Rafaela Abrantes is a biomedical scientist with an international PhD in Biomedical Sciences (2025) from the University of Porto (ICBAS), funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). Her research focuses on cancer-associated glycans as selective targets for immunotherapy, integrating glycobiology, immunology, and translational oncology. Her doctoral research, conducted at the Glycobiology in Cancer group at the Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S, Porto) and at the Section of Cellular Therapy of Oslo University Hospital, established the tumor-restricted expression and therapeutic potential of the cancer-associated glycan Sialyl-Tn. This work led to the development of highly specific monoclonal antibodies and Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell strategies validated in advanced preclinical models, including patient-derived organoids and xenografts. Through this interdisciplinary training, she acquired end-to-end experience across the preclinical translational pipeline, from antibody engineering and immune cell manipulation to functional evaluation in physiologically relevant patient-derived systems. Her work has resulted in peer-reviewed publications in internationally recognized journals, presentations at major international scientific meetings, competitive scientific distinctions, and national recognition through television and science communication platforms, reflecting both international impact and societal relevance of her research. She is currently a Junior Researcher at i3S, where she is consolidating a research line focused on glycan-targeted antibody-based immunotherapies for solid tumors.