Eva Duarte is a molecular biologist whose research interests focus on regenerative medicine, stem cell biology, immune cell function, and tissue repair. She holds a BSc in Biology and an MSc in Molecular Biology and Genetics from the University of Lisbon. During her Master’s research at NOVA Medical School, Eva investigated macrophage development using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived models and zebrafish, gaining experience in stem cell differentiation, molecular biology, fluorescence microscopy, and in vivo models.
In 2026, Eva joined the NOVA Institute for Medical Systems Biology (NOVA IMSB) as an FCT PhD Fellow in Dr. Sophia Maschalidi’s lab. Her PhD project, “Clear to Heal: Decoding and enhancing phagocytosis in skin regeneration,” aims to investigate the mechanisms underlying phagocytic clearance of apoptotic cells in the skin and their role in tissue repair. Her work will explore how impaired phagocytosis contributes to chronic wounds and how enhancing this process may promote tissue regeneration, using multi-omics approaches, genetic models, and human microphysiological wound systems.