Programa

Mario Martinez is an Associate Professor (Profesor Titular) and Consolidated Researcher (Consolidación Investigadora 2023, AEI) in the Department of Agricultural Engineering at the University of Valladolid (Spain). Previously, he was a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor at the University of Guelph (ON, Canada), where he received the College of Engineering and Physical Science (CEPS) Assistant Professor Research Excellence Award, the Ontario Early Researcher Award (ERA) from the Government of Ontario, and the Young Scientist Award from the Cereals & Grains Association. He was also an Associate Professor at Aarhus University (Denmark), where his research was recognized with prestigious awards and elite grants, including the Nils Foss Talent Prize 2021 (Foss Analytics, Denmark) and the DFF-Sapere Aude excellence grant (Denmark). In addition to his main affiliation at the University of Valladolid, Mario is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Whistler Center for Carbohydrate Research (Purdue University, USA) and Editor of the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. His research program focuses on designing and utilizing plant macromolecule assemblies that precisely target metabolic responses, bioactivity, and technological performance for applications in food, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and packaging.

Dr. Rilton Alves de Freitas currently holds the position of Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacy at the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR). He completed his undergraduate studies in Industrial Pharmacy at the same institution. He received his master’s and PhD degrees in Biochemical Sciences (Macromolecular Chemistry) in 2000 and 2003, respectively, also from UFPR. In 2008, he conducted research at Tulane University's Department of Physics in the United States and at the Département Polymères, Colloïdes et Interfaces/PCI at the Institut des Molécules et Matériaux du Mans in France from 2014 to 2015.

In 2021, became the head of the Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PPGCF-UFPR), and in 2022, assumed the presidency of the Forum of Coordinators of Postgraduate Programs at UFPR. Since 2018, he is the coordinator of the CAPES-PRINT project titled "Diagnosis, Therapeutics, and Molecular Bases of Chronic and Neglected Diseases.” Additionally, in 2024, he became an associate editor of the Brazilian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Dr. Freitas’ is a  National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) researcher 2, and his research focuses on the Physical-Chemistry of Colloids, Macromolecules, and Nanotechnology, with a particular emphasis on Biopolymers and Pickering Emulsions. He has published over 112 scientific articles, edited a book about Pickering Emulsions published by Elsevier, authored 9 book chapters, and 7 patents. He collaborates with industry leaders, advancing knowledge and promoting practical applications in chemistry, food and pharmaceutical sciences.

Ana Faria é Professora Associada com Agregação na Nova Medical School Universidade de Lisboa. É docente no Mestrado Integrado em Medicina e na Licenciatura em Ciências da Nutrição em unidades curriculares relacionadas com a química alimentar e com a bioquímica. É investigadora no Comprehensive Health Research Center (CHRC).

Licenciou-se em Bioquímica na Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto. É Mestre em Química e Doutora em Química pela mesma faculdade. Foi investigadora em pós-doutoramento na Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto. No seu percurso científico dedica-se ao estudo da atividade biológica de fitoquímicos, em particular ao nível do transporte, biodisponibilidade e efeitos sobre o microbiota com impacto na saúde humana.

Isabel Maria Pinto Leite Viegas Oliveira Ferreira is Associate Professor at University of Porto - Faculty of Pharmacy and coordinator of Food Science & Nutrition thematic line at LAQV/REQUIMTE. She has Habilitation in Chemical Sciences, PhD in Pharmacy, speciality of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and the degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences, all by University of Porto - Faculty of Pharmacy. Her research work has been focused in food science from different perspectives, namely improvement of food quality, fight food adulteration, control additives and chemical contaminants, test the impact of food beneficial and harmful compounds in the context of a whole diet pattern, applying in vitro models and promote sustainable foods with enhanced health and sensorial properties.

Holds an H-Index 49. Distinguished in the top 2% of the world’s most highly-cited scientists, Scopus, that ranks career-long scientific impact of researchers from around the globe. Those articles are from different sub-areas, Agricultural and Biological Sciences; Chemistry; Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics, and Environmental Sciences. Coordinated/participated in 32 research projects, including FP7, H2020, FCT and QREN. Supervised/co-supervised 14 PhD/ 32MsD thesis, and 12 PosDoc fellows.

Degree in Technological Chemistry - Science Faculty of Lisbon University.

Currently and since March 2013 as Applied Research Manager at SUMOL COMPAL, with experience on Academia-Company interface management including contributing to the creation of Collaborative Laboratories, namely CoLab4Food.

Wide understanding of SUMOL COMPAL and food industry in general, across several domains (as a result of different functions, technical and management, within the company since

Shiguo Chen is a Full Professor at the College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science at Zhejiang University, China, where he serves as the Dean of the Department of Food Science and Nutrition. His scientific expertise and research interests focus on the following areas: 1) Targeted nutrition informed by chemical composition and gut microbiota; 2) The structure and function of complex carbohydrates in food (oligosaccharides/polysaccharides); and 3) The utilization and development of polymeric polyphenols (specifically proanthocyanidins) derived from evergreen plant resources.

Dr. Chen has been recognized as a Yangtze River Distinguished Young Professor by the Ministry of Education of China (2019) and has received the “Hong Kong Scholar” award. He has successfully obtained funding for more than 10 projects at both the national and provincial levels. With over 300 published papers to his name, with an H-index of 67, and total citation of more than 13000. he has also applied for more than60 patents, of which 30 have been authorized, including 12 international patents. He has supervised 20 doctoral theses (with 12 currently in progress) and 6 postdoctoral researchers. Additionally, he was honored with the Young Scientist Award at the 2011 Taiwan International Food Function Factor Conference (ICOFF) and received the Traveling Award at the 2011 American Sugar Biology Annual Meeting. Dr. Chen has also won the two First Prize for Promotion in Science and Technology from the Ministry of Education of China and one also other 5 high quality prize from nationality.

 Professional Experience

(1) 2020-01 to present, Zhejiang University, College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Professor.

(2) 2014-01 to 2019-12, Associate Professor, College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, China.

(3) 2016-02 to 2017-02, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Department of Biological Engineering, None.

(4) 2012-02 to 2013-09, Zhejiang University, College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Lecturer.

(1) 2012-02 to 2013-09, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Post-Doc.

(2) 2010-09 to 2012-02, Zhejiang University, Post-Doc.

EDUCATION

(1) 2007-09 to 2010-06, Ocean University of China, Aquatic Products Processing and Storage, Ph.D.

(2) 2004-09 to 2007-06, Ocean University of China, Food Science, M.Sc.

(3) 2000-09 to 2004-06, Ningbo University, Food Science and Engineering, B.S.

Food Engineer with a solid background in Food Science & Technology and Experimental/Human Nutrition. Granato is a Professor in Functional Foods at the University of Limerick, and a Course Director of the MSc in Functional Foods. Granato has supervised >140 BSc., MBA, MSc, PhD candidates and post-doctoral fellows, and published >300 peer-reviewed articles in top-tier journals, 21 book chapters, 6 books, and 7 technological patents and innovation disclosures. His scientific production has been cited >21.000 times (hindex=75 and h10index=226), making him a Highly Cited Researcher since 2018. He is a Scientific Editor of prestigious journals, such as Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety and Food Chemistry, and has > €8M in funding of projects in different countries.

Full Professor at the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (Portugal), of which she was Vice-President, Director of the Mountain Research Center and Mentor of the MORE and AQUAValor Collaborative Laboratories. Former President of the Scientific Council of Natural and Environmental Sciences of the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), President of the Chromatography Group of the Portuguese Society of Chemistry, member of the Steering Committee "Strategic Basic Research" Foundation Flanders (FWO) and member of the Committee of Experts monitoring the European Framework Programmes H2020 and Horizon Europe.

Former Secretary of State for Regional Development at the Portuguese Government (2019-2024).

She is one of the most cited researchers in the world (top 1%), having been distinguished in the last 9 years in the Essential Science Indicators index, one of the most prestigious indicators of research quality. Her work includes the publication of 4 international books, 60 book chapters, more than 900 scientific articles and several national and European patents, most of them resulting from technology transfer to industry, some of them being the basis for the creation of spin-offs.

She received several distinctions such as the Gulbenkian Prize for Stimulating Scientific Research; the recognition for the dissemination of Portuguese science in the world, and mentioned by Ciência Viva – National Agency for Scientific and Technological Culture, in the book Women in Science; In 2019 she received the European Social Innovation Award from the European Commission; in 2022 she was distinguished by Superbrands as a personality of excellence in the area of Science.