Awards

University of Aveiro

Leandro Lourenço got his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry at the University of Aveiro (UA, completed in June 2014) focused on the synthesis and characterization of porphyrin and/or phthalocyanine dyes for electronic applications (e.g., supramolecular hybrid materials for solar cells) and the biological field (as e.g., photoinactivation of bacteria, cancer cells, and blood disinfection). During this time, he extended their internationalization with international short scientific visits at the Universities of Erlangen (Germany), Madrid, and Huelva (Spain). After the Ph.D. and until May 2015, he worked on metal-organic framework design at CICECO/UA. In July 2015, he embraced an industrial experience in a pharmaceutical company (BIAL) as a Process Chemist, gaining expertise in synthesizing heterocycles for approved Parkinson's medicine. One year later, he returned to academia as coordinator/PI to implement the meanwhile-funded project in the solar materials field (€ 171K, FCT call 2014). In 2018, he got another project in the dye-sensitized materials funded (€ 240K, FCT call 2018), which allowed him to grow as PI from July 2016 until December 2021 at QOPNA & LAQV-REQUIMTE. From these projects significant achievements were accomplished, resulting in several publications, supervision of 10 research fellows, 3 Ph.D. (ongoing), 1 MSc, and 10 BSc students, where he provided training related to the synthesis and characterization of structure/photophysics/photochemistry of dyes for light-harvesting materials and also for biology targets.

 During these years, he became an independent researcher being the corresponding author of 23 scientific papers and the 1st author of 13 out of 41 (h-index: 16 and ≥630 citations, Scopus). Additionally, he was on the organization committee of 5 conferences, published 2 book chapters and 6 proceedings, received 4 prizes, contributed with 38 oral (6 invited and 1 as a plenary lecture) and 62 poster presentations, and completed 6 national/international short scientific visits. Up to now, he served as a guest associate editor/reviewer board member of some journals (e.g., Front. Chem.); guest editor of 6 special issues (e.g., in the Int. J. Mol. Sci., IF 6.2, Q1; and Front. Chem., IF 5.5, Q1); referee of 25 journals (e.g., J. Hazard. Mater., IF 14.2, Q1); member of 2 Scientific Societies (SPQ and ICPP); jury member of 9 Ph.D., 9 MSc, and 93 BSc students; president jury of 10 research grants and invited evaluator of 4 fellowships; participant/organizer of ca. 40 outreach/dissemination activities (e.g., Resea3Imagemaddexpandmore-dots ImagemAnexar imagemrch Summit, TechDays, among others); writing 7 news. He was also a teacher of Bioorganic Chemistry or Organic Chemistry and Physicochemistry (5 semesters). Currently, he is a research member of ongoing approved international fundings, including 1 CAPES project, 2 E-Cost Actions, and was also supervisor of the already finished Fulbright and FLAD grants (both for 1 Ph.D. student).

Egas Moniz School of Health and Scienc - Coimbra Chemistry Center | Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences (University of Lisbon)

Pedro Brandão completed his Integrated Master in Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2011 (FFUP)and in 2022 his Phdstudies in Chemistry (Catalysis and Sustainability) at the University of Coimbra(FCTUC). His PhD thesis consisted in the sustainable catalytic synthesis of new bioactive oxindole derivatives using multicomponent reactions. Currently, Pedro Brandão is an Assistant Professor at Egas Moniz School of Health and Science and collaborates with the Coimbra Chemistry Center and the Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences (University of Lisbon),where he continues to develop his research, focused on sustainable organic synthesis, multicomponent reactions applied to drug discovery, drug delivery and biomaterials. He has received the FISOCAT prize for best PhD Thesis in the field of Catalysis, attributed by the Division of Catalysis and Porous Materials of the Portuguese Chemical Society and the PYCA (Portuguese Young Chemist Award) 2023, attributed by the Young Chemists Group of the Portuguese Chemical Society.

University of Coimbra

Américo Alves completed his Bachelor's in Chemistry (2015), followed by a Master's in Chemistry with specialization in advanced and industrial chemistry (2016), both at the University of Coimbra. Recently, he finished his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry (2023) at University of Coimbra, with a thesis entitled “Novel Spiro-Lactams as new antimicrobial agents”.
He has contributed to the scientific community, as author/co-author of 11 research papers published in international journals, and has presented several oral/poster communications at national and international meetings. His research interests focus on heterocyclic chemistry, flow chemistry and medicinal chemistry. 
Américo Alves is also co-founder of BSL Pharmaceutics and Molecular JE.
Currently, Américo Alves holds a position as a Ph.D. researcher in Pinho e Melo’s research group.

Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon

In 2022, Maria José Silva received her PhD degree in Pharmacy with Distinction and Honors, at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon (FFUL). Under the supervision of Dr. Pedro Gois (FFUL) and Prof. Dr. Gilles Gasser (Chimie ParisTech), her PhD thesis focused on novel site-selective bioconjugation strategies and their application to targeted photodynamic therapy. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher in Prof. Tanja Weil group at Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, aiming to design new biotherapeutics to address and study the tumor microenvironment by Mass Spectrometry-imaging.

University of Aveiro

Telmo Francisco was born in 1998 in Aveiro, Portugal. In 2019, he graduated in Biochemistry, at University of Aveiro (UA) and in 2021, he obtained his MSc degree in Chemistry (specialization in Organic Chemistry), at the same Institution. During is Master’s Thesis, he had the opportunity of working under the guidance of Professor Nuno Maulide at the University of Vienna. In the year of 2022, he received a grant to work at LAQV/REQUIMTE (UA) on the project “Novel C-glycosylated oxygen and nitrogen heterocyclic compounds as potential epigenetic modulators for cancer prevention and therapy” (EpigenGlicON). Currently, he is an FCT-funded PhD student at LAQV/REQUIMTE (UA), working on the development of new synthetic methods for the synthesis of nitrobenzenes, pyridines and aza(xanthones and acridones) from 3-formyl(chromones and quinolones) (under the scientific supervision of Prof. Dr. Artur Silva and Dr. Hélio Albuquerque) and he is a member on the project “Multi-target theranostics for Alzheimer's disease” (MuTaTherAD). He is also involved in the mentoring of undergraduate students for their graduating projects. So far, he published 2 articles in peer-review SCI international journals, 1 European patent application, 2 oral communication and 4 poster communications, both in national and international scientific meetings.

NOVA School of Science and Technology

Catarina Maria, born in 1999 in Lisbon, Portugal, earned her BSc degree from the Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon in 2020, after completing her thesis entitled “Alzheimer’s Disease: Fyn signaling pathway as a potential target for disease treatment”. In 2022, she completed her MSc in Bioorganic Chemistry from NOVA School of Science and Technology with a master’s thesis entitled “Exploring synthetic approaches of purine nucleosides as potential copper chelators and cholinesterase inhibitors”. Currently, Catarina is an FCT-funded PhD student at Centro de Química Estrutural (CQE), working under the guidance of Professor Nuno M. Xavier, Professor Amélia P. Rauter and Professor Rodrigo de Almeida. Her research is focused on the synthesis and application of new antibacterial drugs and prodrugs. She has co-authored one research paper and two review papers published in international journals and one review paper in a national journal. Furthermore, Catarina has presented her work through poster presentations at various international and national conferences. She has delivered oral or pitch communications at two international scientific meetings. Her scientific interests primarily revolve around the synthesis and application of carbohydrate-based molecules for therapeutic purposes.

MSc - Medicinal and Biopharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Lisbon

Diogo Nunes was born in 2000 in Lisbon, Portugal. In 2020, they obtained their BSc degree in Biochemistry from NOVA School of Science and Technology, and in 2022, they obtained their MSc degree in Medicinal and Biopharmaceutical Chemistry from the University of Lisbon. During their master's thesis, they worked on the development of novel antitubercular agents by designing smart hybrid compounds to target the respiratory electron transport chain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Currently, they are an FCT-funded PhD student at the Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), working on the development of chemical tools to profile the target engagement of nitro 5-membered ring heterocycles against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, under the scientific supervision of Prof. Francisca Lopes, Prof. Maria de Jesus Perry, and Prof. Digby Warner.