European Guest Session – Sociedad Ibérica de Citometría (SIC)
Chairs: Oliver Otto, Greifswald, Jochen Behrends, Borstel
We are delighted to welcome the Sociedad Ibérica de Citometría (SIC). This special conference event celebrates collaboration, the exchange of experiences and organizational approaches among cytometry societies, and the strengthening of connections across the European cytometry community.
Representing SIC, Rebeca Sanchez Dominguez and Catarina Gregório Martins will share insights into the society’s activities, achievements, and future perspectives, offering attendees a valuable overview of the Iberian cytometry community.
This session provides an opportunity to learn how SIC supports cytometry professionals throughout Spain and Portugal through education, training, networking, and the promotion of best practices. It also highlights the importance of cooperation among national and regional cytometry societies in advancing research, innovation, and professional development across Europe.
We are grateful to our guests for their participation, and we look forward to an engaging discussion that reflects the collaborative spirit of the cytometry community. Together, we continue to strengthen and expand the European cytometry network.
Catarina Martins
Catarina Martins, PhD, Professora Auxiliar – Imunologia
NOVA Medical School, Lisboa, Portugal
Biosketch
Catarina Martins is a Biologist with a PhD in Immunology and serves as Assistant Professor of Immunology at NOVA Medical School (NMS), Lisbon, Portugal. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she coordinates the Biosafety Committee and is the Technical Director of the Immunology Laboratory. In her lab, she studies patients with primary immunodeficiencies (inborn errors of immunity) and other immune-mediated conditions, with extensive use of Flow Cytometry applications. Her work has contributed to more than 80 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact scientific journals.
Catarina has presented her research at numerous national and international conferences and has participated in workshops and training activities covering Immunology, Immunodeficiency, Flow Cytometry, and Quality in Clinical Laboratories. Since 2005, she has collaborated with National Accreditation Bodies in Portugal, Ireland, Slovenia, and the UAE as a quality assessor for standards such as ISO 15189, supporting quality management in clinical laboratories. She is also a CLSI advisor and actively collaborates with the NOVA Greenlabs task force, which achieved myGreenLab certification for NMS in 2025.
Within the Iberian Flow Cytometry Society (SIC), Catarina coordinates the Accreditation Working Group. After serving two terms as Board Member, she was elected Vice-President in 2025. In this role, she is committed to strengthening the Society’s visibility, fostering national and international collaborations, and expanding its recognition while promoting excellence, quality standards, and accessible, high-quality training in Flow Cytometry.
Rebeca Sànchez Dominguez
PhD – Biomedical Sciences | Head of LACISEP – CIEMAT, Madrid, Spain
Biosketch
Rebeca Sánchez Domínguez is a biomedical researcher and specialist in Flow Cytometry and cellular analysis, currently Head of the Cytometry and Cell Separation Laboratory (LACISEP) at the Center for Energy, Environment and Technology Research (CIEMAT), Madrid, Spain. Her scientific activity focuses on hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, the bone marrow microenvironment, hematopoietic regeneration, and the development and application of advanced Flow Cytometry approaches for biomedical research and translational studies.
She has contributed to more than 30 peer-reviewed scientific publications and has participated in national and international research projects in the fields of hematology, advanced therapies, stem cell biology and cellular analysis. Her research includes the characterization of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, analysis of the bone marrow niche and its regeneration following conditioning therapies, and the development of innovative approaches for non-genotoxic conditioning and hematopoietic transplantation.
In addition to her research activities, Rebeca has been responsible for the technical activities of LACISEP since 2019 and has contributed to the implementation and maintenance of an ISO 9001:2015-certified quality management system. She coordinates analytical activities involving conventional and spectral Flow Cytometry, cell sorting and multiparametric data analysis, supporting more than 30 users and numerous biomedical research projects.
Rebeca is actively involved in training and scientific dissemination in Flow Cytometry, having organized and delivered courses and workshops on advanced cytometry analysis and unsupervised approaches. She regularly participates in national and international scientific meetings in hematology, cell therapy and cytometry. Since 2025, has served as a Board Member of the Iberian Society for Flow Cytometry (SIC), contributing to the training and collaboration within the Flow Cytometry community in Spain and Portugal.