Mariana Henriques

Mariana Henriques is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Engineering at Universidade do Minho since 2013, with expertise in microbial biofilms, Candida pathogenesis, and antifungal therapies. She holds a PhD (2005) and Licenciatura (1998) in Biological Engineering from Universidade do Minho.

• PhD in Biological Engineering (2005)
• Licenciatura in Biological Engineering (1998)

Research Interests focus on:

• Understanding Candida biofilm formation and virulence mechanisms
• Developing antisense oligomer therapies for biofilm control
• Engineering antimicrobial coatings for medical devices
• Exploring essential oils and natural products as antifungals
• Advancing sustainable materials with biological protection properties

Her 15 most recent publications (2023-2025) span Biofilms, Antifungal Resistance, RNA Therapeutics, and Smart Textiles, with collaborations in Nanotechnology, Medical Devices, and Clinical Mycology. Grants from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia support her work on:

• Multiplexed biosensors for cancer therapy (2022-2025)
• Antisense oligomer applications (2018-2022)
• Biofilm-implant interactions (2016-2020)
• Antimicrobial textile development (2018-2021)