Team

About Us

Director

Rui Ferreira

CEO

Graduated in Veterinary Medicine at Institute for Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar – Oporto University (ICBAS-UP) in 2005. PhD in Veterinary Sciences at ICBAS-UP in 2014. Internship at the Animal Medical Center in Manchester in 2003. In 2005 did several externships, at the referenced Veterinary Clinic Ars Veterinaria, at the Veterinary Medicine Faculty’s Clinical Hospital from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, at the Veterinary Clinic of Matosinhos and at Oporto’s Veterinary Hospital. In 2006 did an externship in the Bacteriology’s department of the National Laboratory of Veterinary Investigation. Colaborated as a DVM at Oporto’s Veterinary Hospital from 2005 to 2008, focusing the areas of emergency and critical care, physical therapy and hemotherapy. Started in 2008 a PhD in Veterinary Sciences entitled “Transfusional Medicine in canines – from the donor’s health to the efficacy in the receptor”, by the Institute for Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar. Participated as a speaker in several Transfusional Medicine related lectures and national congresses. Author of several scientific articles published in national and international magazines in the area of collection and processing of blood units from canines and hemotherapy. Clinical Director for the Animal Blood Bank since 2011

Management Board

Inês Cardoso

Graduated in Veterinary Medicine at ICBAS-Oporto University in 2008. Have done several externships and post graduation studies in exotic animal medicine and surgery namely in Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic of Indianapollis (USA), Loro Park (Tenerife, Spain) and Vets Now Referrals (Swindon, UK). Also had special formation in veterinary pathology in NationWide Laboratories (UK). Gave veterinary assistance to several small animal clinics in Portugal and worked with Cedivet - Centro Diagnóstico Veterinário (Veterinary laboratory) as a exotic animal veterinary pathologist. Currently working as a vet in Animal Blood Bank (Banco de Sangue Animal - Oporto) since 2013 and doing a PhD about "Transfusion Medicine in Rabbits (O.cuniculli): collection, preparation and storage of hemocomponents.". Her main professional interests are exotic animal clinical pathology and transfusion medicine and their conjunction with veterinary clinical practice.

Raquel Soares

Integrated Master degree in Veterinary Medicine by the Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa (FMV-UL) concluded in 2015. Curricular internship in research, microbiology and food safety, with the total duration of eight months. This intership was held in three diferent locations: in an industrial slaughterhouse of birds, in the Animal Source Food of Microbiology Laboratory of FMV, associated with the Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Animal Health (CIISA) and in the National Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Infections Reference, of the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSARJ), in Lisbon. Masters thesis in Veterinary Medicine entitled: "Codetection with Helicobacter pullorum and Campylobacter spp. in poultry origen materials. Joined the Banco de Sangue Animal team in December 2015 as Veterinary in the Lisbon.

Donations

Mafalda Morais

Obtained a degree ( pre-Bologna Accord ) in Veterinary Medicine at ICBAS -UP in 2007 ( CP4374 ). Completed the curricular internship at ICBAS-UP and IBMC-Porto on Animal Behaviour regarding “ Cat-Human Interaction “. Furthermore completed an internship on the field of Animal Sanity, at LNIV , regarding “ An Epidemiological Evaluation on BSE Progression in Portugal “ . In 2008 underwent a three month technical visit in Brazil at the Rio de Janeiro Zoo, obtaining competencies on the wild animals clinical routines field. Furthermore continued the extracurricular learning in different fields of small animal healthcare and surgery by following the work routine at several clinics based in the North Region of Portugal. Started the profissional practice in 2008, always regarding the small animal healthcare and surgery fields. Since 2015 has been working at the veterinary emergency and continued care service in healthcare and surgery at UPVet – Hospital Veterinário da Universidade do Porto. Part of it consists in training students in the final year of their Veterinary Medicine degree. From 2018 till present has been practicing her professional activity as a part of the Animal Blood Bank (Banco de Sangue Animal - Oporto) team, full-time. Her main professional interests are Feline Medicine, particularly in the behaviour field, and transfusion medicine.

Marta Flamínio

Integrated Master in Veterinarian Medicine by the University of Èvora concluded in 2010. A PostGraduation in Clinical and Surgery of Exotic Animals by the Faculty of Veterinarian Medicine of the Lusófona University of Humanities and Technologies concluded in 2017. Having performed, from September 14, 2009 and June 25, 2010, the curricular internship in Internal Medicine and Surgery in both exotic and pet animals in the Veterinarian Hospital of Oporto. Has collaborated as a Veterinarian in the Veterinarian Clinic of Alcochete from 2010 to 2013, in the area of Internal Medicine and Surgery of exotic and pet animals. Between 2013 and 2017, has collaborated as a Veterinarian at BichoMix Veterinarian Hospital and Clinic, in the area of Internal Medicine and Surgery, being in charge of the exotic animals’ area. Since 2016, has been collaborating with the Animal Blood Bank, integrating a team since February 2018 as a Veterinarian in the big area of the city of Lisbon.

Patricia Jesus

Completed her Masters in Educational Sciences at the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences of the University of Porto in 2017, with particular interest in the process of social-educational institutionalization of childhood in contemporary societies and children’s rights, namely the right to play and leisure.

Went on to carry out internships with a strong social component, where music, plastic arts and photography were the educational basis.

Later exercised her profession integrating the educational team of a foster home that receives, in a residential regime for long periods of time, children and young people at risk, providing conditions and paths for their good affective, personal and professional development.

Simultaneously, she has always been involved in various animal defense and rehabilitation projects (team of rescue and reinsertion in responsible families) as well as in the creation of a sterilization group to respond to the need to control cat colonies, as a preventive measure of protection in her area of residence.

Integrates the BSA Porto since 2020 as an assistant in the donation team, keeping animal welfare as her main interest.

Paulo Santos

DONATIONS

An extensive experience in ths admnistration area, personal contact with national an foreigner customers and suppliers.

From a very early age he developed several activities in animal welfare.

For the last 15 years managed a non-profit shelter for dogs and cats, managing several areas as infrastructure, financial resources and national or foreigner volunteers.

Also worked as veterinarian assistant.

Helena Ferreira

DONATIONS

Master in Veterinary Medicine from the Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS) of the University of Oporto and graduated in 2017. Completed an internship in the area of Medicine and Small Animal Surgery at Hospital Veterinário animar and at University of Tennessee - College of Veterinary Medicine in the States United States of America where studied areas of Radiology, Cardiology, Anesthesia and Intensive Care. In 2018 underwent several courses in Cardiology and Internal Medicine. Postgraduate Student in Soft Tissue Surgery at ESAVS, The European School for Advanced Veterinary Studies. Joined Animal Blood Bank team in July 2021 and has a special interest in internal, intensive and transfusion medicine.

Catarina Silva

Integrated Masters in Veterinary Medicine from the Vasco da Gama University School concluded in 2014.

Undertook a curricular internship at the Pet Clinic (with special interest in Dermatology) at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Universidade Estadual Paulista - Campus de Botucatu, from August to December 2013.

Postgraduate in Exotic Animal Clinic and Surgery by the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Lusófona University of Humanities and Technologies in 2017 and intensive course by Improve in the same year.

Between 2015 and 2021, she was a Veterinary Doctor in the team at the Hospital Veterinário das Caldas da Rainha - Nobrevet, having been responsible for the area of exotic animals between 2017 and 2020.

In October 2021, she joined the Animal Blood Bank as a Veterinary Doctor in the Greater Lisbon area.

Alexandra Cardoso

Degree in Veterinary Nursing in 2010 from Escola Superior Agrária de Ponte de lima. Have participated in na internship at the porto Veterinary Hospital, Where she began a professional career and participated in the first valvuloplasty in Portugal, as a scrub nurse.

Started to work in Animar Veterinary Hospital in 2011, where she performed varous clinical functions, mainly in the área of hospitalization, surgery and physiotherapy.

In 2015, she was invited to participate in the evaluation and external accreditation of the Veterinary Nursing course at Escola Superior Agrária de Ponte de lima.

Since 2020, is na active memberof associaton of Portuguese veterinary nurses, as secretary of the general assembly. Attendend several congresses and training courses in the field of veterinary nursing.

Postgraduate in veterinary physiotherapy whith accreditation by the International School of veterinary postgraduate.

She was been parto f the Animal Blood Bank Team since 2020, where she works as a veterinary nurse and specializes in hematology and transfusion medicine. Intensive care, physiotherapy and transfusion medicine are some of the subjects of interest.

Sara Pinto

Graduated in Veterinary Nursing from the Escola Superior Agrária of the Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo.

He completed a Curricular Practice at the Hospital Referência Veterinária Montenegro, where he began his professional activity.

Later she joined the nursing team at the Porto Veterinary Hospital.

Since December 2021, he has worked in the Animal Blood Bank donation team.

His areas of interest are neurology, anesthetic monitoring and transfusion medicine.

Rafaela Sá

Being an animal lover since childhood, completed her studies as a veterinary assistant in 2021. Since then, has done a short journey of work in a veterinary clinic, but it was her passion for felines that attracted her to the BSA mission. Is now a full-time member of the team, since April 2022.

Analysis

Andreia Magalhães

Degree in Biomedical Laboratory Scientist since 2013 by Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde do Porto and Master in Quality Control by Faculdade de Farmácia of Universidade do Porto in 2015. Performed several curricular internships in hospitals in the northern area, namely, Hospital de S. João, Hospital de Gaia and Instituto de Oncologia do Porto (IPO) in the areas of hematology, microbiology, immunology and clinical chemistry. Worked from 2014 to 2016 in collecting blood samples. In 2016, she begins her professional career in the human laboratory area, working in all laboratory areas and also in the context of emergency analysis in the Laboratório de Análises Clínicas of Santa Casa de Misericórdia in Vila do Conde. Joins the Animal Blood Bank team in the laboratory area since June 2021.

Bárbara Correia

Degree in Biology and Biotechnology by the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança in 2018. In 2020, she completed her Master´s Degree in Environmental Contamination and Toxicology by the Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS). She developed curricular internships in research in the environmental area. She started her professional career in 2020, at Unilabs Portugal, as a molecular biology laboratory technician performing RT-qPCR tests in the identification of SARS-COV-2. She has been part of the Banco de Sangue Animal team since November 2021, in the laboratory area.

Production

Luisa Rocha

Graduated in Biomedical Laboratory Scientist by Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde do Porto in 2012. Performed several curricular internships at Centro Hospitalar do Porto and Hospital de Gaia (Immunology, Transfusion Medicine, Hematology, Clinical Chemistry and Microbiology). Worked during 2013 in a human medicine laboratory, where she performed blood samples. She started professional career in the veterinary field in 2014 to work in the laboratory CEDIVET – Center for Veterinary Diagnosis as a Clinical Analysis Technician. She has been part of the Animal Blood Bank team since December 2020 in the laboratory and blood unit processing team.

Ricardo Silva

Graduated in Biology in 2021 at University of Aveiro. His degree included an internship at Maia’s Zoo with a thematic of “Environmental Enrichment for Tigers” and also a research about the Impact of Microplastics in Freshwater Systems. Starting in 2021, he is now integral part of Banco de Sangue Animal.

Ana Queiros

Graduated in Clinical Analysis and Public Health by Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde do Porto (Current Escola Superior de Saúde) in 2013. Completed several curricular internships at Hospital de São João, IPO Porto, Centro Hospitalar do Porto and Centro de Histocompatibilidade (Biology Molecular, Transfusion Medicine, Hematology, Clinical Chemistry and Microbiology fields). Did a non-curricular voluntary internship at Medicina Laboratório Carlos Torres in 2014. Entered the world of Veterinary Medicine in 2014 as a Clinical Analysis Technician at Cedivet Laboratory - Veterinary Diagnostic Center in Porto, in the clinical pathology service. Has been part of the Banco de Sangue Animal’s team since July 2021.

Sandra Alves

Graduated in Biomedical Laboratory Scientist in 2013, by the Escola Superior de Tecnologias da Saúde do Porto. Performed several curricular internships in public hospitals across the North of Portugal, it was on the IPO – Portuguese Institute of Oncology in Porto, at Blood Bank, who acquired special interest in the area. He began his professional career at the Laboratoire de hématologie et transfusion of the Hôpital Louis Mourier, where he managed the night service. In 2021, it began to collaborate with the Banco de Sangue Animal, in the integration of the blood unit processing team. Working at BSA makes perfect sense, as it combines professional interest with the affection for animals.

Logistic

Ines Santos Pereira

Graduated in Psychology at Instituto Superior da Maia (2005). Animal assisted therapy technician by Fundacion Bocalán (2008), developed pioneer projects in this area in Portugal and participated as a speaker in several occasions about this theme. Has taken several courses in the veterinary medicine area and in dog training and education, area in which works since 2010. Joined the Animal Blood Bank in October 2018 and is the proud owner of one of the first dog blood donor in Portugal.

Ana Guerra

With extensive experience in the administrative area of accounting and human resource management support, and has always been dedicated to animal welfare, as well as providing voluntary support to some animal welfare associations by integrating stray cat and dog catch teams, she joined the BSA team in September 2019 to assist the Porto laboratory donation team and provide support in the administrative area.

Isabel Silva

With experience in the area of industrial quality, has developed a particular interest in the veterinary area, having worked as a technical assistant at the Póvoa Veterinary Clininc from 2001 to 2003. In 2004, took the Technical Analysis Technical Training Course at The School of Technology and Industrial Management - UCP. From 2005 to 2007 worked as an Analyst at the Interprofessional Laboratory of the Milk and Dairy Sector AGROS. Subsequently worked as a reference technique for the CEDIVET- Veterinary Diagnostic Center laboratory. Likes to work in team and has a special interest in innovation and learning.

Leandro Costa

Started out as a professional in the wine production industry in 2006 as a Chemical Analysis Technician, specializing in wine production until 2011. He headed the Quality Control department at the largest Angolan beverage production company, Refriango. Back in Portugal, and with the personal objective of living different experiences of curricular enrichment, he went through several companies and positions, from different sectors of economic activity. From 2013 to 2018, he found in the fashion retail industry the opportunity to develop new skills and mature those acquired so far, having been a manager at the multinational INDITEX, in Lisbon. After completing the five-year objective he had set for himself, in this company, he began a new adventure in the aviation industry as a Cabin Crew at TAP, until the pandemic set in and the sector stopped. The baggage he carries opened new doors for new experiences, but it was at the Animal Blood Bank that he felt at home. Not only because of his northern accent, but also because he has always had a close relationship with the animal world, identifying himself with the company`s values and what it represents.

Márcio Silva

Attendance at the Clinical Analysis and Public Health Course at Universidade Fernando Pessoa with curricular internship at HPP. He worked as a Collection Technician at the UniAnalises laboratory in 2005 and in 2006 at the Clinical Pathology laboratory J Fleming Torrinha, where he performed Household, stock management and support to Reception and administration.

To complement his training, he took the clinical secretarial course at the Fernando Pessoa University and Logistics Technician, with a curricular internship at Artevasi.

In 2017, he joined the Conforma team as Deputy Head of Warehouse, performing the duties of coordinator of logistics flows and the warehouse (Reception, Warehousing and Delivery). In 2018, he received the challenge of Supervisor in coordinating the logistics team at Efacec.

In 2019, he began roles as Executive Administrative Secretary at Glassdrive, in the center`s appointment control and scheduling, document processing and conferencing, and general public service.

At home, animals have always done for the family, whether they are dogs, cats, canaries or guinea pigs. In order to combat animal abandonment, he integrated the coordination of the Animal Solidarity Bank organized by Animalife, with the main function of collecting and delivering baskets for animals from families with economic problems.

It allowed him to open new doors and thus being part of the logistics team at Banco Sangue Animal was a professional and personal achievement.