People

Mariette M. Pereira is a Full Professor in Organic and Medicinal Chemistry at University of Coimbra (Portugal).

She obtained her PhD in Organic Chemistry in 1992 at University of Coimbra and worked as Fellow Assistant at Universities of Liverpool in 1993 and Autònoma de Barcelona in 1998.

She was Director of the Chemistry Research Laboratory of pharmaceutical spin-off Luzitin SA, until 2015.

Her research interests are focused on the development of sustainable methodologies for:

• The synthesis of tetrapyrrolic macrocycle-based photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy of cancer and photodynamic inactivation of microorganisms;
• Design and synthesis of chemical entities for medical imaging; synthesis of ligands and catalysts aiming the activation of small gas molecules (CO, H₂, CO₂ and O₂) for preparation of value-added products;
• Development of hybrid materials for catalysis, environmental remediation and medicinal chemistry.

She published ca. 180 peer-reviewed papers, 20 books/book chapters and she is inventor of 6 patents.

Mário J. F. Calvete received his Industrial Chemistry diploma from University of Coimbra in 2000 and his PhD in Natural Sciences–Organic Chemistry in 2004, from Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Germany, with Prof. Dr h. c. Michael Hanack.

After a two-year stay at Tübingen as a postdoctoral fellow in Industry/University, he returned to Portugal for a postdoctoral stay at University of Aveiro.

In 2010 he was appointed as Auxiliary Researcher at University of Coimbra and since 2019, he is Assistant Professor at this university.

His current research interests are tetrapyrrolic macrocycle design and other heterocyclic ligands and their uses in theranostics and homogeneous/heterogeneous (photo)catalysis, particularly in environmental remediation technologies.

He has published over 90 peer-reviewed papers, 2 books and 13 book chapters.

Sara M.A. Pinto obtained her PhD in 2012 from the University of Coimbra, under supervision of Professor Hugh D. Burrows and Professor Mariette Pereira.

She began her post-doctorate under the supervision of Professor Carlos Geraldes, Professor Hugh Burrows and Dr. Mário Calvete with the subject of design and development of new multimodal contrast agents for medical imaging. Since 2019 she is Auxiliary Researcher at Coimbra Chemistry Centre at University of Coimbra.

Her current research interests are the design of tetrapyrrolic macrocycles for medical imaging applications, with particular emphasis on theranostics for new contrast agents for MRI/FI or MRI/PET.

She published 32 scientific papers, she is the author of two provisional patent applications, and has several poster and oral communications.

Rui M. B. Carrilho is an Auxiliary Researcher at Coimbra Chemistry Centre and Invited Professor at the Chemistry Department of the University of Coimbra, Portugal.

He obtained a MSc Diploma (2008) from the University of Coimbra and his PhD (2014) in Macromolecular Chemistry from the same University, focused on the synthesis of tervalent phosphorus ligands and organometallic compounds for application in catalysis.

He worked as postdoctoral researcher in the pharmaceutical spin-off Luzitin SA (2014-2015) and at University Rovira i Virgili of Tarragona, Spain (2015-2018).

His current research interests are mainly focused:

• On the synthesis and characterization of P and N-ligands;
• Catalyst design for catalytic carbonylation and CO₂ activation reactions, aiming at the synthesis of value-added products;
• Development and functionalization of hybrid materials for CO₂ capture and reutilization.

He is the author of 30 peer-reviewed articles, 11 book chapters and more than 50 oral and poster communications.

Lucas D. Dias was born in Anápolis, Goiás, Brazil.

He received his Pharmacy diploma from the State University of Goiás in 2014.

In 2012, he joined the Laboratory of Catalysis and Fine Chemistry at the University of Coimbra, Portugal, as a trainee supervised by Mariette Pereira.

He then returned to Brazil and worked in a pharmaceutical industry for 2 years.

In 2019, Dias obtained his PhD in Chemistry (Catalysis and Sustainability – CATSUS) at the University of Coimbra, supervised by Mariette Pereira, Paula Marques and Mário J. F. Calvete.

His current research interests are the design and synthesis of homogeneous/heterogeneous catalysts based on tetrapyrrolic macrocycles for the activation of small molecules (O2, CO and CO2).

He has published so far 19 peer-reviewed papers in national/international journals, is author of more than 35 communications (oral and posters) in national/international scientific meetings and he is inventor of 1 patent.

Fábio M. S. Rodrigues (Portugal, 1990), completed his PhD in Chemistry (specialization in Catalysis and Sustainability) in 2021 from the University of Coimbra on the development of organometallic complexes and their immobilization onto solid supports for sequential catalytic processes.

Over his young career, he collaborated on several research projects at the Medicinal Chemistry group from CQC.

In 2021 he worked for LaserLeap Technologies as researcher in the FOTOVID project to find solutions for the mitigation of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Currently, he develops postdoc research and supervising activities at Coimbra Chemistry Centre (CQC).

His research interests are the development of catalytic systems for the activation of small molecules and the development of continuous flow processes for sustainable synthetic chemistry.

He is the author/co-author of 12 scientific international publications, 2 book chapters, and over 35 (oral/poster) participation in scientific meetings.

Giusi Piccirillo (Italy, 1991) completed her PhD through the program Catalysis and Sustainability CATSUS at Coimbra Chemistry Centre at University of Coimbra, Portugal (PD/BD/135532/2018-FCT).

Her PhD project involved the development of innovative methods for the complete antibiotic degradation in water media and the development of new effective pharmaceutical formulations to improve the performance of existing ones, for instance through co-crystals synthesis. She received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry (2013) and her master’s degree in Chemical Science (2016), both from the University of Naples “Federico II”.

At the end of her graduation studies, she worked with a scholarship with Prof. M. Catauro of Department of Engineering of the Second University of Naples and as teaching assistant for Physical Chemistry under the supervision of Prof. P. Del Vecchio. She is co-author of 8 scientific international journals publications and 17 oral/poster communications.

Rafael T. Aroso finished his MSc degree in Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Coimbra in 2017 with the thesis “Synthesis and study of new photosensitizers with potential for antimicrobial therapy”.

In the same year, he pursued his PhD studies on the same field and enrolled in the MedChemTrain doctoral program, which was a joint collaboration between academia (University of Coimbra and University of Lisbon) and industry (Hovione, Bial, Bluepharma). His PhD was concluded in July 2022, with the thesis “Computational design and synthesis of molecules for application in antimicrobial therapies”, focused on the development of new molecules and alternative therapies for the inactivation of multi-drug resistant bacteria.

He was part of the winning team of the 2022Mariano Gago Prize of the French Academy of Science for scientific cooperation with Portugal. Currently, he is a Researcher at the Coimbra Chemistry Center, in the University of Coimbra, where he is working on new photosensitive materials for the development of self-decontaminating surfaces.

He was awarded a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship, on the development of new contrast agents for MRI, to be carried out in Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in Orleans (France) in 2025-2027.

He is author and co-author of 14 peer-reviewed articles, 2 book chapters, 2 patent and ca. 24 oral communications.

Andreia Cristina da Silva Gonzalez was born in Lamego, Viseu, Portugal, in 1994.

She is currently a PhD student in Chemistry, with specialization in Catalysis and Sustainability, at the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra, with her PhD project entitled “Development of photosensitive antimicrobial polymeric materials via catalytic carbonylation processes of sequential CO₂/epoxide copolymerization“.

In July 2020, she completed her Master’s in Chemistry, with a specialization in Advanced and Industrial Chemistry, at the University of Coimbra.

Of the scientific works developed to date, she published two scientific articles and another in co-authorship.

In addition, her work developed over the past few years also resulted in an oral presentation and three posters at national and international meetings/conferences.

Her social, personal and work skills were acquired in scientific meetings, such as CICAT-2018, support and monitoring of visits by secondary school students to the Catalysis and Fine Chemistry laboratory of the Chemistry Center of Coimbra and also as a volunteer in the formulation and availability of disinfectant gel for social institutions.

Her current research interests are the development of catalysts for CO₂ activation and the development of photosensitive antimicrobial polymeric materials through catalytic processes to overcome the challenge of antimicrobial resistance.

Zoé Moreira is currently doing her PhD studies in Medical Chemistry at the University of Coimbra.

She accomplished a BSc in Medicinal Chemistry in 2019 – University of Coimbra, with the Master’s Thesis “Development of cationic photosensitizers for photoinactivation of microorganisms“.

She was awarded the top 3% Best Students Award successively in 2019 and 2020.

To date, she published one article and presented 3 posters, 3 oral communications and 1 Flash communication in Scientific Meetings. She is also co-inventor of a pending patent (PPP116946).

Zoé Moreira was awarded 2 merit-based scholarships: 2020 FCT Summer School in Medicinal Chemistry; and Chemistry Research Center 2019. She did an internship at PorphyChem in Dijon, France in 2020 and at the University of Heidelberg, Germany in 2021.

Her current research interests are focused on the development of porphyrin-derived photosensitizers for antimicrobial action.

Alexandre Pires Felgueiras finished his degree in Chemistry at the University of Coimbra in 2019, winning a national merit award, attributed by the Portuguese Chemical Society to the best chemistry students in 2016/2017.

During his exploratory studies for his degree, he developed work in the field of organic chemistry, specifically, in the asymmetric synthesis of (2-tetrazole-5-yl)-2H-azirines via Neber reaction.

In 2020 he finished his Master in Chemistry (Advanced and Industrial Chemistry, with the thesis “Catalysts for Sustainable Development of Sequential Process“.

Alexandre Felgueiras was awarded two research scholarships (2019-2020), in which he developed work in the field of phosphorus ligand synthesis and their metal complexes for use as catalysts in sequential reactions centred on hydroformylation.

He is the co-author of two articles, and has presented 1 oral and 2 poster communications in Scientific Meetings.

His current research interests, in collaboration with the Pharmaceutical Industry, are centred on the development of catalytic carbonylation processes for the synthesis of APIs by continuous flow chemistry.

Daniela S.S. Teixeira is currently in the first year of her PhD in Chemistry with specialization in Medicinal Chemistry at the Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Coimbra, Portugal, with the PhD project entitled “Manganese(III) Porphyrin and Hemiporphyrazine Complexes: Towards Safer, More Selective and Efficient MRI Contrast Agents”.

She received her bachelor’s degree (2020) and master’s degree (2022) with the final thesis entitled “Development of Fluorinated Contrast Agents for 19FMRI and PET Imaging”, both in Medicinal Chemistry, from the University of Coimbra. In 2022, she was part of the team that won the “Prix Tremplin Mariano Gago” of bilateral research cooperation – France /Portugal with the project entitled “Metal-based contrast agents for specific visualization of biomarkers in Magnetic Resonance Imaging”.

She is the author/coauthor of 2 paper in scientific international journal and the author/coauthor of 2 oral communication in national and international scientific congresses.

Her current interests focus on the synthesis and characterization of vectorized paramagnetic metal complexes and the study of their relaxometric properties, aiming their application in Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Madalena F. C. Silva is currently in the first year of her PhD in Chemistry with specialization in Medical Chemistry in the University of Coimbra, Portugal.

She finished her MSc degree in Medicinal Chemistry in the University of Coimbra in 2022, with the thesis entitled “Development of Potential Antibacterial Agents through Sustainable Synthetic Strategies”, which focused on the synthesis of acetals to yield the corresponding aldehyde in biological medium and porphyrin-based photosensitizers for the photoinactivation of bacteria and dual-therapy.

Her current work focuses on the development of natural based photosensitizers incorporated on biodegradable matrixes and their applications on photodecontamination of surfaces.

She is author and co-author of 1 peer-reviewed article, 3 oral communications and 4 poster presentations.

Shahab Zomordbakhin earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Chemistry at the Faculty of Chemistry, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University in Iran (2004).

In 2007, he completed his Master of Science in Organic Chemistry at the same university. He has been active in research projects in the fields of green and environmentally friendly chemistry, organic synthesis and nanotechnology.

He has also worked in laboratories of several chemical and petrochemical companies as a laboratory supervisor or expert. He has collaborated with various professors, universities, and research centers, both as a lecturer and as a researcher. As a result of these efforts, he has contributed to the publication of 18 articles, 2 national patents, and presented his work at numerous poster and oral communications.

His PhD area is in Catalysis and Sustainability and his current project is Catalyst Development for Carbon Dioxide Activation Towards the Synthesis of Fine Chemicals.