João Borges

Biography

João Borges is a Senior Researcher in the Department of Chemistry and CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials at the University of Aveiro, Portugal. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Porto. He has been focusing his research and collaborating with interdisciplinary and international partners on the molecular design, synthesis and development of bioinspired supramolecular multicomponent biomaterials by combining polysaccharides, peptides and nucleic acids to interface with living systems. Those self-assembling biomaterials are being used as bioinstructive matrices to control cell functions and as platforms for controlled drug/protein/therapeutics delivery.  João has been lecturing on supramolecular biomaterials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine strategies in Portugal and abroad at undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as on communication and presentation skills, and he has been PI of R&D projects funded at European and national levels.

Beyond his academic activity and scientific impact, João has been strongly commited to delivering a positive social impact by being invested in science communication, outreach and public engagement activities, and policy. He has also been actively serving and embracing leadership roles in several early-career chemists’ networks at national, European, and international levels, extensively supporting the networking activities among and empowering early-career scientists globally in advancing their professional development. Those include the International Younger Chemists Network (IYCN), the European Young Chemists’ Network (EYCN), and the Young Chemists Group (GQJ) of the Portuguese Chemical Society (SPQ). He is Past Chair of the IYCN and Co-Chair of the Global Conversation on Sustainability (GCS) – a joint project by the IYCN and the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) – which aims to tackle the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by raising awareness and implementing sustainable practices globally. João is a member of several professional scientific organizations, including the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), the American Chemical Society (ACS), the European Society for Biomaterials (ESB), SPQ, and IUPAC.

Awards