Mariana Bento

Postdoc

Mariana completed her Master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PharmD) at the Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, in 2020. During her academic training, she joined the BioNanoSciences group at iMed.ULisboa, where she began working on the formulation and characterization nanoparticles for biomedical applications. After graduating, she gained professional experience as a pharmacist before returning to academia to pursue a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences, specializing in Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology. Her scientific research focuses on cancer immunotherapy, with particular emphasis on the rational design of polymeric nanovaccines aiming to enhance antigen presentation, shape adaptive immune responses, and overcome immunosuppressive mechanisms within the tumor microenvironment.

Mariana is now returning to the μOrganoLab, where she will develop and apply advanced cancer-on-chip models to study the dynamic crosstalk between tumor cells, immune cells, and the vascular compartment.

In her free time, Mariana enjoys photography and discovering new places, whether through travel or everyday exploration. She likes reading, writing, and spending time with her black cat, Joana, who is an ever-present companion during