Rita G. Fonseca completed her PhD in Chemical Engineering in 2023 at the University of Coimbra. The work was focused on the development of the next generation of tough and highly stretchable hydrogels that are environmentally friendly and can find applications in a variety of fields, such as health, electronics, and energy, as they combine excellent mechanical properties with controlled degradation. Currently, her research interests include: (i) the synthesis and characterization of natural polymers, (ii) the development of tough bio-based hydrogels and their evaluation of mechanical properties, and (iii) the development of bio-based nanoparticles for biomedical applications. She leads a research group of scientists inside PolySyc, including PhD candidates and researchers in the field of hydrogels.