Interview with Dr. Ana Margarida Mota—Winner of the Biomedicines 2025 Travel Award
The journal Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059) is proud to present the winner of the Biomedicines 2025 Travel Award—Dr. Ana Margarida Mota!
Dr. Ana Margarida Mota is a biomedical engineer with a deep passion for medical imaging, which allows us to see beyond what the eye can capture. She completed her Ph.D. in biomedical engineering and biophysics in 2022, focusing on advanced imaging techniques for breast cancer detection and diagnosis using breast tomosynthesis (BT), artificial intelligence (AI), and computer vision methods. Over the years, she has had the opportunity to work with a wide range of medical imaging modalities, but her main focus has been on breast imaging, in particular mammography, BT, breast MRI, and positron emission mammography. She has also explored other applications such as pediatric scintigraphy and brain PET-MRI. What really drives her is conducting research that addresses real clinical challenges and makes a meaningful contribution to patient care.
The following is a short interview with Dr. Ana Margarida Mota:
1. Can you share your current research direction and latest progress?
Currently, my research is focused on applying AI to extract the biological/histological information of breast carcinoma, directly from BT or mammography images, reducing or eliminating the need for invasive procedures. This idea came from a personal experience in 2022, when a close family member faced a breast cancer misdiagnosis due to biopsy limitations and tumor heterogeneity. Her BT images told a different story than the initial biopsy, and a second procedure revealed the correct, more aggressive diagnosis. This experience showed me how valuable imaging can be, not just to detect tumors but to characterize them.
Now, I am working on AI models that can complement pathology results, providing reassurance when in agreement and encouraging reassessment when they don’t. In the future, who knows? This approach might even reduce the need for invasive, painful, and costly biopsies.
2. Can you share with us your feelings after winning the award?
I felt genuinely happy and proud to see my effort and work being recognized, especially by such a respected and competitive journal. As a mother of two very young children, it is not always easy to balance personal and professional life; both are incredibly demanding. On top of that, I also teach as an invited assistant professor at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon. It is a wonderful experience to connect with younger students, share knowledge, and hopefully spark their curiosity,
but it does take a lot of time away from research, which I also deeply love. So this award felt like a breath of fresh air, a meaningful encouragement to keep doing what I love with the same passion and dedication.
3. Can you briefly introduce which conference you plan to attend with this award? What is the significance of attending such conferences in expanding your international cooperation or enhancing your academic influence?
With this award, I will be attending the 47th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC), which will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark, in July 2025. EMBC is a key event in the field, bringing together engineers, scientists, and healthcare professionals from around the world who are working at the intersection of technology and medicine, including medical image computing.
It is a great opportunity to present my research to a truly interdisciplinary audience, get valuable feedback, and connect with peers exploring similar challenges, especially in the area of AI for cancer diagnostics. I am particularly excited to share my latest work on predicting the molecular profiles of breast cancer lesions using tomosynthesis imaging and AI, which was accepted as a full contributed paper, a real honor.
Attending this conference will not only help me improve my methodology and accelerate its clinical relevance but also expand my international network and open doors to potential collaborations that can strengthen and enrich my research moving forward.
4. As a winner, how do you view the role of open access journals (such as Biomedicines) in academic communication? Will you consider reviewing or contributing to them in the future?
I believe open access journals like Biomedicines play a crucial role in making scientific knowledge accessible to everyone, regardless of financial resources. They help disseminate the latest research more widely and give greater visibility to important studies that might otherwise remain behind paywalls.
At the same time, I do have some concerns about the sustainability of the current model. While open access removes barriers for readers, the financial burden often shifts to authors, who already face challenges in securing funding and dedicating time to produce publishable work. In striving for a more equitable system where access to knowledge isn’t dictated by economic status, we also need to ensure that researchers aren't excluded from publishing due to high article processing charges.
I have already contributed as a reviewer for several journals, including open access ones, and I plan to continue doing so whenever I have the time and the topic aligns with my expertise. I genuinely enjoy supporting this kind of scientific exchange and contributing to the growth of transparent, accessible research.
5. Do you have any other suggestions on how academic journals and publishers can further support young researchers and academia?
Yes, definitely. I think one of the most impactful things journals and publishers could do is offer more support to early career researchers, not just through travel awards or reduced publication fees but also by creating structured mentorship programs that connect early career researchers with experienced scientists in their field, offering guidance on publishing and career development. Moreover, this would allow journals to serve not only as platforms for dissemination but also as hubs for scientific connection by taking advantage of their global reach to bring together researchers working on similar topics who already read and cite each other’s work and creating real opportunities for networking and collaboration. Also, recognizing the work of reviewers (especially young ones) more visibly and promoting diversity among authors, reviewers, and Editorial Boards can help create a more inclusive and encouraging academic environment for all of us.
6. Do you have any suggestions for the Biomedicines journal?
At the moment, I don’t have any specific suggestions; my experience with Biomedicines has been excellent. I have published a paper with the journal and was also honored to receive the travel award, and in both cases, the process was extremely smooth. The editorial team has always been very clear and responsive, with fast decisions and transparent communication. I truly appreciate that efficiency, and I look forward to continuing to engage with the journal in the future.