Sofia Pinheiro graduated from the University of Porto, in Portugal, with a Master in Pharmaceutical Sciences in November 2021. Later, in March 2022, she worked as a Postgraduate Intern at Chemical Biology and Therapeutics department of Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, in Basel. Then, she joined Prof. Dr. Dennis Gillingham at the Chemistry Department of University of Basel, where she worked in DNA-encoded libraries and a novel DEL-selection technology.

After this experience, in September 2024, Sofia joined the Molecular Pharmacy Group, as a PhD student, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Daniel Ricklin. Her research focuses on the design of novel binding peptides to complement regulators for protection of biosurfaces from immune-mediated complications.