I obtained my MSc degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Aveiro in 2013. In July of 2018, I completed my PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Aveiro, funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) through a PhD scholarship. During the PhD I had the opportunity to broaden my scientific skills abroad, through trainees at Universidade Estadual Paulista, Brazil, and Tokyo University of Agriculture, Japan. After finishing my PhD, I moved to the Technical University of Munich (TUM, one of the world's top universities), Germany, as a postdoctoral researcher, to work on the purification of compounds from microalgae in collaboration with the company Oceanbasis, with a TUM University Foundation Fellowship. This fellowship is awarded once a year by TUM, where ca. 10 young scientists are selected from all over the world. Currently, I am a researcher at UA working in the chiral resolution of drugs by enantioselective aqueous biphasic systems, being the importance of this work recognized in the international conference Biopartitioning & Purification 2019 (BR) with the award for best presentation poster sponsored by Elsevier. Up to the data, I am in 2 funded R&D projects. I am PI of 1 funded project (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030750, 239893 EUR), and team member in another funded project (POCI-01-0247-FEDER-045304, 297976 EUR) in collaboration with the company Mistolin. Overall, in these last years, I gathered a vast knowledge on the development of sustainable extraction/purification platforms (using both solid- and liquid-liquid extraction) of compounds from different matrices, showing my commitment to science in the benefit of the environment and society.

Since the beginning of my research activities, I filled 1 national patent, published 2 book chapters, 18 SCI papers and 1 journal cover, with 600+ citations and an h-index of 13. I have published in various high IF journals, namely Green Chem (IF 9.48, 8/18 SCI), ACS Sustain Chem Eng (IF 7.63), Chem Commun (IF 5.99), Sep Purif Technol (IF 5.77) and others. I am the first author in 9/18 SCI papers and worked with 43 co-authors. Moreover, I contributed with 90+ communications.

2014-2018: PhD in Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Portugal.

2008-2013: MSc in Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Portugal.

Path 

Development of sustainable products and processes using alternative solvents 

http://path.web.ua.pt

https://www.facebook.com/PATh.group

Chemical Engineering

Development of innovative, integrated and sustainable processes for the extraction and separation of value-added compounds (alkaloids, amino acids, phenolic acids and others natural compounds) with therapeutic features from biomass, as well as wastes, using aqueous solutions of ionic liquids and surfactants, within a biorefinery perspective (circular economy).

Biotechnology

Development of cost-effective purification and recovery processes for several value‐added biopharmaceuticals, namely proteins, enzymes, antibodies, and nucleic‐acids‐based products.

Chemistry/Physical Chemistry

Understand the molecular‐level mechanisms which rule the liquid-liquid equilibria and the extraction performance of separation processes, by the determination of thermodynamic properties of solution, solvation and transfer.

MSc students

Isa R. M. Sucena, Valorizção de residuos plásticos: extração de corantes utilizando solventes alternativos, MSc Thesis in Chemical Engineering,  Supervisors: Dr. Ana M. Ferreira and Prof. Dr. João A.P. Coutinho, University of Aveiro, 2020/2021 (in progress).

Sandra Silva, De resíduos alimentares a compostos de valor acrescentado utilizando soluções aquosas de solventes alternativos, MSc Thesis in Biochemistry,  Supervisors: Dr. Ana M. Ferreira and Dr. Helena Passos, 2020/2021 (in progress).

Brayan Cruz, O efeito hidrotrópico de compostos zwiteriónicos no desenvolvimento de novas formulações farmacêuticas, MSc Thesis in Biochemistry, Supervisors: Dr. Helena Passos and Dr. Ana M. Ferreira, 2020/2021 (in progress).

Guilherme A. S. V. B. Barros, Extração de dopamina de fontes naturais com benefícios para a saúde, MSc Thesis in Chemical Engineering,  Supervisors: Dr. Ana M. Ferreira and Prof. Dr. João A.P. Coutinho, University of Aveiro, 2019/2020.

BSc students 

Ana S. F. Pinto, 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.

Tatiana D. Ferreira, 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.