Filipa completed her Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering, in the field of Biomaterials, Rehabilitation and Biomechanics in 3B’s Research Group at the University of Minho, Portugal. She also performed an Erasmus internship program at BioTech Research Centre at the University of Trento, Italy. During her masters she developed a novel research project on a microfluidic-assisted electrospinning, as an alternative to the coaxial electrospinning, as a controlled release of dual drugs to treat inflammatory arthritic diseases. Characterization of fibrous meshes, as well stability and release profile of encapsulated pharmaceutical agents were performed. In vitro safety and efficacy of the developed controlled release system were also evaluated.
Her PhD project, funded by Horizon2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, will focus on the Development of drug delivery systems for ERAP/IRAP modulators, with the main aim of creating a safe, efficient, and innovative drug delivery system. In particular, the production of an extended-release delivery capable of tissue targeting and a minimize side effects, for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. The different systems will need to be optimized, and an analysis of the stability of the particles in serum, circulation times, and interaction with plasma proteins (WP3-4) will be accessed, as well as the physicochemical characteristics of the two DDS and release kinetics will be continuously evaluated. This is going to be developed at INOCURE laboratory facilities in Prague, Czech Republic. The drug delivery systems will be evaluated in vitro and in vivo during the secondments to academic partners at the University of Lille (ULILLE) in Lille, France, and at the Oncohaematology Research Centre of the Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù (OPBG) in Rome, Italy, respectively