Ana Luísa Carvalho, Ph.D., completed her doctoral studies in Structural Biology in 2002 and has since served as a Senior Independent Researcher at UCIBIO-NOVA, a position she began in 2003. Her research endeavors are dedicated to uncovering unexplored biological protein-carbohydrate interactions with significant biotechnological implications in nutrition, pharmaceuticals, and the biofuel industry. Leveraging a diverse array of structural biology and biophysics methods, Ana Luísa employs cutting-edge techniques, notably X-ray Crystallography, to elucidate molecular mechanisms.

In her quest for advancing structural biology techniques, Ana Luísa is currently spearheading the implementation of Cryo-Electron Microscopy methods at UCIBIO. In this capacity, she leads the NOVA FCT node of the CryoEM-PT National Roadmap Infrastructure, facilitating groundbreaking research initiatives.

Ana Luísa's commitment to mentorship and academic leadership is evident through her supervision of five successful Ph.D. students, one of whom was honored with the Antonio Xavier Prize for Best Thesis in 2013. Presently, she mentors a Ph.D. student from the Biochemistry NOVA FCT Doctoral program, in addition to training MSc students, Post-Doctoral Fellows, and other undergraduate and graduate students.

Having served as an Invited Assistant Professor at NOVA FCT from 2003 to 2008 and as a member of the Scientific Council from 2012 to 2015, Ana Luísa has played pivotal roles in academic governance and curriculum development.

As Principal Investigator, Ana Luísa has steered four national FCT-MCTES funded projects and contributed as a team member in 15 others. She presently co-leads the FCT-MCTES GlycOSELECT project, securing a total of 981,673.00 EUR in R&D Projects under her leadership. Her contributions have been recognized through prestigious awards, including the Santander-Totta Scientific Merit Award (2012), the Bluepharma Innovation Award (2013), and the Gilead Genese Award (2022).

Ana Luísa's prolific research output encompasses 58 peer-reviewed publications (14 as corresponding author), 6 book chapters (one in press), 22 invited oral communications, and 30 co-authored oral communications. Additionally, she has co-authored 95 poster presentations, with nine awarded as Best Poster. Her editorial contributions include serving as a Guest Editor for a Special Issue of the open-access journal Crystals.

Engaging in science outreach activities, Ana Luísa has actively contributed to the International Year of Crystallography (2014) and the International Year of Chemistry (2011). She has also served as a regular translator for the Science-in-School magazine (2006-2012) and maintains active engagement through social media platforms and her personal website. Since January 2020, Ana Luísa has undertaken the role of Ambassador for Science Communication & Outreach for the XTAL research lab.