Outreach Team
The Outreach team focuses on creating online events with the aim of bringing European Synthetic Biology to everyone.
Catarina first encountered synthetic biology during her undergraduate degree, where she bravely attempted (and failed) to start her university’s first iGEM team. Undeterred, she moved to Edinburgh to study Systems and Synthetic Biology, where she discovered two things: a deep love for using synbio to tackle sustainability challenges, and a lifelong feud with programming and mathematical modelling.
Despite being unable to keep a houseplant alive, Catarina has spent the last two years working in plant synthetic biology, most recently as a Research Technician at the University of Cambridge. Irony aside, she’ll soon begin a PhD in Bioelectrochemistry, continuing her quest to make biology do useful (and sustainable) things.
Outside the lab, she is the Outreach Manager for the European Synthetic Biology Society, where she leads an amazing team creating fun, accessible events, proving that synthetic biology doesn’t have to be scary, exclusive, or full of equations.
Catarina Almeida - Team Leader
Davide holds a PhD in biophysics from EPFL, Switzerland. Davide is passionate about the physics of life: understanding the principles that govern living systems as ensembles of thermodynamic reactions. His research addresses synthetic biology problems using an interdisciplinary approach combining biology and physics.
Davide Cois - Outreach Coordinator
Cathal is a PhD student in the Scrutton lab at The University of Manchester. His work focuses on the use of ML/AI for the engineering of terpene synthases. He first got involved in synbio research during his Master's in synthetic biology & biotech at the University of Edinburgh, where he was part of their overgraduate iGEM team. He is also interested and engaged in promoting scientific collaboration and innovation, demonstrated by his work as the co-managing director of the Manchester chapter of Nucleate UK.
Cathal O’Reilly - Outreach Advisor
Hello! My name is Yassin Somoue Chafik, and I’m from Spain. My passion for Synthetic Biology began when I was 15, and since then, I’ve been deeply involved in the field. I’m excited to join the European Society of Synthetic Biology (EUSynBioS) as Outreach Coordinator.
I’m particularly interested in tackling real-world challenges through genetic engineering, focusing on oncology, infectious diseases, and bioremediation. I love exploring different biological chassis and applying them to areas like space exploration, cell-free systems, and even plants—something I also work on as part of iGEM, where I serve as an iGEM Ambassador for Europe.
Beyond the lab, I enjoy reading, writing, watching films, and doing sports. As a scientific writer, I find joy in merging my love for storytelling with my passion for science, making complex ideas more accessible and engaging.
Let’s change the world!