Sara Ferreira – Proof that data doesn't have to be grey.

A computational scientist who can’t stop thinking about how things look.

Four years of PhD research, data pipelines, molecular simulations, and first-author publications. Also: exhibition-selected photography, award-winning conference posters, and a growing conviction that how you show something is just as important as what you found.

If that combination sounds useful to you, we should talk.

POSTERS

Ferreira, S. G. F.; Faísca, P. F. N.; Machuqueiro, M. *When folding gets tangled: From stability to activity in UCH-L1.* Ciências Research & Innovation Day, Lisbon, Portugal, October 22, 2025.

**Ferreira, S. G. F.;** Faísca, P. F. N.; Machuqueiro, M. *Knot your average protein: The role of the knot in UCH-L1 activity.* Protein Electrostatics, Lisbon, Portugal, June 23-27, 2025.

Ferreira, S. G. F.; Rodrigues, F. E. P.; Silva, C.; Figueiredo, A.; Santos, R. B.; Machuqueiro, M. *In silico development of a **P. viticola** VviSBT4.19 mutant to circumvent its wild-type autoproteolytic activity.* 3D-BIOINFO-PT Annual Meeting, Lisbon, Portugal, December 20, 2024.

Ferreira, S. G. F.; Sriramoju, M. K.; Hsu, S.-T. D.; Faísca, P. F. N.; Machuqueiro, M. *Unraveling the Knot: Investigating the Structural Dynamics of UCH-L1 through MD Simulations.* 4th Biophysics Festival, Covilhã, Portugal, May 9-10, 2024.

Ferreira, S. G. F.; Rodrigues, F. E. P.; Silva, C.; Figueiredo, A.; Santos, R. B.; Machuqueiro, M. *Computational insights into the structure of an important grapevine serine protease (VviSBT4.19) involved in the defense against *P. viticola*.* 3D-BIOINFO-PT Annual Meeting, Coimbra, Portugal, December 2023.

Ferreira, S. G. F.; Faísca, P. F. N.; Machuqueiro, M. *Unknotting the mystery: Molecular dynamics simulations unveil the conformational behaviour of UCH-L1.* 3rd Chem & Biochem Students Meeting, FCUL, Lisbon, Portugal, July 13, 2023.

Ferreira, S. G. F.; Rodrigues, F. E. P.; Silva, C.; Figueiredo, A.; Santos, R. B.; Machuqueiro, M. *In silico structural analysis of the grapevine serine protease VviSBT4.19 involved in defense against *P. viticola*.* Protein Electrostatics 2023, Genoa, Italy, June 26-29, 2023.

Ferreira, S. G. F.; Faísca, P. F. N.; Machuqueiro, M. *In silico study of the role of protein knots in mechanical stability and function.* 2nd Chem & Biochem Students Meeting, FCUL, Lisbon, Portugal, July 15, 2022.

**Ferreira, S. G. F.;** Victor, B. *Improving the druggability of Aquaporin-1 for future drug discovery campaigns.* EJIBCE 2019, Lisbon, Portugal, December 20, 2019.

PUBLICATIONS

Ferreira, S. G. F.; Rodrigues, F. E. P.; Paiva-Silva, C.; Figueiredo, A.; Santos, R. B.; Machuqueiro, M. In Silico Structural Analysis of the Grapevine Serine Protease VviSBT4.19 Involved in Defense against Plasmopara viticola. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2026, 74 (7), 1724–1732.

Ferreira, S. G. F.; Sriramoju, M. K.; Hsu, S.-T. D.; Faísca, P.; Machuqueiro, M. Is there a functional role for the knotted topology in protein UCH-L1? J. Chem. Inf. Model. 2024, 64 (17), 6827–6837.

Rosário-Ferreira, N.; Baptista, S. J.; Barreto, C. A. V.; Rodrigues, F.; Silva, T.; Ferreira, S. G. F.; Melo, R.; et al. In silico end-to-end protein–ligand interaction characterization pipeline: The case of SARS-CoV-2. ACS Synth. Biol. 2021, 10 (11), 3209–3235.

AWARDS

2025 – Best Oral Presentation Award, Biophysics Festival, NOVA FCT, Almada, Portugal

2023 – Best Poster Award, Protein Electrostatics Conference, Genoa, Italy

2019 – MaxData Award for Excellence in Informatics, FCUL, Lisbon, Portugal

Ferreira, S. G. F.; Faísca, P. F. N.; Machuqueiro, M. Unraveling the energy barriers and functional dynamics of the 5_2 knot in UCH-L1. 5th Meeting of Young Biophysicists – Biophysics Festival, Almada, Portugal, May 8-9, 2025.

VISUAL STORYTELLING – AWARDS & EXHIBITIONS

Open House Europe – Visual Stories Exhibition (2025)

Theme: Future Heritage

Work: Echoes of Tomorrow

Selected for international exhibition, publication, and traveling showcase.

Open House Europe – Visual Stories Exhibition (2024)

Theme: Accessibility & Inclusion

Work: Building Connections,
Transforming Legacies

Selected for international exhibition, publication, and traveling showcase.