Meet the (current) team!
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Group PIs
Filipa Siopa
FSiopa's research interests focus on the development of bio-inspired, efficient, and sustainable synthetic methodologies, with particular emphasis on total synthesis, biomass valorization, asymmetric synthesis, and flow chemistry.
Giovanni Poli
Giovanni Poli is an Invited Full Professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon (FFUL). His research focuses on catalytic C–H activation and metal‑promoted upgrading of biomass into value‑added chemicals.
João Rafael Vale
As a Junior Researcher at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, João Vale’s current research interests consist in the development of novel organic photocatalysts and their applications in photoredox reactions.
Rafael Gomes
Rafael Gomes is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon (FFUL). His active research topics are the valorization of chitinous biomass, total synthesis of complex natural products, nature-inspired peptides and discovery of targeted therapeutics.
PhD students
Afonso Verde
Afonso Verde’s research centers on new, safer methodologies for API synthesis using photocatalysis under flow conditions. He is also developing work on the use of ultra-high pressure as a greener synthetic method.
Supervisors: Prof. Carlos Afonso (FFUL), MsC José Antunes (Anceus), Dr. João Rafael Vale (FFUL)
Bruna Guerreiro
Bruna’s research focuses on the valorization of bioactive compounds derived from Portuguese algae for the discovery of novel therapeutics. She also works on the synthesis and evaluation of Ionic Liquids and Deep Eutectic Solvents.
Supervisors: Prof. Carlos Afonso (FFUL), Prof. Pedro Lima (NMS-UNL/Sea4Us)
Carolina Catarino
C. Catarino’s research is centered on the application of electrochemical and photochemical strategies toward sustainable enantioselective organic synthesis.
Supervisors: PhD João Rafael Vale (FFUL), Prof. Jaime Coelho (FFUL)
Esther Calvino-Sanles
Esther Calvino-Sanles research focuses on protein and peptide modification for biomedical applications, mainly focusing on fluorination.
Supervisors: Prof. Gonçalo Bernardes (Cambridge), Dr. Marta Marques (GIMM), Prof. Rafael Gomes (FFUL)
Inês Martins
IMartins's research interests focus on the development of greener and sustainable synthetic methodologies, with particular emphasis on biomass valorization, electrochemical synthesis, and flow chemistry.
Supervisors: Prof. Carlos Afonso (FFUL), Prof. Jaime Coelho (FCUL), Prof. Rui Moreira (FFUL)
Mariana Monteiro
Mariana Monteiro's research interests focus on the development of efficient and sustainable synthetic methodologies, particularly photochemistry and flow chemistry.
Supervisors: Prof. Carlos Afonso (FFUL), Prof. Filipa Siopa (FFUL)
Malamatenia Papavasileiou
Malamatenia's project focuses on fluorination strategies for proteins with therapeutic or diagnostic potential. The findings of this project could be applied in 18F-labelling of biotherapeutics.
Supervisors: Prof. Gonçalo Bernardes (Cambridge), Prof. Rafael Gomes (FFUL)
Tiago Santos
Tiago’s research focuses on the valorization of chitin-derived furans using sustainable methods such as ultra-high-pressure and flow chemistry towards the development of novel scaffolds for medicinal chemistry and chemical biology.
Supervisors: Prof. Rafael Gomes, Prof. Carlos Afonso e João Nunes ( BLC3)
Master students
Adriana Casteleiro
Adriana's project focuses on the total synthesis of Agelastatin A, a natural product with promising cytotoxic activity against tumor cells.
Supervisors: Prof. Rafael Gomes (FFUL), Prof. Carlos Afonso
André Peralta
André's research consists of using photochemistry to develop greener oxidation reactions and synthesise bioactive compounds
Supervisor: Prof. João Rafael Vale (FFUL)
Cátia Josué
Cátia's work focus on process optimization for batch and continuous-flow production of an innovative therapy for the treatment of chronic pain in veterinary medicine.
Supervisors: Prof. Carlos Afonso (FFUL), Prof. Pedro Lima (NMS-UNL/Sea4Us)
Herivelto Vieira
Herivelto's work focuses on the application of continuous flow chemistry to the synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).
Supervisors: Prof. Filipa Siopa (FFUL), Prof. João Rafael Vale (FFUL)
Rita Felisberto
Rita's research focuses on the use of photochemical reactions to obtain novel hemi-synthetic bioactive compounds.
Supervisors: Prof. Ana Margarida Madureira (FFUL), Prof. Filipa Siopa (FFUL)
Sara Antunes
Sara's project focuses on the use of photochemical reactions to obtain bioactive compounds.
Supervisors: Prof. Filipa Siopa (FFUL), Prof. Rita Branquinho (FCT)
Research fellows
Daniel F. Carvalho, MSc
Daniel's research aims to identify the most effective bioorthogonal conditions for selective peptide functionalization.
Supervisors: PhD João Rafael Vale (FFUL), Prof. Rafael Gomes (FFUL)
Inês Falcato, MSc
Inês Falcato’s research interests focus on developing novel methods for peptide modification, especially the macrocyclization of biomolecules.
Supervisors: Prof. Rafael Gomes (FFUL)
Visiting students
Elisa Crippa
UNIMI (Università degli Studi di Milano)
The project focuses on the valorisation of bio-renewable resources to generate valuable building-blocks using ultra-high-pressure.
Supervisors: Prof. Carlos Afonso (FFUL), Prof. Rafael Gomes (FFUL), Proff.ssa Lucia Tamborini (UNIMI)
Giovanna Brun
Currently an intern in the lab, I am participating in a project aimed at valorizing bio-renewable resources via the chemoselective synthesis of natural product hybrids (NPH).
Supervisors: Prof. Carlos Afonso (FFUL)
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