Team
Maria do Carmo Pereira, PhD.
Maria do Carmo Pereira holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Porto and is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP). She is a member of the Scientific Coordination Committee of LEPABE, coordinates its Supramolecular Assemblies research line, and leads the Micro and Nano Structures sub-area of the ALiCE Associated Laboratory. Her research focuses on nanotechnology, interfacial phenomena, and the development of nano-engineered biomaterials for health applications. Her main interests include antibody-targeted nanocarriers for drug delivery across the blood–brain barrier, nanoformulations for glioblastoma and neurodegenerative diseases, and nanostructured biosensors for neurological disease biomarkers. She has authored more than 220 peer-reviewed publications, with over 9,000 citations and an h-index of 54, and has extensive experience in supervising researchers and coordinating national and European projects. She is Vice-Chair of the Nanotherapeutics and Targeted Delivery Working Group of the European Technology Platform for Nanomedicine (ETPN), co-founder of BNANOTECH, and co-inventor of a patent on drug-loaded nanoparticles.
Group leader of Nano4MED
Group leader of Supramolecular Assemblies
Associate Professor
Manuel Coelho, PhD.
Assistant Professor
Prof. Manuel Coelho finished his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Porto in 1987. After post-doc studies at the University of Stanford (USA), University of Davis (USA), and IBM Almaden Research Center (CPIMA), he became a Professor of Chemical Engineering at FEUP, where he supervised several MSc and Ph.D. students. M. Coelho was the team leader in several EU projects, such as HPRN-CT-2000-00159 with Max Plank Institute (Nanocapsules with functionalized surfaces and walls); and TRANSCAN/00011/2012 (Nanoparticle enhanced molecular Fluorescence-Endoscopy for detection of early-stage colorectal adenocarcinoma). M. Coelho published 65 papers (>2200 citations, h- index 25) and is the editor of Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. M. Coelho is the UPorto delegate of the European Technology Platform for Nanotechnology (ETPN, https://etp-nanomedicine.eu/) and was invited as an expert for Call NMBP-07 of Horizon2020. He received several awards, such as Senior Moulton Medal commended by the Institution of Chemical Engineers of England for his article (Chem.Eng.Res.Des.,1988,vol.66(2):165-77).
Slezakova, Klara, PhD.
Assistant Researcher
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Maria João Ramalho, PhD.
Junior Researcher
Dr. Maria J. Ramalho is a biochemist with a degree from the University of Porto and a PhD in Chemical and Biological Engineering (2019). She is currently an integrated researcher at LEPABE (FEUP), an Invited Professor at FEUP, and a Visiting Researcher at i3S. Her research interests focus on nanomaterials for diagnostic and therapeutic applications, particularly nanoparticle-based systems to target the blood-brain barrier. She has participated in more than 10 funded research projects, including as co-Principal Investigator of an FCT-funded project (EXPL/NAN-MAT/0209/2021), and she has secured funding of €250K under the highly competitive national CEEC-FCT call to support a six-year research contract. She has supervised a total of 35 students across different academic levels, including one postdoctoral researcher, one PhD student, 14 MSc students (five international), and 16 undergraduate students. She authored 47 peer-reviewed articles and 5 book chapters (>1,700 citations, h-index 24), including publications in Top 10% Scopus journals. She serves as guest editor for Polymers, Pharmaceutics, International Journal of Molecular Sciences and Biomedicines, and act as reviewer for several Q1 international journals. Her scientific work has received international recognition, including being included in the World’s Top 2% Scientists list, published by Elsevier and compiled by Stanford University, which identifies the most cited scientists worldwide in their respective fields. She is an affiliated member of the European Technology Platform on Nanomedicine (ETPN), and co-inventor of two patents on drug-loaded nanoparticles.
Stéphanie Andrade, PhD.
Junior Researcher
Dr. Stéphanie Andrade is a Biomedical Engineer who finished her Ph.D. in Chemical and Biological Engineering from FEUP in 2022. Part of her Ph.D. work was conducted at the University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHealth) at Houston. She is currently a Researcher at LEPABE (FEUP), and her current research activity is focused on the production and characterization of nanoparticles for the encapsulation of bioactive compounds for pharmaceutical applications. S. Andrade has participated in 7 funded research projects and recently secured €125K in funding under the highly competitive national CEEC-FCT call, evaluated by an international jury, to support a 3-year research contract. She is a co-inventor on two patents for drug-loaded nanoparticles and the author of 35 articles in international peer-reviewed journals (97% of them Q1), 1 book, and 4 book chapters (>1500 citations, h-index 20). One of them was published in the Top 5% of the SCImago Journal & Country Rank, and 11 were published in the Top 10% of journals in Scopus. She is the first author of most of her publications (72%). S. Andrade was a guest editor in Polymers, Pharmaceutics, and the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, a member of the Topical Advisory Panel of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, and a member of the reviewer board of Polymers. S. Andrade is a member of the organizing committee of the Symposium on Alzheimer's Disease. She has supervised 23 students across different academic levels, including 9 master's students (2 international), 2 undergraduate students, and 12 high school students.
Pedro Carneiro, PhD.
Junior Researcher
Postdoctoral Researcher with a PhD in Chemical and Biological Engineering, working at the interface of nanotechnology, materials science, and biomedical engineering. His research focuses on the design and functionalization of advanced nanomaterials, combined with electroanalytical methodologies, to develop the next-generation of biosensing platforms for precision diagnostics and personalized medicine. To date, his research has resulted in seven peer-reviewed publications in international journals, with more than 300 citations (h-index: 6). Beyond research, Dr. Pedro Carneiro has actively participated in the supervision of PhD and MSc students, teaching activities, organization of scientific conferences and workshops, and the preparation of competitive grant proposals for both national and European funding programs. Currently, his research is directed towards the development of innovative nanotechnology-based diagnostic systems with enhanced sensitivity, selectivity, and clinical applicability for improved healthcare and precision medicine.
Débora Nunes, MSc.
PhD Student
Débora Nunes is a Biomedical Engineer who finished her MSc in Biomedical Engineering from FEUP in 2018. She is currently a PhD candidate at LEPABE (FEUP), and her current research activity is focused on the production and characterization of nanoparticles for the encapsulation of active pharmaceutical ingredients for delivery across the BBB, and production and characterization of nanoparticles incorporated in hydrogels for drug delivery applications. D. Nunes is the first author of 4 articles, all of them published in international peer-reviewed Q1 journals (>250 citations, h-index 4). D. Nunes is also a member of the organizing committee of the Symposium on Alzheimer's Disease.
Joana Lains, MSc.
PhD Student
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