I graduated in Biochemistry in 2008 (Universidade do Porto and Vrije Universiteit, The Netherlands) and, in 2015 I obtained a PhD in Developmental Biology at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (Universidade Nova de Lisboa). In my PhD and first Postdoc, I studied the concerted action of transcription factors and chromatin dictating the differentiation of neural stem cells into neurons. Specifically, I showed that the transcription factor Ascl1, a well-known master regulator of neurogenesis, has the remarkable ability of binding to closed chromatin and promote its opening during neurogenesis. This novel mechanism of action explains at the molecular level how Ascl1 is able to regulate different sets of genes along the neurogenic process (Frontiers in Cellular Neurosciences, 2014; Cell Reports, 2015). Within this project, I worked for 4 months at Guillemot Lab at the National Institute for Medical Research, London, United Kingdom. In a subsequent project, I found that the transcription factor MyT1 promotes neurogenesis downstream of Ascl1 not by activating genes that confer neuronal identity but by switching off genes involved in the maintenance of the multipotent features of stem cells. I discovered that MyT1 ensures the synchronization of these events, allowing the coherent progression of neurogenesis (Cell Reports, 2016; Neurogenesis, 2017). Therefore, my work has pioneered in key aspects of the neurogenesis with important implications for the field of reprogramming and regenerative medicine. With this work, I have published four first-author high impact peer-reviewed papers in high-profile journals. In my PhD and first postdoc position, I had the opportunity to explore one of the conceptual questions that fascinates me the most in Biology: how cell fate decisions are molecularly established. This motto continues to inspire me until these days, but now I am tackling it with a different, more applied, perspective. On my current Postdoc position at the Vascular Morphogenesis Lab led by Dr. Claudio Franco, I have been learning about the blood vessel formation (angiogenesis). During angiogenesis, endothelial cells migrate towards avascular areas in response to angiogenic cues, such as VEGF. Remarkably, pathological angiogenesis, where excessive vessels can take on tortuous and poorly branched morphologies, is a hallmark of cancer and diabetic retinopathy and has been associated with abnormally high levels of VEGF. Therefore, the premise of my current research endeavors is that by fine-tuning the activity of VEGF signaling, one should be able to control endothelial cell identity/behavior and, hence, blood vessel formation. With that intent in mind, I devised the current project proposal aiming at translating the current understanding of the fundamental principles of Vascular Biology to the clinical setting. By targeting VEGF signaling, I aim at developing a new anti-angiogenic therapy to block blood vessel formation in cancer and retinopathies. For that, I have already created a cellular system that allows for controlled release of VEGF and its concomitant visualization in live-cells. At the Vascular Morphogenesis Lab, I have already contributed to two publications within the context of two other projects (eLife 2019, Genesis 2019) [5, 6]. Moreover, I have been working independently on the design and development of my own research line. I have been awarded with a highly competitive Postodoctoral Researcher Contract (Junior level, 6 years) funded by FCT in 2017. I was also awarded with a Research & Development project funded by FCT in 2018 to start developing my own research line.