PEDRO MOROUÇO (Principal Investigator)

Pedro Morouço is the Head of R&D Biofabrication Group at the Centre for Rapid and Sustainable Product Development – Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, Portugal, with a PhD specialized in Biomechanics. His research activity focuses, mostly, on products and processes engineering, aiming to bringing the gap between the lab and in vivo applications. In the last years, he has been invited to collaborate in several projects, like SKELGEN: Establishment of a cross continent consortium for enhancing regenerative medicine in skeletal tissues (leader for IPL), HydroZONES: Bioactivated hierarchical hydrogels as zonal implants for articular cartilage regeneration, and BioMaTE: A novel bio-manufacturing system to produce bioactive scaffolds for tissue engineering.

GEOFFREY MITCHELL

Geoffrey Mitchell is Vice-Director of the Centre for Rapid and Sustainable Product Development at the Institute Polytechnic of Leiria. Professor Mitchell has a broad experience of materials research ranging from non-linear optics through smart materials to the microstructural study of technologically important materials. In the last 15 years he has developed strong interest in additive manufacturing, firstly with the development of a novel UV/IR Stereolithography process and then the influence of 3D printing processes on the structure and morphology of the final products. He has developed a strong interest in electrospinning and was amongst the first to evaluate the effect of the electrospinning parameters on the polymer structure of the fibres.

NUNO ALVES

Nuno Alves is currently Director of the Centre for Rapid and Sustainable Product Development of the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria (CDRsp-IPLeiria) a leader in the development of direct digital manufacturing mainly in the application of such technology to medicine. Nuno Alves is/was Member of the Research Teams of 24 Funded Research Projects (4 as Principal Investigator).

SANDRA AMADO

Sandra Amado is a researcher at the Center for Rapid and Sustainable Product Development of the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria (2016) and Neuromechanics Research Group at the Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Human Performance, Faculty of Human Kinetics – University of Lisbon (2012). Amado and co-workers were able to identify differences from 3D analysis of hind limb movement during gait after different clinical intervention with different biomaterials for nerve regeneration.

PAULA FARIA

Paula Faria is a Lecturer of the Mathematics Department at the School for Technology and Management of the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria and a Research Member of the Centre for Rapid and Sustainable Product Development (CDRSP) of the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria. Her research activity focuses mostly on numerical modulation techniques for direct digital manufacturing applied to metals, polymers and ceramics, and virtual and augmented reality.

LUIS CARRÃO

Luis Miguel Costa Carrão has a Degree in Physical Therapy from Health School Egas Moniz; Master of Exercise and Health from the School of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon and is a PhD candidate at the same institution in the field of Human Kinetics, specialty Biomechanics, with research in the area of pain in osteoarthritis of the knee, using the thermography, algometry, ultrasound and dynamometry.

SARA BISCAIA

Sara Biscaia has a Master Degree in Engineering Design and Product Development, both completed in the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria. She is research fellow at the Center for Rapid and Sustainable Product Development. She has been undergoing research work evolving biomaterials, biofabrication techniques for medical applications and tissue engineering. Currently, she is a laboratory technician of the Biofabrication Lab at the Centre for Rapid and Sustainable Product Development.

CÂNDIDA MALÇA

Cândida Malça holds a PhD (Mechanical Engineering) from the Technical University of Lisbon and has over sixteen years of teaching experience, covering a wide variety of subjects. Cândida has participated in several projects addressing relevant technologies that were awarded, e.g. 1st place on the National Competition on Inventions and Prototypes jointly conferred by the University of Minho and TecMinho (2005) and 1st place on the National Competition on Entrepreneurship and Innovation, jointly organized by all Polytechnic Schools of Portugal (2008) and 1st place on the Regional Competition on Entrepreneurship and Innovation, organized by Nursing School of Coimbra (2014).

ANA VELOSO

Ana C. Veloso received her PhD on Biological and Chemical Engineering from University of Minho. At present she is a researcher at Centre of Biological Engineering of University of Minho. Her research main interests are in the Bio-Process Systems Engineering field, namely, modelling and control of biotechnological processes. Her current research also includes the study of quality and safety of food matrices using electrochemical techniques (electronic tongue).

CRISTINA ISABEL CABRAL GALHANO

Cristina Galhano is an Assistant Professor at Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra. Her teaching experience at ESAC started in 1996 and since then she covered a wide variety of subjects in the field of Biology and Applied Biology Sciences from different BSc. Her main ambition is to find new healthier and environmentally   friendly solutions, based on sustainable and natural resources, to control plant enemies. She develops work in several R&D projects as coordinator and team member, trying to study the potential use of plants as natural biocides (nematicides, insecticides, fungicides, bactericides, anti sprouting effect).

INÊS JOSÉ SEABRA NUNES VICENTE

Inês J. Seabra is a researcher at CIEPQPF (Chemical Process Engineering and Forest Products Research Centre) in the Particles, Polymers and Biomaterials Technology Research Group, that addresses a wide variety of topics such as sustainable processes, polymers and biomaterials and particle technology, among others. She is currently on sabbatical leave at Rice University (USA) in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department acquiring experience on the development of advanced polymer synthesis techniques and nanoscale characterization tools.

MARTA HELENA FERNANDES HENRIQUES

Marta H. F. Henriques  is researcher at CERNAS (Research Center for Natural Resources, Environment and Society) in the Research Group of Food Science and Engineering, with a focus on the development of novel products, systems and processes, and the valorisation of food processing by-products for sustainable development. She have experience in the development of bioactive edible films and coatings as delivery systems for antimicrobials in bio-matrices.

RITA SANTOS ROCHA

PhD in Human Movement, specialising in Health & Fitness, Coordinator of the Master Degree in Physical Activity in Special Populations and Professor of the Bachelor Degree in Sport, Fitness & Health (ESDRM), in Exercise Testing and Prescription, and Public Health and Physical Activity. Researcher of the Neuromechanics of Human Movement Group of CIPER (Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Human Performance) – Faculty of Human Kinetics (FMH) – University of Lisbon. She has being involved in several research projects funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and other National and European bodies. Her research interests are focused on gait biomechanics and the effects of exercise programs on pregnant women, and other populations.

MARCO ANTÓNIO COLAÇO BRANCO

Marco has been involved in several research projects funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and other National and European bodies. The research interests are focused on gait biomechanics of pregnant women and other populations like Alzheimer patients, Children with DCD, and in the study of human performance for martial arts. PhD in Human Kinetics, specialising in Biomechanics, MSc in Fitness & Health, and BSc in Sport, Fitness & Health.

MARIA DE FÁTIMA FLORENTINO GONÇALVES RAMALHO

Fátima Ramalho is Assistant Professor at the Sports Sciences School of Rio Maior (ESDRM) – Polytechnic Institute of Santarém (IPS). PhD Student and researcher of the Neuromechanics of Human Movement Group of CIPER – Faculty of Human Kinetics (FMH) – University of Lisbon. She is involved in several research projects funded by FCT and QREN-InAlentejo (Biomechanics of Exercise; Physical Activity Programs and Special Populations: Active Pregnancy; More Active Ageing).

SUSANA CARLA ALVES FRANCO

Susana Franco has been involved in several I&D European projects funded by Socrates, Lifelong Learning Programme and ERASMUS+. Her research interests are focused on exercise/fitness professionals and their intervention. She has a PhD in Methodological Foundations of Research in Physical Activity and Sport, MSc in Exercise & Health, and BSc in Sport Sciences. Coordinator of the Bachelor Degree in Sport, Fitness & Health (ESDRM), in Fitness and in Exercise Pedagogy.

JOSÉ AUGUSTO TEMUDO MOUSINHO

José Mousinho is the head of Orthopedics Hospital Department-1 since 2002 and of Orthopedics Emergency Team since 2000 at the Leiria Hospital Center E.P.E. (LHC). He holds a Medical degree in 1983 and since 1995 he is Orthopedics and Traumatology Specialist. In 1999 he becomes Graduated Assistant in Orthopedics and Traumatology Specialist with a Postgraduate in Hospital Administration from Portuguese Medical Society and ISCTE. His activity include perform all Orthopedic and Traumatology pathologies, with over 25,000 surgeries performed as surgeon, in trauma and orthopedic distributed by several pathologies (hip and knee arthroplasties – primary and reviews – ligament pathology of the Knee – arthroscopic surgery, upper limb etc.).

CARLOS RAMOS DE PINA

Carlos Pina holds a Medical degree in 2004 from Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto. In 2008 he becomes Postgraduate in Sports Medicine at Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Porto. Between the years 2009-2011, he was member of Team Emergency Medical Car in University Hospital of Coimbra and in North Alentejo Local Unit (2007-2014). With experience in teaching, he was guest assistant for Anatomy and Physiology I, Degree in Physiotherapy, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria (2009) and senior volunteer Orthopedics Discipline Unit in Course of Surgical Pathology III and IV, Master of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra (2010-2014). Pina have experience in clinical investigations like principal investigator.

 

CONSULTANTS

Associate Professor Jos Malda is Head of Research at the Department of Orthopaedics, University Medical Center Utrecht and the Department of Equine Sciences, University of Utrecht. He is a long-standing Board member of the International Cartilage Repair Society and President of the International Society for Biofabrication. He has published over 80 articles in peer reviewed international journals. He has attracted over 4.5 million Euro in research funding and acts as coordinator of PrintCart and BIOFAB, and as steering committee member of SkelGen and HydroZONES. Also, he was recently awarded an ERC Consolidator grant.

Dr. Jorge Santos is the General Manager and CEO of Vipex – Comércio e Indústria de Plásticos SA and the President of NERLEI – Entrepreneurial Association of the Leiria Region. He has a first degree in Management & Business Administration and a PhD in Marketing and International Business. Throughout the years he has created a long career in business taking him to Stakeholder and President of the General Assembly of Busy Angels SCR, Vice-President and member of the Executive Commission of the Portuguese Industrial Association – Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AIP-CCI), Vice-President of the General Council and member of the Business Confederation in Portugal (CIP), and board Director of Garval – Mutual Guarantee Society.