In this edition of Shine Bytes, we get to know a bit more about Liane Carolina, recipient of a Feedzai Women in Science scholarship.

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Hi,

My name is Liane Carolina. I have a degree in Biomedical Engineering and I’m currently in the final year of my Master’s in Data Science and Engineering at Técnico. I’ve always dreamed of pursuing a career that combines technology and social impact. Today, I aim to use Artificial Intelligence to transform healthcare, making it faster, more effective, efficient, and precise. I currently work at the Champalimaud Foundation, in the Digital Surgery Lab, where I’m part of a team that uses AI and augmented reality to improve breast cancer diagnosis and surgery.

The Feedzai scholarship gave strength and visibility to my dream. I felt heard, recognized, and represented. I come from humble beginnings, and getting to where I am required many sacrifices. Knowing that I was one of the three women chosen was one of those movie-like moments of personal fulfillment. I am deeply grateful to Feedzai for believing in my potential among so many talented and inspiring women.

In my program, only 20% of students are women. We tend to think those are just numbers, but I believe it’s more than that, and I feel it every day. There’s immense female talent in Portugal, yet few choose to pursue engineering. And for those of us who do, we can say it’s not easy.

Although stereotypes are slowly fading, they still exist. Many times I felt I had to be extremely assertive to be taken seriously—often by my peers, but not only them. I aspire to work in a male-dominated field, and that’s precisely why scholarships like this one are so essential. We often have to prove ourselves more, work harder, and still meet unequal social expectations, all while facing gender pay gaps that, although shrinking, still persist today.

On the island of Madeira, students wear their capes in December of their final high school year—a symbolic ceremony where we wear a ribbon in the color of the field we want to study. I chose orange, the color of engineering. I remember a classmate looking at me with disdain and asking if I wanted to work in construction. This story shows how lack of information still pushes many girls away from science. I believe we need to show, early on and beyond the walls of big cities, what we really do in engineering and research.

When I was choosing my degree, I was simply told to follow the DGES list. I wish I had known earlier what really goes on at Técnico—from robotic hands to student-built rockets and solar boats. I didn’t have the financial means to move to Lisbon. When I arrived, it was terrifying—I was young and had never seen a metro or a train before. I believe many hidden talents in Portugal remain undiscovered because of this: distance, lack of information, and limited support for those who must relocate. That’s why opportunities like the one Feedzai gave me make such a difference.

My advice to future students is simple: no matter how hard or scary it seems, it’s worth it—and one day, things will get better. And if it’s your first time arriving at Técnico by metro, get off at Saldanha, not Alameda.