Maria C. Vieira (MCV) obtained a BSc degree in Biochemistry in 2021 from the School of Life and Environmental Sciences of Vila Real. In 2023, Maria was conferred an MSc degree in Experimental Pathology from the School of Medicine at the University of Coimbra. During her master's, she joined a research project at the Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, under the supervision of Ricardo Silvestre, where she developed a study aiming to evaluate the functional role of species from the genus Lactobacillus in the context of branched-chain amino acids supplementation. Her research focused on characterizing the effect of these species on the epithelial barrier and immune response, as well as understanding their impact during inflammation, using chemical murine models of ulcerative colitis. MCV acquired skills in microbiology, molecular biology, PCR techniques, immunological techniques, histology, and microscopy. She also has experience with animal models. She is currently working with Ricardo Silvestre's group to complete the experimental work required for publication. During this time, she has collaborated on other projects within the lab. MCV has published 2 articles in peer-reviewed journals. Additionally, during her academic training, MCV contributed to the organization of science communication events.