Ricardo Santos holds a Master's degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, with a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Aveiro. His primary research interests include biotechnology, bioinformatics, microbiology, molecular biology, virology, and genetics. Additionally, he has received international training in molecular biology techniques at Smith College.

His master's thesis, titled "The Yeast Comet Assay: A Study to Optimize the Technique for the Evaluation of DNA Damage Caused by Exposure to Uranium Mine Effluents," focused on refining the yeast comet assay to assess genotoxic effects of environmental contaminants.

He is currently pursuing a PhD in Biology with a specialization in Microbiology. His doctoral research, "Investigating Virus-Host Interactions in the Killer Yeast System," is a collaborative project involving NOVA School of Sciences and Technology of the University Lisbon, the University of Manchester, the Imperial College London, and IB2LAB (Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto). This study aims to elucidate the mechanisms of killer toxin activity in yeasts and explore their potential biotechnological applications, particularly in the wine and beer industries, as well as in pest control. His PhD project is funded by the Maria de Sousa Award (FCT): 2021.09335.BD.