Ivone M. Martins

Ivone M. Martins is a Junior Researcher at the Centre of Biological Engineering (University of Minho, Portugal) since December 2018. She holds a PhD 'Cum laude' in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from the University of Salamanca (Spain, 2009) and a Licenciatura in Biotechnological Engineering from Instituto Politécnico de Bragança (Portugal, 2001). Her research focuses on phage engineering, biomaterials, and applications in neurodegenerative diseases and regenerative medicine. She has held postdoctoral positions at institutions including the University of Salamanca, University of Amsterdam, and the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience.

Key research areas include: Bacteriophage-based diagnostics for Alzheimer’s disease, phage display for cancer targeting, and microbial transglutaminases. She is a member of the Sociedade Portuguesa de Neurociências and International Society for Viruses of Microorganisms.

Notable awards include the 2014 Fleming Prize (SEM) and 2023 Startup Point Award. She has secured major grants including the 2021 FCT grant for phage engineering (EXPL/EMD-EMD/1142/2021) and the 2021 Obra Social La Caixa grant (FITTED project).

Her lab develops bioactive materials and diagnostic tools, with recent work on amyloid-beta detection and osteoarthritic cartilage repair. Professional activities include organizing phage biotechnology courses and serving as a scientific advisor for innovation programs.