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Maria Marques Félix concluded her Bachelor's degree in Biology in 2021 and completed her Master's degree in Biochemistry in 2023, both from the University of Coimbra. Her primary research focus is on the diagnosis of gynaecological cancer utilising Vibrational Spectroscopy techniques and constructing artificial intelligence models for the classification of spectral analyzed samples. She undertook internships that enriched her understanding of statistical analysis and laboratory techniques, at the Instituto de Anatomia Patológica e Patologia Molecular da Universidade de Coimbra (IAP-PM) and the iCBR. In 2022, Maria joined the R&D Unit “Molecular Physical-Chemistry” at the University of Coimbra (QFM-UC), where she conducted her thesis on "Identification of Spectral Biomarkers of Cervical Cancer by Raman and FTIR Spectroscopies." Her research aimed to analyse cervical tissue samples using vibrational spectroscopy techniques to detect molecular alterations indicative of tumourigenesis. She intended to implement this technique in cervical cancer diagnosis alongside existing histopathological techniques to enhance accuracy. This work culminated in the publication of a scientific paper titled "Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma by FTIR Microspectroscopy", with Maria M. Felix as the first author of the article. During and after her Master's, Maria presented one poster communication at 15º Encontro Nacional de Química Física and one oral presentation at the "4th Edition of Urban Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition" organised by GISU. Additionally, she co-authored a proposal entitled "Electron Microscopy for Discriminating Healthy from Cervix Cancer Human Tissues" at ISIS@MACH Italia, advocating the use of SEM and TEM for examining healthy and cancerous human tissues. She has also tutored students in 2022 and 2023, in the Tutorial em Química subject as well as in a summer internship, both at QFM-UC. Maria attended two courses on data analysis using MATLAB, participated at the 9th Meeting ENURS and is currently interning in cell culture and co-cultures at QFM-UC. She was associated, as a volunteer from 2022 to 2023, with miniBIOQS, a non-profit organization, dedicated to bringing science to Coimbra's pediatric hospital and peripheral schools with limited access to scientific resources. Furthermore, she is actively involved in developing a project with her team, ChiSolutions, aimed at producing bioplastic from chitin extracted from crustacean exoskeletons. This project received recognition, winning the 1st prize at the national contest Sustenta-UC in 2022, with a patent submission and the 2nd prize award of 50000 RMB (ca. 6000€) at the international "4th Edition of Urban Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition" organised by GISU in Padova, Italy. This competition showcased novel ideas promoting sustainable urban development through scientific and technological innovations, where universities from all over the world participated.
Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Maria Marques Félix

Citation names

  • M. Félix, Maria

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
321D-8A19-367C
ORCID iD
0000-0002-6396-1584
Google Scholar ID
https://scholar.google.com.br/citations?hl=pt-PT&user=jK0-7R0AAAAJ

Email addresses

  • mmfelix@student.uc.pt (Professional)

Telephones

Telephone
  • (+351) 239852094 (Professional)

Addresses

  • Departamento de Química Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia Universidade de Coimbra, 3004-535 , Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal (Professional)

Websites

Knowledge fields

  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Biochemistry
  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Biology

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
Portuguese (Mother tongue)
English Upper intermediate (B2) Upper intermediate (B2) Upper intermediate (B2) Upper intermediate (B2) Upper intermediate (B2)
Spanish; Castilian Intermediate (B1) Intermediate (B1) Elementary (A2) Intermediate (B1) Elementary (A2)
French Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1)
Education
Degree Classification
2021/09/15 - 2023/09/29
Concluded
Bioquímica (Mestrado)
Universidade de Coimbra Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Portugal
"Identification of Spectral Biomarkers of Cervical Cancer by Raman and FTIR Spectroscopies" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
2022/10 - 2022/12
Concluded
MATLAB Fundamentals (Outros)
Mathworks Inc, United States
2022/09 - 2022/09
Concluded
MATLAB Onramp (Outros)
Mathworks Inc, United States
2018/09 - 2021/07
Concluded
Licenciatura Biologia (Licenciatura)
Universidade de Coimbra Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Portugal
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution
Employer
2023/09 - Current Research Trainee (Research) Universidade de Coimbra Unidade de Investigação e Desenvolvimento Química-Física Molecular, Portugal
Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Ciencias e Tecnologia, Portugal
2022/06 - 2022/09 Research Trainee (Research) Universidade de Coimbra Unidade de Investigação e Desenvolvimento Química-Física Molecular, Portugal
2022/02 - 2022/03 Research Trainee (Research) CNC.IBILI, Portugal
2021/02 - 2021/06 Research Trainee (Research) Universidade de Coimbra Instituto de Anatomia Patológica, Portugal
Outputs

Publications

Conference poster
  1. M. Félix, Maria; M. V. Tavares; P. Santos, Inês; Luís A. E. Batista de Carvalho; Marques, MPM. "Identification of Spectral Biomarkers of Cervical Cancer by Raman and FTIR Spectroscopies". Paper presented in 15th National Physical Chemistry Meeting, 2023.
Journal article
  1. M. Félix, Maria; Mariana V. Tavares; Inês P. Santos; Ana L. M. Batista de Carvalho; Luis A. E. Batista de Carvalho; Maria Paula M. Marques. "Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma Diagnosis by FTIR Microspectroscopy". Molecules (2024): https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29050922.
    10.3390/molecules29050922
Thesis / Dissertation
  1. "Identification of Spectral Biomarkers of Cervical Cancer by Raman and FTIR Spectroscopies". Master, Universidade de Coimbra, 2023.
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2024/05/09 Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma through FTIR Microspectroscopy BIOPHYSICS FESTIVAL 2024 - 4th Meeting of Young Biophysicists
Faculty of Sciences from University of Beira Interior (Covilhã, Portugal)

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event
Event name
Institution / Organization
2023/06/21 - 2023/06/23 Encontro Nacional De Utilizadores De Radiação De Sincrotrão
Meeting
Encontro Nacional De Utilizadores De Radiação De Sincrotrão (ENURS 2023)
Instituto Politécnico de Leiria, Portugal

Association member

Society Organization name Role
2022 - 2023 Associação miniBIOQS - Associação Ciência para Todos Voluntária

Mentoring / Tutoring

Topic Student name
2023/08 - 2023/08 Avaliação da resposta quimioterapêutica de complexos metálicos de Pd(II) e Pt(II) em linhas celulares de colon por microespectroscopias de Infravermelho João Fernando de Sousa Henriques
2022 - 2023 Tutorial em Química Bruna Rocha Costa
2022 - 2023 Tutorial em Química Daniel Lagoa Madeira
2022 - 2023 Tutorial em Química Teresa Branco Torres da Costa

Scientific expedition

Activity description Institution / Organization
2024/07/15 - 2024/07/19 Top Female Founders Summer School Universität für Bodenkultur Wien Department für Integrative Biologie und Biodiversitätsforschung, Austria
2023/10 - 2023/10 Electron Microscopy for discriminating healthy from cervical cancer human tissues. ISIS@MACH ITALIA, Italy
Distinctions

Award

2023 Second Prize - 4th Edition of Urban Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition promoted by GISU
Guangzhou University School of Environmental Science and Engineering, China
2022 First Prize - SustentaUC
Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal