UA
Universidade de Aveiro
University of Aveiro (UAVR) is one of the most dynamic and innovative universities in Portugal. It is considered by the Times’ Higher Education Young University Rankings as one of the world best universities aged 50 or younger. With its 16 Academic Departments and 4 Polytechnic Schools working together in an inter-disciplinary manner, UAVR stimulates knowledge exchange as well as cross-contamination between knowledge fields and promotes a useful proximity between teaching and research. It counts around 13700 students.
UAVR has long experience in R&D activity management, including several European projects, and in Interlynk it coordinates the effort of all project partners and is in charge of many technical activities.
The CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials is one of the research centres of excellence hosted by UAVR. It is directly involved in Interlynk. With its 513 among chemists, physicists and materials engineers, CICECO is the largest Materials Science and Engineering (MS&E) Institute, and also the most internationally competitive research unit in Portugal in the field of materials science and technology, ranked with the highest mark from the Portuguese Ministry of Science. It is an internationally recognized and highly productive research centre with successful partnerships with industry.
CICECO’s fields of interest are Sustainability, Information and Communication Technology, Energy and Health. In particular, the centre has a strong expertise, among others, in the development of efficient health-related materials, products and technologies, from bench to bedside. Its work spans from basic research to practical applications, with strong synergism between material synthesis and characterization, human health, cells metabolism and biology, osteoinductive biomaterials, composite scaffolds, biodegradable polymers for regenerative medicine; and biomaterials for biomedical devices with multi-functional properties.
Key Persons
João F. Mano
João F. Mano is the Scientific Coordinator of the InterLynk project. He is full professor at the Department of Chemistry of the University of Aveiro, Principal Investigator at CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials where he founded and has been directing the COMPASS Research Group. He has a PhD degree in Chemistry, and a DSc degree in Tissue Engineering Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cells. He is an expert in the use of biomaterials, in cell and tissue engineering for regenerative and personalised medicine, nano/micro processing technologies, biomimetics, and polymer/surface chemistry. In particular, with his group, he has been applying advanced approaches to biomaterials engineering to obtain biomedical devices with improved properties to be used in regenerative medicine; to engineer cell microenvironment and thus controlling cell behaviour and organization; to obtain drug release controlling systems to be used in therapies. Mano is author of more than 630 original research articles and reviews published in peer-reviewed international journals, and he is senior inventor of 5 patents.
Susana M. Olhero
Susana Olhero (SO) obtained her Doctorate degree in the field of Material Science and Engineering at the University of Aveiro (UA). She is Assistant Professor in the Department of Materials and Ceramic Engineering/UA in the Biomaterials field and a researcher in CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials. Her research has been highly focused in the colloidal processing of ceramic-based materials for several applications, including the development of innovative bioinert and biodegradable bioceramics for biomedical devices. Together with her group, she has been developing multifunctional biomaterials using additive manufacturing technologies by tailoring feedstock properties and printing parameters to produce dense or porous ceramics suited to specific application requirements. Her research has gained national and international recognition, as demonstrated by scientific publications, conference presentations and collaborative projects.
Paula M. Torres
Paula M. C. Torres is a researcher at the University of Aveiro, affiliated with DEMaC – Department of Materials Engineering and Ceramics, and CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials. She holds a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering (2016), focused on injectable calcium phosphate cements for vertebroplasty. Currently an assistant researcher in the group lead by Professor Susana Olhero, her work focuses on functional ceramics for biomedical applications. Her research includes the synthesis of calcium phosphates (pure, doped, multi-doped, and magnetic), and the development of advanced ceramic materials, such as bone cements, scaffolds, microdevices, and composites, designed for applications including bone regeneration and drug delivery. She is also involved in additive manufacturing via direct ink writing, developing high-solid ceramic inks for 3D-printed biomedical devices. She has participated in national (one as PI) and European research projects. She has 1 national patent, 37 peer-reviewed journal articles, an h-index of 26 (Scopus, May 2025), and supervises graduate and early-stage researchers.
Tiago R. Correia
Tiago R. Correia is junior research Fellow at CICECO, in the COMPASS Research Group headed by Mano. He has a PhD degree in Biochemistry and experience in: bone tissue engineering, in particular in 3D printing using composites with bactericidal activity to address bone infections during implant procedures; vascular tissue engineering, in particular in the development of UV coated materials produced by electrospinning; design and production of new biomimetic coating materials; and the development of material platforms that may control and monitor the fate of individual cells during different biomedical applications. Correia is author of 23 research articles published in peer reviewed international journals.
Rita Sobreiro-Almeida
Rita Sobreiro-Almeida is a junior researcher at CICECO, within the group headed by Prof. João Mano. With a background in biotechnology, her research has been centered on the development of biomaterials for regenerative purposes and in vitro models. She received her PhD in Tissue Engineering, Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cells from the University of Minho in collaboration with the University of Florence. She has already supervised/mentored several master and PhD students, and gained knowledge from her research stays at recognized national/international research institutions. Overall, she has been focused on the development of ECM (decellularized)-based materials for tissue regeneration and chemical modification of protein-based materials for 3D printing applications. Currently, she is working under the H2020 InterLynk project, to develop new design and fabrication methodologies for bioactive scaffolds aiming at multi-tissue regeneration.
Nilza Ribeiro
Nilza Ribeiro is a junior researcher at CICECO, within the DEMaC research group led by Susana Olhero. She holds a PhD degree in Biomedical Engineering and specializes in the design and characterization of biomaterials based on calcium phosphates (CaP) and natural polymers, using electrospinning, electrospraying and additive manufacturing (3D printing) techniques, as well as tissue engineering, cancer and cell culture domain. Her research contributions are evidenced by 21 publications in high-impact Q1 journals (h-index: 15, >710 citations, SCOPUS), two national and international patent applications, active participation in multiple European projects, and collaborations with both national and international companies.