Mariana Alves

Director and Class Coordinator

Mariana is also a PhD student at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), in Heidelberg, where she investigates the regulation of genes during the development of Drosophila embryos. Born in Coimbra, she has also lived in Copenhagen and in Cambridge (UK). Mariana loves contemporary dance, theatre and Portuguese music, such as the sung poems by Cristina Branco.

Rafael Galupa

Director and Class Coordinator

Rafael is also a postdoctoral researcher at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), in Heidelberg, where he studies how the instructions in our DNA determine the different parts of our body. Born in Rio de Mouro, in Sintra, he has lived as well in Paris and in Stockholm. A lover of Sophia de Mello Breyner Anderson’s poetry, Rafael enjoys spending time in nature.

Romana Yáñez

Class Coordinator

Romana is also a PhD student at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC), in Oeiras, where she investigates proteins from the plant Arabidopsis thaliana that have important roles in the response to environmental stresses. Born in Cuba, she has also lived in Angola and in South Africa. Romana loves drawing, playing "capoeira" and taking walks in nature.

Rita Neves

Team Member Contest Santander/NOVA

Rita is also a science communicator at ITQB NOVA, working in educational programs and outreach initiatives. With a passion for writing, she keeps regular articles in P3 and you will never find her without a notebook and a pen. The sea and the sun are her essentials and she loves dancing and discovering new songs.

Hilarino da Luz

Team Member Contest Santander/NOVA

Hilarino is also researcher at the Centre for Humanities in NOVA FCSH, where he is involved in African Studies, Culture and Literature, and History of the Environment and the Sea. He is also a researcher in the CONCHA project, and a member of the UNESCO Chair and the Eugénio Tavares Chair for Portuguese Language in the University of Cabo Verde, from where he is from. In his free time, he likes to do sports.