5 February 2026
Ana Gil, from CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials, and from the Department of Chemistry of the University of Aveiro, has been recognised in a recent editorial published in the journal Metabolomics, which highlights the international contribution of women to the development of this scientific field.
The editorial, authored by Royston Goodacre, Editor-in-Chief of Metabolomics, presents a curated selection of researchers featured on the journal’s front cover under the theme “Women in Metabolomics”. The initiative acknowledges scientific leadership, community building, and sustained contributions to metabolomics at a global level.
This kind recognition illustrates Ana Gil´s contribution in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) metabolomics. “NMR spectroscopy is extremely powerful to study almost every kind of sample and research issue, and the University of Aveiro is internationally recognized for exactly that. NMR metabolomics has consistently demonstrated the exquisite value of NMR spectroscopy in probing metabolic traits of biological systems in a rapid, non-invasive, statistically robust and holistic manner (in spite of the known relative insensitivity of the technique)”, explains the researcher.
“The high throughput of NMR metabolomics enables the analysis of high numbers of samples (hundreds or more, in a few days), of versatile nature (biofluids, tissues, cells), with minimal biological/chemical (enabling sample preservation). This enables efficient first steps in almost any given scientific challenge, whether focusing on better diagnosing/treating human disease, more effective tissue engineering, mitigation of environmental hazards, improvement of foods/diets for better human health”, concludes Gil.
Exploiting qualities of NMR, Ana Gil created the first NMR metabolomics group in Portugal (early 2000's) and pioneered several applications internationally (in disease and food research). Within the Portuguese NMR center (https://www.ua.pt/en/cpnmr), a young and unique national NMR hub created in Aveiro, Ana Gil's NMR metabolomics group continues to ' push barriers in several areas of research.
According to the journal, the featured researchers have played relevant roles in establishing metabolomics infrastructures in their countries, shaping scientific societies, and supporting the growth of the field through investigation, education, and editorial activities.
Also included is Rosário Domingues, professor in the Department of Chemistry (DQ) and researcher at the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) and head of the Lipidomics Laboratory, reinforcing the institution’s presence in this international initiative. This recognition reflects the standing of the University of Aveiro within the international metabolomics community and its contribution to the field.
The full publication is available here.
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Ana Maria Pissarra Coelho Gil
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