I graduated in Biotechnological
Engineering in 2008, obtained my
master´s degree in Biotechnology in
2010 and my PhD in Sciences
(Chemistry) in 2014. In 2015 I was
awarded an FCT postdoc grant
(2015-2018) and in 2018 I was awarded
a Junior research contract through the
Scientific Employment Stimulus
(CEECIND/03040/2017) and I am
currently an Assistant researcher at
the Mountain Research Centre (CIMO)
and Associated Laboratory SusTEC.
During my career I´ve been acquiring
important skills in the field of food
science and technology by exploiting
natural matrices. Thinking ahead, from
the in vitro results, in my PhD I
performed the chemical synthesis of
human metabolites to characterize
their behavior after metabolization.
My research targets are the
identification, separation and
recovery of functional molecules, as
well as their implementation as
ingredients and bioactives in food,
with an ultimate goal to extract high
added-value molecules and reuse them
in the food chain (from agriculture to
the consumer). Being an integrated
member of CIMO/ SusTEC, I´ve been
exploiting the agrifood sector, mainly
in implementing greener processes, and
optimizing ideal conditions of
stability for industry application.
I´ve been participating in national
and international financed research
projects, being the PI of 4 financed
projects composed of a
multidisciplinary consortium with
several renowned enterprises and
research centers. My research activity
resulted in the publication of more
than 100 papers in indexed journals, 9
book chapters, 7 patents, related with
the development of natural
preservatives and functional foods
including 1 patent related with the
development of hipocholesterolemic
extracts; and participated in more
than 100 conferences having an h-index
of 37. One of the international
patents was transferred to the
industry, leaded to the creation of a
spin-of dedicated to the exploitation
of the developed technology, a natural
preservative. I am also na Associate
Editor of the Frontiers in Nutrition
Journal (IF=6.59) and guest editor of
several special issues in indexed
journals. I am also editor of a book
entitled: Natural Secondary
Metabolites - From Nature, Through
Science, to Industry, from Springer
Nature. I was a member of the team
that awarded the first place of the
European Social Innovation prize
(50.000 Euros) and with three National
prizes (2 BornFromKnowledge,1 CA
Crédito agrícola (10.000 Euros). I am
in the list of the 2% most cited
researchers in the food area in a
study perform by the Stanford
University. I organized scientific
events and currently supervise
Pos-doctoral (2 ongoing), PhD students
(12 ongoing), master (3). I have been
also invited to evaluate international
projects and also Pod-doctoral grant
programs. All my research is in
straight collaboration with
enterprises, promoting the technology
transfer from university to companies.
I am also Principal Researcher of the
collaborative laboratory Aquavalor and
also member of the PanBalkan alliance
in representation of Portugal.
Recently I am head of the research
group Food&Biotech inserted in
CIMO/SusTEC. My research are relies
on: functional foods, biofungicides,
vines and wines technologies and
natural antimicrobials.