Rita Santos, PhD, is an immunologist with over 14 years of experience in biomedical research. She is External Outreach Director at Mondego Bio, a Portuguese biotech company developing new therapies in immuno-oncology, where she contributes to the company’s funding initiatives and external partnerships, helping move scientific discoveries towards the clinic. She is also a university lecturer at School of Health, Technical University of Porto. Her work spans fundamental and translational immunology, preclinical research and clinical collaborations. Working at the interface of academia, industry and investment, she is particularly interested in how Europe can turn its scientific strength into therapies that reach patients, and in what early-stage companies need to get there.