Rita Francisco holds a BSc degree in Genetics and Biotechnology from University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD) as well as a MSc degree in Molecular Genetics from the University of Minho. She is currently doing her PhD in Biology at FCT focusing on better understanding immunological involvement in Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation (CDG) patients. Her work is developed under the scope of the patient-led research network CDG & Allies – Professionals and Patient Associations International Network (CDG & Allies – PPAIN, http://www.researchcdg.com/) . Her main goal is to drive research that involves, values and impacts patient communities, namely rare disease patients.