Cristiana Alves: Revealing the Invisible Through Materials Science

Meet Cristiana Alves, Facility Lead at the Electron Microscopy and X-Rays (EMX) Facility at INL. With a lifelong curiosity for how things work and a deep passion for uncovering the unseen, Cristiana’s journey into materials engineering and nanotechnology has been driven by both precision and wonder.

From exploring bioactive coatings for dental implants during her PhD to working in one of the most advanced electron microscopy facilities in the Iberian Peninsula, she combines technical excellence with a commitment to discovery. At the heart of her work is a drive to understand materials at their most fundamental level, and to help others do the same.

Can you tell us a bit about your path, your main area of work, and the importance of your work?
Since I was a child, I have always loved to explore and discover things in nature, get to know how things work, and why they work in such a way. I also loved math because for me, math is simple; there are no doubts or misinterpretations. This combination brought me to an engineering course (materials engineering).
While pursuing my master’s, I naturally became passionate about research and science, and I pursued a PhD to study nanomaterials for biomedical applications. When you are dealing with “nano” you need tools to “see” what your eyes cannot see. As soon as I experienced electron microscopy, I knew that “seeing the invisible” would be the path that would inspire me the most. Every single day, I see the details that no one can see, and I understand the fundamentals behind every single material, product, or process. I can uncover the most well-guarded secrets.

How does the centralised infrastructure of the Research Core Facilities at INL facilitate access to advanced equipment, techniques, and expertise?
Well, this is an easy one: INL has the best-equipped electron microscopy facility in Portugal by far, and one electron microscopy facility very competitive in the peninsula. Moreover, working in a centralised infrastructure like INL creates a rich and multidisciplinary environment for everyone’s development. At EMX (Electron Microscopy and X-rays) Facility, we are focused on providing and facilitating research groups’ investigations, and because of it, every day, every service, and every customer will have different materials, experiments, and/or needs. Every day, not only can I use state-of-the-art equipment, but I also address a different challenge that put me in an “uncomfortable chair” that leads me to be always evolving.

Do you have any guidance and/or “words of wisdom” for students considering a career in the field of science?
Working in science is a very resilient job; your work is about what has not been done beforehand, what has not been clarified, what has not been proved and/or established. So, in some days, you will need to deal with the failure, with the frustration of not understanding at first, not succeeding on the first try, of not knowing what to do after, for those days, remember: you are having the courage to take the lead in the evolution. Afterwards, when you succeed, you will experience a very genuine joy, the joy of discovering a “secret” ☺

Cristiana’s story is a reminder that science is not just about precision and data, it’s about persistence, curiosity, and the courage to dive into the unknown. Whether it’s navigating the challenges of research or guiding others through complex material characterization, she does so with a sense of purpose and wonder.

“When you succeed,” she says, “you will experience a very genuine joy, the joy of discovering a secret.” A powerful invitation to the next generation of scientists to keep exploring.

Interview and Photography by Gina Palha, Communication, Conferences & Marketing Officer