Leonor Ribeiro Competes at the Falling Walls Lab Global Finale

INL is honoured to share that PhD student and INLer, Leonor Ribeiro, competed yesterday at the Falling Walls Lab Global Finale, in Berlin.

The Lab is a highlight of the prestigious Falling Walls Science Summit, an international forum that brings together leading voices in science and innovation. This fast-paced competition challenges students and early-career professionals to present their breakthrough ideas in just three minutes. Facing a distinguished jury, the participants compete for the title of “Breakthrough of the Year” in the Emerging Talents category.

Leonor, a member of INL’s Ultra-fast Bio and Nanophotonics Research Group and a PhD candidate in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Porto, earned her place at the global stage after winning first place at the inaugural Falling Walls Lab Portugal, hosted at INL last June.

In Berlin, she presented her project­­­, “Breaking the Wall of Lung Cancer with Light”, as one of the 100 international finalists. Her research explores innovative ways to harness light in the fight against lung cancer, through a novel nanoparticle system that combines photodynamic therapy with immunotherapy, evaluated in a 3D model using metabolic imaging.

Ultimately, the jury awarded Karen de la Vega-Hernández, Elena Barba Sarasua, and Harry Wilton-Clark as winners of the contest.

Nonetheless, Leonor’s participation stands as a powerful testament to Portugal’s scientific excellence and INL’s commitment to fostering world-class talent.