Lídia Gonçalves, PhD

Lídia Gonçalves graduated in 1987 in Applied Chemistry/Biotechnology (FCT, UNL), and completed her PhD on Biological Engineering, at the New University of Lisbon in 1993. In 1994 she was awarded a post-doctoral FCT fellowship to develop in vitro animal cell cultures for toxicology at ITQB/IBET (New University of Lisbon, Oeiras, Portugal). She was director of production and R&D at Lab. Sorológico (Grupo Medinfar SA), a company that produces veterinary vaccines (2002). She worked at the Pilot Unit (IBET, Oeiras, Portugal) in quality assurance and production and development of biotechnological products with clinical or R&D applications (2008). In 2008, she was hired as Assistant Researcher at FFUL (iMed.ULisboa, University of Lisbon) (Ciência 2007, FCT). From 2013-2019 she was Invited Assistant Professor and researcher at FFUL. In 2017, she was awarded a “CEEC, FCT” researcher position as Principal Investigator at FFUL (iMed.ULisboa, University of Lisbon). Her major research interests involve the development and in vitro/ in vivo evaluation of new biocompatible 3D systems (micro/nano structures) for drug delivery including drug stabilization, co-delivery and targeting. In particular: the modulation of vaccines formulations to enhanced mucoadhesive properties aiming the intranasal delivery; the mucoadhesion nanoparticulate for ocular drug delivery with enhanced of bioavailability; novel systems for effective DNA delivery based on biocompatible and mucoadhesive polymers; and the protective effect of complex antigen mixtures by new polymeric particulate formulations. Her scientific activity has a major leading and networking role within different research groups, where she participates in several funded research projects.