Andreia Fernandes de Sousa

ANDREIA F SOUSA. I obtained a BSc and a MSc in Chemistry (2004) from the University of Aveiro and PhD in Chemistry (2011) from the University of Aveiro within the EU project WaCheUp. Afterwards I was awarded, a post-doctoral fellow grant from the National Science Foundation FCT (University of Coimbra). Since 2019 I am an Assistant Researcher at CICECO of the University of Aveiro and I still maintain an invited position of Collaborator Researcher at the University of Coimbra. A substantial part of my time is spent teaching at graduation students (4h/week) and I am the proud mother of 3 young children.

I have 41 papers in ISI journals (+9 proceeding papers +2 book chapters). Within my main research line -Sustainable Furan Polymers- I have 3 Highly Cited Papers (DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2018.07.007; DOI: 10.1039/c3py01213a; DOI: 10.1002/pola.23130) (from 2017 onwards), accumulating >700 citations. I lead a team on Sustainable Furan Polymers at CICECO/UA, with 4 PhD, 1 MSc, 2 BSc, 1 Research Fellow and 1 Science Manager. In 2019 I was awarded on a highly competitive call (10% success rate) a prestigious COST Action in my main research field (CA18220). The funding of 500 K€ will allow me to expand my vision of developing novel Furan products for the market, under a circular rationale (recycled, biodegradable). I coordinate (Chair) an interdisciplinary network with 88 experts; 59 institutions and 29 countries. In total I participate(d) in 8 EU/National projects, 3 as PI at UA. Among other coordination activities, I coordinate a workshop on ‘Bio-polymers and Bio-based polymers and composites’ within the 9th IUPAC International Conference on Green Chemistry (Oct 2020, GR). Additionally, I initiate, organise and chair the timely international workshop on ‘PLASTICS: think global, think circular, re-think end-of-life!’ (March 20, PT). I have supervised 33 PhD, MSc, BSc and research fellows, across different disciplines from biotechnology, analytical/organic chemistry to polymer science. I am a member of the Portuguese Polymers network (ARCP), Editorial Board of Polymers (MDPI), and Topic Editor of Frontiers in Chemistry (Frontiers).

International Projects 

• Chair of COST Action (CA18220) – European network of FURan based chemicals and materials FOR a Sustainable development. Funding: COST European Cooperation in Science and Technology (05/11/2019-04/11/2023);
• PI at UA of R&D project with Stora Enzo for the production of polyesters (NDA). Funding: Stora Enso AB (2018-2019);
• AFORE: Forest biorefineries: Added-value from chemicals and polymers by new integrated separation, fractionation and upgrading technologies. Funding: European Commission (09/2009-08/2013);
• WaCheUp: New concepts for upgrading pulp mill waste streams to value-added chemicals. Funding: European Commission (06/2005-10/2007).

National Projects 

• PI at UA of Rational design of a thermostable esterase for the production of high­value bioplastics for biomedical applications. Funding: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (05/2018-31/12/2019);
• Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents: A platform to boost Eucalyptus globulus and Quercus suber cork integrated biorefineries. Funding: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (01/2016-12/2018);
• Creating value from bio-wastes: suberin extraction and biotransformation in biocompatible ionic liquids aiming on novel biomaterials and compounds. Funding: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (03/2012-08/2015);
• Development of new polyesters derived from 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid. Funding: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (04/2010-09/2013).

• Editorial Board Member of “Polymers” (MDPI). 2020-ongoing;
• Guest Editor of Green Chemistry (RSC) to themed collection “Furanic Society for Sustainability”. 2020-ongoing;
• Guest Editor of Frontiers in Chemistry (Frontiers SA) on the Research Topic “Sustainable Polymers: Where Are We? Where Do We Go?”. 2009-ongoing;
• Frequently reviewing for several important journals in the field of Polymer Science & Sustainable Chemistry: “Green Chemistry”, “Polymer Chemistry”, “Biomacromolecules”, “Polymer”, “Macromolecular Materials and Engineering”, “Reactive and Functional Polymers”, “Macromolecular Rapid Communications”, “Industrial Crops and Products”, “Progress in Organic Coatings and Molecules”, “Journal of Biomedical Materials Research-Part B”, “Carbohydrate Polymers”, among others. 2012-ongoing;
• Expert evaluator to the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme (MSCA Co-Fund Edge Programme, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland). 2016-ongoing.

1. AF Sousa,*C Vilela, AC Fonseca, M Matos, CSR Freire, G-JM Gruter, JFJ Coelho and AJD Silvestre, Biobased polyesters and other polymers from 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid: a tribute to furan excellency, Polym Chem, 2015, 6, 5961 (DOI: 10.1039/C5PY00686D)

impact factor (2015): 5.687; quartile (2015): Q1 (polymer science)

>>>>> HIGHLY CITED PAPERin September/October 2017 (top 1%) http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2015/py/c5py00686d#!divCitation

>>>>> DISTINGUISHED with the selection for inside front cover

2. A Gandini*, AJD Silvestre, CP Neto, AF Sousa and M Gomes. The furan counterpart of poly(ethylene terephthalate): an alternative material based on renewable resources. Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry 2008, 47(1), 295-298 (DOI: 10.1002/pola.23130)

impact factor (2008): 3,821; quartile (2008): Q2 (polymer science)

>>>>>>>> HIGHLY CITED PAPER in 2019, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/pola.23130

3. C Vilela*, AF Sousa, AC Fonseca, AC Serra, JFJ Coelho, CSR Freire and AJD Silvestre. The quest for sustainable polyesters - insights into the future. Polym Chem, 2014, 5, 3119 (DOI: 10.1039/c3py01213a)

impact factor (2014): 5,520; quartile (2014): Q1 (polymer science)

>>>>>>>>>  HIGHLY CITED PAPER in September/October 2017, 2018, 2019 (top 1%), https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2014/py/c3py01213a#!divAbstract

4. AF Sousa,*AC Fonseca,* AC Serra, CSR Freire, AJD Silvestre and JFJ Coelho, New unsaturated copolyesters based on 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid and their crosslinked derivatives, Polym Chem, 2016, 7, 1049 (DOI: 10.1039/c5py01702e)

impact factor (2016): 5.375; quartile (2016): Q1 (polymer science)

>>>>> DISTINGUISHED with the selection for inside front cover 

5. M. Matos, A. F. Sousa*, N. H. C. S. Silva, C. S. R. Freire, M. Andrade, A. D. Mendes and A. J. D. Silvestre, Furanoate-Based Nanocomposites: A Case Study Using Poly(Butylene 2,5-Furanoate) and Poly(Butylene 2,5-Furanoate)-co-(Butylene Diglycolate) and Bacterial Cellulose – Special Issue (after invitation) on "Polymers from renewable resources", Polymers 10(8) 810 (DOI: 10.3390/polym10080810).

6. A. F. Sousa*, A. C. Fonseca, A. C. Serra, C. S. R. Freire, A. J. D. Silvestre and J. F. J. Coelho, New unsaturated copolyesters based on 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid and their crosslinked derivatives – DISTINGUISHED with the selection for inside front cover of