Project Team

José Gamelas completed a PhD degree in Chemistry in 2000. He has a background in Analytical and Inorganic chemistry (the area of his PhD), but, more recently, he has been moving to Physical Chemistry and biobased materials topics. In the last years, he developed work in subjects such as: New modified fillers for papermaking; Production, characterization and applications of cellulose nanofibrils; Cationization and anionization of cellulosic and lignocellulosic materials; Composites of cellulose nanofibrils with mineral fillers; and Characterization of surface properties of biomaterials and mineral fillers by inverse gas chromatography.

He was principal coordinator of several projects, mainly of the FCT projects “New generation of composite films of cellulose nanofibrils with mineral particles as high strength materials with gas barrier properties” and “Nanocellulose films for the repair of old documents containing iron gall ink”.

He was included in the “World's Top 2% scientists” of Scopus for the years 2021, 2022 and 2023. He was awarded several times and has two granted national patents (in two different subjects). Besides Science, he has also interest in arts and humanities and enjoys sports as well.

Maria da Graça Carvalho is Associate Professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Coimbra. She received her PhD in Chemical Engineering in 1999, in the area of Cellulose Science and Technology. She is a researcher mainly in the fields of Chemical characterization of lignocellulosic materials/Biomass; Valorization of agro-industrial and forest residues; Biorefinery; Separation processes of biomass components; Carbohydrates-to-ethanol conversion; fibers-to-nanocellulose. She has published ca. 70 scientific papers (h-Index – 21, Scopus). Main projects in which she has participated: “NANOCELIRONGAL – Nanocellulose films for the repair of old documents containing iron gall ink”, 2022.01621.PTDC (2023-2025); “InPaCTus – Innovative Products and Technologies from Eucalyptus”, POCI-01-0247-FEDER-021874 (2018-2022); “Multi-purpose strategies for broadband agro-forest and fisheries by-products valorization: a step forward for a truly integrated biorefinery”, POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016403 (2017-2019); "BIIPP 11552 – Integrated Biorefinery in the Pulp and Paper Industry", funded by QREN in consortium (Soporcel, RAIZ, University of Coimbra, University of Aveiro, University of Porto) (2010-2012).

Paulo Jorge Tavares Ferreira got the Degree in Chemical Engineering in 1987 from the University of Coimbra – Department of Chemical Engineering, completed his PhD in Chemical Engineering in 2000 and got the Aggregation Degree in Chemical Engineering in 2019 at the University of Coimbra. He is an Associate Professor with Habilitation at the University of Coimbra – Department of Chemical Engineering and Integrated Researcher at the Centre for Chemical Engineering and Renewable Resources for Sustainability (CERES). He published 105 articles in SCI journals and around 160 presentations in conferences (H-index = 31). He supervised 8 doctoral students and more than 50 master's theses, and participated in 20 funded projects, being principal investigator in 8. He is co-author of 4 patents and 4 provisional patent applications. He participated in several COST Actions and international research networks, mainly in the Ibero-American commonwealth (e.g., RIADICYP). He is a member of the Technical Committee on Nanotechnology of the Portuguese Institute of Quality. He is auditor of the Portuguese Institute of Accreditation. Since 2010, he has been vice-president of Tecnicelpa (Portuguese Association of Technicians of the Pulp and Paper Industries).

Margarida João Quina is an Associate Professor with Habilitation at the University of Coimbra. She obtained her degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Coimbra in 1992; Master’s degree in Engineering Sciences, with a specialization in Industrial Engineering, in 1997; PhD in Chemical Engineering, specializing in Chemical Reactors, in 2006; and her Habilitation in 2021. Since 2022, she has served as Director of CERES, the research centre for Chemical Engineering and Renewable Resources for Sustainability. Since 1993, she has taught a wide range of courses in Chemical Engineering and Environmental Engineering programs. In recent years, her teaching activity has focused primarily on subjects related to Sustainability, Circular Economy, Treatment of Effluents, and Environmental Protection Technologies. Her main scientific interests focus on environmental sustainability, particularly through the valorisation of waste and wastewater for the production of value-added products and energy, aligned with circular economy and biorefinery strategies. She has participated in and coordinated over 40 national and international research projects. To date, she has published over 125 scientific papers, including 1 book, 20 book chapters, 1 patent, with over 4200 citations (Scopus ID: 23135614100; h-Index: 34).

Delfim Leão is Full Professor at the Institute of Classical Studies and a researcher at the Center for Classical and Humanistic Studies, University of Coimbra. He published over 200 academic works that range across ancient Greek law, political theory, the ancient novel, and theatrical pragmatics, alongside a strong engagement with the digital humanities and Open Science. His published works include D. F. Leão & P. J. Rhodes, The Laws of Solon. A new Edition, with Introduction, Translation and Commentary (London, I. B. Tauris, 2015); D. F. Leão & O. Guerrier (eds.), Figures de sages, figures de philosophes dans l'oeuvre de Plutarque (Coimbra, Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra, 2019); D. F. Leão, & L. R. Lanzillotta, A Man of Many Interests: Plutarch on Religion, Myth, and Magic (Leiden - Boston, Brill, 2019); D. F. Leão & B. Sebastiani (eds.), Crises (Staseis) and Changes (Metabolai): Athenian Democracy in the Making (Firenze, Firenze University Press, 2022). Amongst other functions, he is currently Vice-Rector for Culture, Communication and Open Science at Coimbra University, and member of the Executive Assembly of OPERAS (ESFRI infrastructure), participating in European projects such as OPERAS-P, TRIPLE, OPERAS-PLUS, PALOMERA, ATRIUM, LUMEN. He heads the team responsible for developing the collaborative translation platform Mondaecus. Along with Lautaro R. Lanzillotta, he is the editor of Brill’s Plutarch Studies. In 2023, he became the first Portuguese scholar appointed to the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - Humaines & Sociales (CNRS - Paris) for the term 2023-28.