Carina Valente completed her PhD in Molecular Biology in December 2015 at ITQB-NOVA and graduated in Anatomia Patológica, Citológica e Tanatológica in 2007 by Instituto Politécnico do Porto Escola Superior de Saúde. She is a post-doctoral fellow at ITQB-NOVA. C. Valente has published 11 articles in peer-reviewed journals, 8 as first author. She has secured funding as PI in a highly competitive international call for a project (2 years, 20 000 euros, team of 5 researchers) funded by ESCMID. She has also secured funding as Co-PI in a highly competitive national call for a project (3 years, 240 000 euros, team of 8 researchers) funded by FCT. C Valente has been supervising students for the past several years (1 PhD student, 4 Master students and 7 undergraduate students). She has been involved in teaching activities at the master and undergraduate levels and is reviewer for 5 international scientific journals. All these activities are a reflection of her efforts to achieve her scientific independence. C. Valente is fascinated with the topic of intra-species interactions in pneumococci and how they shape colonization dynamics. This is a highly relevant research question to understand the development of disease and how the pneumococcal population reacts to human interventions, such as anti-pneumococcal vaccination, that trigger accelerated evolution with poorly understood consequences in carriage and disease . Her research interests are also focused on understanding pneumococcal biofilms and their relevance for the biology and ecology of the species. Her PhD and post-doctoral studies have been pioneer on the topic of co-colonization and intra-species interactions. These studies have been internationally recognized in scientific publications and communications and became the focus of further studies, including by other members of the scientific community. She has received several awards and distinctions based on the scientific merit of her work (poster prize, meeting attendance grants, merit award). C. Valente has also been involved and has organized several outreach and science dissemination activities (ITQB Open Day, International Microorganism Day, Summer Science @ITQB, mentoring of high school students) and plans to continue this type of activities, in line with the duty of every researcher to bridge the gap between Science and Society.