Mónica Santos holds a degree in Chemical Engineering (2008) and a PhD in Environmental Engineering (2013) from the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP).
She is currently an Assistant Researcher at the Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto (ISPUP), where she is a member of the Epidemiology Research Unit (EPIUnit) and the Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR). She coordinates the laboratory “Exposure to Cytotoxic Drugs and Health”, which is part of Thematic Line L3 – Genetic, Behavioural and Environmental Determinants of Health and Disease.
Her scientific work focuses on assessing human and environmental exposure to emerging contaminants, with a particular emphasis on cytotoxic drugs (also known as cytostatics or antineoplastics). Her research combines the development of advanced analytical methodologies, environmental monitoring, occupational biomonitoring, and risk assessment, aiming to protect public health and ecosystems.
She is currently the Principal Investigator of the project “Shielding Lives: Integrated Strategies for the Prevention and Mitigation of Health Risks Posed by Hazardous Medicinal Products”, funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). She has led or been part of more than 10 funded national and international research projects. Mónica Santos maintains active collaborations with several hospital and scientific institutions, both in Portugal and abroad, in the field of occupational and environmental exposure to cytotoxic drugs and other hazardous substances.
She is the author of several peer-reviewed publications in international scientific journals. She has been supervising PhD, MSc, and undergraduate students, and regularly participates in advanced training and science communication activities.
