i3S researcher honoured by the European Society of Human Genetics
Bibiana Ribeiro, a student on the Doctoral Programme in Biomedical Sciences at the Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS) of the University of Porto, carrying out her research at i3S, has been awarded the ELPAG Early Career Award, given by the European Society of Human Genetics (ESHG) for the best oral presentation in the area of the ethical, legal, and psychosocial aspects of genetics.
The award was made during the European Human Genetics Conference 2026, where the researcher presented a talk entitled “Still Becoming: Global Reflections on the Future of the Genetic Counselling Profession”. The work is the result of an exploratory qualitative study focused on the present and future of genetic counselling, bringing together the perspectives of professionals from several countries.
A genetic counsellor by training, Bibiana Ribeiro also serves on the board of the Portuguese Association of Genetic Counselling Professionals (APPAcGen), an organisation that has played an active role in promoting and gaining recognition for the profession in Portugal. It was precisely from that interest that the now award-winning study was born.
The project set out to consult leading professionals in the field of genetic counselling internationally. The team conducted more than 25 interviews with recognised experts, exploring their reflections on the challenges the profession will face in the coming years.
“More than disseminating scientific results, this presentation was an opportunity to encourage reflection, stimulate debate, and give visibility to genetic counselling before a multidisciplinary audience made up of healthcare professionals and researchers in the field of human genetics,” Bibiana Ribeiro notes.
The researcher’s participation in the congress was supported by an ESHG grant, which covered registration for the event and financial support for travel and accommodation. Beyond the scientific recognition, the ELPAG Early Career Award includes registration for the 2027 ESHG annual meeting in Rotterdam, a year’s membership of the scientific society, and a cash prize of 600 euros.
For Bibiana Ribeiro, this award holds special meaning. “As an early-career professional, this recognition reinforces the importance of continuing to take genetic counselling into international scientific spaces and of championing the visibility, integration, and recognition of the profession,” she says.
The researcher also stresses that this achievement is the result of a collective effort, highlighting the role of her mentors, Milena Paneque and Lídia Guimarães, as well as the contribution of colleagues and of all the professionals who took part in the study.
“I receive this award with great pride and gratitude, but also with renewed motivation to keep working towards the development of the profession and to fight for its rightful recognition and integration in Portugal,” she concludes.
