Rafael Santos obtained his MSc degree in Bioengineering with a specialization in Molecular Bioengineering from the University of Porto, in 2022.

His research journey started as a trainee at Prof. Paula Tamagnini's lab at i3S (Porto), where he contributed to the identification of bacterial species in deep-sea soil samples. This was followed by an Erasmus+ research stay at Ghent University (Belgium), under the supervision of Prof. Andre Skirtach, where he focused on developing calcium carbonate particles for antibiotic delivery. Upon returning to Portugal, he successfully completed his Master's thesis, under the supervision of Prof. Ana Paula Pêgo (i3S), on the application of biodegradable dendrimers for delivering therapeutic RNAs to the nervous system.

Between 2023 and 2024, Rafael worked as a MSc research fellow at the nanoBiomaterials for Targeted Therapies group, under the framework of the “JumpIN” project. Besides expanding on his Master's research, he acquired additional skills, including recombinant protein production, neuronal microfluidic cultures, and maintenance and differentiation of human-derived iPSCs.

Currently, as a PhD student at i3S, Rafael is exploring the potential of bacterial toxins for targeted siRNA delivery.