Elisabete Fernandes
Staff Researcher
Elisabete Fernandes is an assay development scientist specializing in biosensors. She is a Staff Researcher in the Nanodevices Group at the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL). Her responsibilities include developing assay formats, surface functionalization, and applying biosensors for medical biomarkers detection. She is also actively involved in the development of the research strategy for the health cluster at INL. She is also responsible for the clinical laboratory at INL, overseeing its implementation (BSL2). Elisabete received her PhD degree in Chemical and Biological Engineering from the University of Minho, Portugal, in 2013. Her doctoral research focused on developing a biosensor using bacteriophages as biorecognition elements, with part of the work conducted at the University of Auburn, USA, and the University of Leuven, Belgium. During her Ph.D. studies, she received a national grant (FCT) and then a Marie Curie Fellowship for her participation in an EU-funded project related to cancer diagnosis. Elisabete has also taken on the role of project coordinator for the Fully Integrated Magnetoresistive Biochip Platform for Stroke Patient Stratification (FIM4Stroke), funded through a national program (FCT). She has actively participated in several national and international projects. Since 2014, Elisabete has dedicated her primary attention to advancing the development of a Point-of-Care (PoC) technology, specifically focusing on the utilization of Magnetoresistive platforms and the creation of innovative detection strategies for stroke. Beyond her scientific pursuits, Elisabete is a multidisciplinary researcher actively involved in pedagogical projects at both national and international levels. Her work has been published in science communication and pedagogical practice conferences. She is also a passionate advocate for knowledge humanization and accessibility. Her commitment to these ideals is evident in her affiliations and engagements. She is proudly affiliated with National Geographic as a certified educator, actively contributing to the promotion of scientific literacy. Furthermore, Elisabete holds the role of co-founder and leader of Mission NERD, a volunteer project that aims to foster scientific literacy at INL. This project was one of the selected projects to be exhibited in the 3rd Citizen Engagement and Deliberative Democracy Festival (EU) in 2020. In addition to her educational endeavours, Elisabete is a Certified Educator and Ambassador of Applied Compassion from the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford University School of Medicine. Elisabete's dedication to integrating compassion into her work and innovative projects underscores her holistic approach to science, education, and societal well-being.
Selected Publications
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A pump-free microfluidic device for fast magnetic labeling of ischemic stroke biomarkers
ANALYTICAL AND BIOANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, 2022 -
Point-of-care quantification of serum cellular fibronectin levels for stratification of ischemic stroke patients’
NANOMEDICINE-NANOTECHNOLOGY BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, 2020 -
Functionalization of single-layer graphene for immunoassays
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE, 2019