Maria Ines Almeida obtained a degree in Biology from the University of Minho, Portugal, in 2006. After an internship at Leiden University Medical Center, Netherlands, she joined Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS) where she worked in microbiology and cancer research. In 2009, she began a PhD program in Health Sciences. She moved to MDAnderson Cancer Center, The University of Texas, USA from 2009 to 2012 to work on her PhD project which aimed to investigate the roles of non-coding RNAs in colorectal cancer. While working on her PhD, she was involved in several projects in different tumor types. She studied microRNAs and long-non-coding RNAs in order to find new tumor targets and novel therapeutic strategies for cancer. She completed her PhD in 2012. She joined Professor Mário Barbosa´s laboratory at Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica (INEB) in 2013 and her main focus is on the role of non-coding RNAs in tissue repair and regeneration. Moreover, she is interested in using extracellular vesicles/exosomes-mediated microRNA and RNA molecules for regenerative medicine. Main Area of Research: Health Sciences Main Topics: Molecular Biology, Genetics, Oncology, Regenerative Medicine