Helena Passos obtained her MSc degree in Chemical Engineering in 2012. After being awarded with a PhD grant from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, she completed her PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Aveiro in June of 2017. During the PhD, Helena Passos had additional trainees activities at Technical University of Dortmund, Germany and Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Japan. After, she worked as a post-doctoral researcher in an international ERA-MIN project concerning the recovery of cobalt and REE from NiMH batteries recycling and in a European Research Council project, the “IgYPurTech”, focused on the use of aqueous biphasic systems for the purification of egg yolk antibodies as alternative biopharmaceuticals. Currently, Helena Passos is a Researcher (CEECIND/00831/2017) at CICECO, working in the development of novel and sustainable processes for the recovery and recycling of critical metals from waste streams.

Helena Passos has published 31 articles in international peer reviewed multidisciplinary high impact journals (+850 citations, h-index 14 (Scopus)). Moreover, she has contributed with +100 oral and posters communications and 1 plenary lecture in national and international conferences and meetings.

2013 - 2017 | European PhD in Chemical Engineering, with specialization in Bioengineering | University of Aveiro, Portugal | Thesis title "Development and characterization of new extraction platforms using ionic-liquid-based aqueous biphasic systems", supervised by Prof. Dr. João A.P. Coutinho (UA) and co-supervised by Dr. Mara G. Freire (UA).

2007 - 2012 | MSc in Chemical Engineering | University of Aveiro, Portugal | Thesis title "Extraction of bioactive compounds with ionic liquid aqueous solutions", supervised by Prof. Dr. João A.P. Coutinho (UA) and co-supervised by Dr. Mara G. Freire (UA).

07/2017–04/2019 | Post-doctoral researcher | CICECO, University of Aveiro, Portugal.

09/2016-12/2016 | Researcher as PhD student | Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Japan.

03/2013-05/2013 | Researcher as PhD student | Laboratory of Thermodynamics, Technical University of Dortmund, Germany.

08/2011 | Trainee student in quality control (professional traineeship) | Bresfor - Indústria do Formol, S.A., Portugal.

10/2009-09/2010 | Scholarship Researcher (BII 09) | Chemistry Department, CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro, Portugal.

BSc students (graduation final project)

Ana S. R. Pinto, “Avaliação do efeito hidrotrópico de compostos zwiteriónicos de baixa toxicidade para aplicação na indústria farmacêutica” | Graduation in Biotechnology | Supervisors: Dr. Helena Passos and Dr. Ana M. Ferreira, University of Aveiro | 2019/2020 (in progress).

Tatiana D. Ferreira, “Avaliação do efeito hidrotrópico de compostos zwiteriónicos de baixa toxicidade para aplicação na indústria farmacêutica” | Graduation in Biochemistry | Supervisors: Dr. Helena Passos and Dr. Ana M. Ferreira, University of Aveiro | 2019/2020 (in progress).

Brayan I. Cruz, “Metals extraction from acid mine drainage water – the São Domingos mine” | Graduation in Biochemistry | Supervisors: Prof. Dr. João A.P. Coutinho and Dr. Helena Passos, University of Aveiro | 2017/2018.

Sara H. S. Costa, “Extraction and selective separation of dyes with aqueous multiphasic systems” | Graduation in Biotechnology | Supervisors: Prof. Dr. João A.P. Coutinho and Dr. Helena Passos, University of Aveiro | 2013/2014.

- Passos, H., Alves, M. V., (2019) Química em flash, Rev. Ciência Elem., V7(1):012 (http://doi.org/10.24927/rce2019.012)