At NIMSB, the celebration of National Scientists Day began one day early — and in a very special way: by opening our laboratories to the next generation of future scientists.

On May 15, NIMSB welcomed students from class 11ºA of Escola Secundária Quinta do Marquês, accompanied by their Biology and Physics-Chemistry teachers, for a visit to our laboratories at Botton-Champalimaud.

During the visit, researchers from the António Jacinto Lab and Claudia Santos Lab introduced the students to several research projects currently being developed at NIMSB. Raquel Lourenço presented her work on zebrafish retina regeneration, while Rute Salvador, Rita Pereira and Maria Pimenta shared insights into the lab’s new liver cancer project. Diogo Carregosa discussed how compounds from the food we eat may influence inflammation in Parkinson’s disease, and Inês P. Silva and Ana Rita Garcia showcased an innovative brain-on-a-chip model developed in our laboratories.

The visit was marked by lively discussion, thoughtful questions and strong interaction between students, teachers and researchers. The NIMSB team was truly impressed by the students’ knowledge, curiosity and eagerness to learn more about science and biomedical research.

On National Scientists Day, this visit served as a powerful reminder that science advances not only through discovery, but also by inspiring young minds to ask questions, explore ideas and imagine themselves as the scientists of tomorrow.

Because the future of science starts with curiosity.