapeutic agents in regenerative medicine and drug delivery application contexts. Stemmatters is certified according to Standard EN ISO 9001, Quality management systems – Requirements, and Standard NP 4457, Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) management system requirements. Stemmatters Quality System is in conformity with EU-GMP Guide/ICH Q7.Company clean rooms are authorized as Tissue Establishment (2004/23/EC Directive) and certification is undergoing for manufacturing of medicinal products. All critical processes are validated and all critical equipment and utilities qualified as described in our Validation Master Plan. Stemmatters is registered as SME with EMA.


		TREATU TREAT U is a biotechnology company focused on the development of targeted strategies for clinically unexplored targets identified in subtypes of cancer that represent unmet medical needs.
Our novel generation of proprietary nanotechnology-based platforms for drug delivery, called PEGASEMP™, will create new opportunities in personalized medicine and add new value to the Pharmaceutical Market.


		UNICER Unicer is the largest Portuguese beverage company and the main national exporter of beer to more than 50 countries. With a multi-brand strategy and multi-market, the core of its business based on the business of beers and bottled waters but is also present in the segments of soft drinks, wines, production and marketing of malt and tourism.
In your portfolio stand out strong brands such as Super Bock and Carlsberg beers in, and Pedras and Vitalis in the water sector. Super Bock is the Portuguese beer most sold in the world. Unicer is a mainly Portuguese capital company, owned 56% by Viacer Group (BPI Arsopi and Violas) and 44% by Carlsberg Group.


		VWR Headquartered in Pennsylvania, VWR (NASDAQ: VWR) is a global leading supplier of products, services and solutions for laboratory infrastructures and production.
VWR enables science advance in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry as well as in educational institutions, government agencies and at the industrial and health sectors. With over 160y of experience, VWR has developed a value proposition that provides choice of products, operational excellence and differentiated services to improve the productivity of our customers, from research to production stages. Differentiated VWR services provide innovative, flexible and customized solutions, from scientific research services to chemical mixtures custom manufactured. Our team has over 8,500 employees focused on supporting scientists, health professionals and production engineers to achieve their goals. Our MISSION is to promote scientific progress worldwide.


		Wells (Sonae) Operating in Portugal since 2005 Well’s is the number one brand in health, wellbeing and eye care in retail areas. Well’s is part of Sonae, the Portuguese market leader in food and specialized retail formats, with board control of shopping centres and telecommunications business.