As a University of Porto alumna, Cristina Soares's academic journey spans from a BSc in Chemistry (2001) to an MSc in Analytical Environmental Chemistry (2007) and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences focusing on Nutrition and Food Chemistry (2015). After completing her BSc, she sought to broaden her experience internationally rather than immediately pursuing a traditional academic career. She received a training grant at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, where she participated in an intensive analytical chemistry program from 2002 to 2004, specifically within the Quality Control Section, sparking her research passion. In the framework of her MSc, she joined the University of Islas Baleares, Spain as a visiting researcher, shaping her analytical chemistry skills that she later applied to her MSc research thesis on food contaminants. Following her return, she accepted an Organic Chemistry, Instrumental Methods of Analysis, and Environmental Biochemistry position lecturer at the Portuguese Catholic University from 2006 to 2008. Subsequently, she was granted funding to undertake her doctoral studies, where she studied the impact of coffee processing on acrylamide formation. After completing her doctorate, a brief detour as an online automotive press articles analyst honed her soft skills, such as critical thinking and time management, crucial for the challenges of managing research projects and teaching. Over the years, she has contributed to diverse projects funded by various entities. From developing analytical methods for food contaminants (POCI/AGR/61543/2004) to creating silica nanoparticles for drug delivery (PTDC/CTMNAN/109877/2009) and extracting neuroprotective compounds from seaweeds (PTDC/OCE-ETA/30240/2017), she has consistently emphasized sustainable bioresources. Further, she worked on three co-promotion projects funded by COMPETE 2020 and led by industrial companies, each emphasizing the sustainable use of bioresources. In project Naturbel (NATURBEL/05/2014/030273), bioresources were used to produce natural-based cosmetic products. In iCanSea (iCanSea/Phd/2015/317), the focus was enhancing canned fish products with seaweeds. The third project, Oxie-3D (POCI-01-0247-FEDER-039882), used advanced techniques to treat wastewater with agricultural wastes. She also collaborated on the European project SEAFOODTOMORROW (773400), an ambitious initiative involving 35 partners from 19 countries aiming to valorize marine resources. Recently, she joined the Blue Bioeconomy Innovation Pact, focusing on innovative economic models based on the sustainable use of marine bioresources. In this project, she will collaborate with industries to enhance marine products' nutritional and sensorial properties, supervising students to ensure hands-on experience and field growth. Moreover, on the recently funded project by the Iberian American Programme for Science and technology development (CYTED) RED223RT0141, Development of genosensors to detect DNA polymorphisms in the central nervous system (GENOPSYSEN), she will work on the development of genosensors. Her dedication to science communication has led to her active participation in events like Ciência Viva no Laboratório, the Celebrations of the 150 Years of The Periodic Table, and Global Women Breakfast. She has worked with over 200 collaborators, fostering global partnerships with research groups and institutions. These collaborations resulted in over 30 high-impact journal articles and four book chapters, and she presented her research findings at national and international conferences through papers, posters, and oral presentations. Recently, she served as an expert evaluator for the National Science Center of Poland's international projects. Recognizing her contributions to the field, she has been honored with various awards, including the 1st Prize in the 12th Edition of the IPVC Poliempreende Contest and the 3rd Prize in the 11th Edition of the same contest.