Education

Northeastern University, Boston MA

Anticipated May 2026
Candidate for a Masters of Science in Biotechnology, PlusOne Program

Notable courses: Foundations in Biotechnology, Protein Chemistry, Cell Culture Application, Biotechnological Enterprise

Northeastern University, Boston MA

Completed May 2025
Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, Cum Laude
Minor in Data Science

Notable courses: Biostatistics, Cell and Molecular Biology, Data Presentation and Visualization, Physical Chemistry, Advanced Genomics

American College of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki Greece

January 2022 - May 2022
Study abroad semester

Clinical Professional Experience

Mount Auburn Rheumatology: Medical Assistant and Medical Secretary

May 2025 - Present

Full time clinical work in an ambulatory setting. Due to the nature of my role, I experience a wide range of clincical scenarios. Including but not limited to; rooming patients, taking vitals, documenting medical history using EPIC, requesting prior authorizations and appealing associated denials, as well as pending lab orders and prescriptions for the physician to sign.

Quest Diagnostics: Health Screener

July 2024 - Present

Per diem clinical work, specializing in point of care biometric screening for patients of diverse backgrounds, ranging from manufacturing sites to executive suites. The focus of this testing is to screen participants for high risk conditions, specifically high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes. Additionally I train new hires onsite to ensure that they understand Quest’s protocols and operating procedures.

Center for Cognitive and Brain Health: Undergraduate Researcher

July 2024 - Present

At the Laboratory for the Scientific Study of Dance, I have contributed to creating a composite measure of health based on biological factors such as telomere length and body composition. Our team has also quantified the impact of dance on muscle function in healthy individuals, as well as the impact of dance on Parkinson’s Disease and healthy aging. As part of these projects, I analyzed survey and biometric data, participated in manuscript writing, and interviewed patients. Currently, I am writing and submitting a grant to the NIH.

Laboratory Professional Experience

Takeda Pharmaceuticals: Research Associate, Protein Biophysical Analytics Co-op

January 2024 - June 2024

The core focus of my role within the Global Biologics team was in vitro high-throughput plate-based flow cytometry assay screens for the selection and optimization of drug candidates. I also developed an immunogenicity risk assessment assay as well as an FcRn binding assay. I eventually combined separate assay tools to create a single, more robust assay and consequently used my data to build a use-case for proceeding forward with commercial assay development.

CAMP4 Therapeutics: Research Associate, Discovery II Co-op, Preclinical

January 2023 - August 2023

I aided in assay development for the quantification of antisense oligonucleotides in various biological matrices. Eventually, I transitioned to high throughput screening to develop pharmacokinetic profiles that were used for Investigational New Drug applications. As the company prepared for their first regulatory filing, I began doing quality control for regulatory documents due to my attention to detail and ability to work under tight deadlines. I concluded my co-op by presenting the newly validated methods and resulting pharmacokinetic profiles completed by our group to the R&D team.

American College of Thessaloniki: Undergraduate Research Assistant

April 2022 - May 2022

My group analyzed the antibacterial activity of a propolis extract, a compound commonly used in the local region as an antibacterial astringent, against bacteria commonly found on human skin. We worked collaboratively through key aspects of microbiology and aseptic techniques, such as Kirby-Bauer assays. Our research found preliminary evidence that propolis inhibited bacterial growth, and may work synergistically with antibiotics.

Volunteer Positions

Tufts Medical Center: Adult Inpatient Visitor and CARES Volunteer

July 2024 - Present

I commit 2-3 hours per week to provide general companionship to patients experiencing long term care.

Hearts for the Homeless: Blood Pressure Screener

July 2024 - Present

I commit 2-3 hours per week to free blood pressure screenings at local shelters.

Dana Farber Cancer Institute: Hands on Care

July 2024 - May 2025

I provide hand massages to around 3-5 patients per session to those who are actively receiving chemotherapy

Spaulding Rehabilitative Hospital: Dance for Parkinsons

July 2024 - January 2025

Monthly commitment to teach dance to patients with Parkinsons Disease.

Extracurricular Activities

N/A Dance Crew

January 2025 - Present

Under the direction of Eddy Cao, commits 3-6 hours weekly towards training and performance preparation. Currently preparing for our community show, "N/A: Love," in late July. Click here for links to our previous performances.

Club Madeirense S.S. Sacramento Feast Committee

September 2024 - Present

Aids in the planning and management of the Madeirense S.S. Sacramento Feast.

Women's Research Engagement Network

September 2024 - May 2025

Attends panels and networking events for female researchers. Presents semesterly at research conference.

Sigma Kappa

September 2021 - May 2025

Participates in community service and local events that align with the standards of Sigma Kappa.

Revolve Dance Crew

September 2021 - May 2024

Click here for links to our previous performances.
President (January 2023 - December 2023):
Directed dance team of 27 dancers. Managed team events and competitions, executive board meetings and event space bookings. Spearheaded Revolve’s first dance showcase, Revolution, inviting collegiate and professional teams around Boston to perform. Executed contracts with performers and event staff to successfully run a sold out show. The following semester, I founded Revive, Revolve’s first industry level workshops open to the public. Logistics included similar contract and project management to run a smooth event.

Artistic Director (January 2024 - May 2024):
Focused directly on working with choreographers and the team to develop and execute a set performance with my Co-Artistic Director. Met directly with choreographers to ensure the set piece was up to standards for performances.

Choreographer (September 2022 - May 2024):
Under the direction of the Artistic Director, choreographed unique pieces for the set. Taught and cleaned choreography to dancers.

Professional Memberships and Activities

American College of Sports Medicine

January 2025 - Present

American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

January 2021 - Present

Honors, Awards and Scholarships

Club Madeirense S.S. Sacramento Inc. Scholarship Award Recipient - 2021

Connor B. Lourens Memorial Fund Scholarship Recipient - 2021

John and Abigail Adams Scholarship Recipient - 2021

Mabel Allen English Award Recipient - 2021

Principal's Leadership Award Recipient - 2021

Walter Jeffko Math Award Recipient - 2021

Westport Woman's Club Scholarship Recipient - 2021

Women's Italian Club of Boston's Annual Scholarship Recipient- 2021

PHiP Bob Heffelfinger Memorial Scholarship - 2022

Golf Course Superintendents Association of New York Scholarship Recipient - 2023

Golf Course Superintendents Association of New England Scholarship Recipient- 2023

Rhode Island Golf Course Superintendents Association Scholarship Recipient - 2023, 2025

Abstracts and Presentations

International Association for Dance Medicine & Science

Bettencourt, C., Fung, S., Lalani, I., Henrique, J., Chen, F., Erodula, N., McCullough, A. (2025). Lower Extremity Muscle Function and Lifetime Dance Training in 18-to-83-Year-Old Adults: A Pilot Study. Accepted for presentation at the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science 35th Annual Conference. Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

American College of Sports Medicine

Bettencourt, C., Henrique, J., Lalani, I., McCullough, A. (2025) Telomere Length, Cortisol, Body Composition, Hemodynamics And Dance: An Exploratory Analysis In 18-to-83-year-olds. Presented at the American College of Sports Medicine 2025 Annual Meeting. Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Brain Game Center’s Undergraduate Research Symposium 2025

Bettencourt, C., Henrique, J., Lalani, I., McCullough, A. (2025) Telomere Length, Cortisol, Body Composition, Hemodynamics And Dance: An Exploratory Analysis In 18-to-83-year-olds. Presented at Northeastern University’s Undergraduate Research Symposium. Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Women's Research Engagement Network 2024 Summit

Bettencourt, C., Fung, S., Lalani, I., Henrique, J., Chen, F., Erodula, N., McCullough, A. (2024). Lower Extremity Muscle Function and Lifetime Dance Training in 18-to-83-Year-Old Adults: A Pilot Study. Presented at the Women’s Research Engagement Summit. Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Conference on Food Chemistry and Technology

Simpson, K., Catarina B., MacGuire, C., Nicoli, A., Lee, E., Tsoni, A., Kalamaki, M. (2022). Antibacterial activity of a commercial propolis ethanolic extract against staphylococci isolated from skin. Presented at the 8th International Conference on Food Chemistry and Technology (FCT). Rome, Italy and Online.

Certifications and Licensures

The American Red Cross Basic Life Support Training
CITI Biomedical Responsible Conduct of Research
CITI Human Subjects Research for IRB
MGB Ready to Work Medical Assistant Course

Clinical Skills

Capillary puncture / Finger-stick
Epic Documentation
Manual blood pressure
Point of Care testing
REDCap documentation for IRB research

Laboratory Skills

Aseptic techniques and bacterial cultivation
Electronic lab notebook (ELN)
Flow cytometry
High-throughput plate based assays (ABC, ELISA, OCB)
Tissue culture
Statistical Analysis

Programming Languages

Python
R
HTML
CSS
JavaScript

Technical Projects

Contact Me

Preferred email: catarina.bettencourt.a@gmail.com | School email: bettencourt.c@northeastern.edu
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