Institute of Hygiene and Tropical MedicinePortugal
Dr Peninah Murage is an Assistant Professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in the Department of Public Health, Environments and Society under the Faculty of Public Health and Policy. She specializes in environmental epidemiology with a PhD in Health Geography and focuses on health impacts of environmental changes, particularly climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. Affiliation: Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health Her research explores climate change effects on health outcomes like heat-related mortality, cardiovascular diseases, and cognitive development in children. She integrates GIS/spatial analysis with public health and policy frameworks to identify nature-based solutions for sustainable development. Current work examines systemic inequalities in heat risk exposure and interventions such as tree-based strategies in low-income settings. Key grants include: Health Protection Research Unit on Climate Change and Health Security (2025-2030, NIHR) Climate Change and Non-Communicable Diseases in Senegal (2024-2027) Pathfinder 2: Accelerating Climate Action for Health (2023-2026) She actively contributes to the Lancet Pathfinder Commission and serves on the Executive Committee of the International Society of Environmental Epidemiology (African Chapter).
Luisa Domingues is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Information Science and Technology at ISCTE - University Institute of Lisbon. She serves as an Integrated Researcher at ISTAR-Iscte - Research Center in Information Sciences, Technologies and Architecture, specializing in Information Systems research. Her academic qualifications include a PhD in Information Science and Technology from ISCTE-IUL (2013). Her primary research interests focus on: Project Management : Methodologies, risk assessment, and knowledge sharing Database Systems : Management, interoperability, and standardization e-Government Solutions : Public sector information systems and shared services Ontological Frameworks : Particularly for architectural heritage documentation Educational Technologies : Blended learning approaches in higher education Her recent publications (2016-2024) demonstrate a strong focus on project management methodologies, knowledge transfer, and information systems in public sector contexts. Key thematic trends include PMBOK framework applications, agile methodology adoption challenges, data science project risks, and technological solutions for cultural heritage preservation. Most works employ case study research and empirical validation methods. Dr. Domingues maintains an active advising portfolio with 1 doctoral candidate and 36 master's students, primarily focusing on topics in project management, information systems, and data science applications. She has held significant academic leadership positions including: 4th Year Coordinator for Bachelor's in Computer Science and Business Management (2020-2027) Program Director for the same degree (2017-2019) At ISTAR-Iscte research center, she contributes to projects involving information systems architecture, data standardization, and knowledge management frameworks.
Institute of Hygiene and Tropical MedicinePortugal
Ruth Keogh is a Professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), affiliated with the Medical Statistics Department within the Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health. She is Co-Director of the Centre for Data and Statistical Science for Health (DASH) and serves as Departmental Research Degrees Coordinator. Her academic career has spanned roles from Lecturer (2012–2015) to Associate Professor (2015–2019) before attaining her current rank in 2019. Keogh holds advanced degrees including a DPhil in Medical Statistics/Epidemiology (University of Oxford, 2007), MSc in Applied Statistics (Oxford, 2003), and BSc in Mathematics and Statistics (University of Edinburgh, 2002). Her research focuses on causal inference, clinical trial emulation using real-world data, and applications in cystic fibrosis, infectious diseases, and public health. She leads projects on lung function trajectories, vaccine efficacy, and healthcare policy analysis. Her work integrates biostatistical methods with epidemiological studies, emphasizing rigorous analysis of observational data to inform clinical decisions. Notable areas include evaluating antibiotic treatments for cystic fibrosis patients, assessing diagnostic test accuracy for dengue and leptospirosis, and modeling vaccine effectiveness during the COVID-19 pandemic. She teaches courses in survival analysis, electronic health records, and health data science at LSHTM. Keogh has held leadership roles in the International Biometric Society and the STRATOS Initiative, and she has delivered keynote addresses at international conferences on trial emulation and biostatistical methods. Her contributions bridge methodological innovation and practical health challenges, with over 190 publications and active engagement in global health research networks.
Jaime S. Cardoso is an Associate Professor with Habilitation at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP) and a Senior Researcher in the 'Information Processing and Pattern Recognition' Area at INESC TEC's Telecommunications and Multimedia Unit. He has been serving as Research Coordinator since September 15, 1998, and is a Senior Member of IEEE as well as co-founder of ClusterMedia Labs. His educational background includes a Licenciatura in Electrical and Computer Engineering (1999), an MSc in Mathematical Engineering (2005), and a Ph.D. in Computer Vision (2006), all from the University of Porto. Cardoso's research focuses on three major areas: computer vision, machine learning, and decision support systems. His work spans medical image analysis, explainable AI, semantic audio-visual analysis, and pattern recognition. He has co-authored over 150 papers, with more than 50 published in international journals, and has accumulated over 6,500 citations. His recent publications demonstrate expertise in cell nuclei segmentation, ordinal regression for CNNs, semantic segmentation with ordinal relationships, face recognition using synthetic data, and explainable vision language models for medical applications. Honorable Mention in the Exame Informática Award 2011 for 'Semantic PACS' First Place in the ICDAR 2013 Music Scores Competition Cardoso has supervised numerous graduate students at UP-FEUP, with recent theses focusing on multimodal explanations, autonomous driving, medical diagnosis, and explainable AI. His research group works at the intersection of computer vision, machine learning, and practical applications in healthcare and autonomous systems.
Il Memming Park is a Professor and Group Leader at the Centre for Restorative Neurotechnology within the Champalimaud Research division of the Champalimaud Foundation in Lisbon, Portugal. His work bridges computational neuroscience, machine learning, and statistical modeling to understand neural dynamics and computation. Dr. Park's research focuses on developing statistical and machine learning methods for analyzing neural time series data. His lab investigates the appropriate language for neural dynamics that can explain and generate specific predictions on neural data and behavior. He builds on foundations of dynamical systems and stochastic processes to create models of neural computation tightly tied to biology. His publications reveal a strong emphasis on developing methods like variational latent Gaussian processes and exponential family dynamical systems to extract meaningful patterns from complex neural recordings. His work spans both theoretical developments in computational methods and their application to real neural data from areas like visual cortex, parietal cortex, and other brain regions involved in perception and decision making. Dr. Park has previously held positions at Stony Brook University and the University of Texas at Austin, where he was affiliated with departments of Neurobiology and Behavior, Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Psychology, and Neuroscience. His lab at Champalimaud includes multiple PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and research staff working collaboratively on various aspects of neural data analysis and modeling. The team employs an interdisciplinary approach combining neuroscience, statistics, machine learning, and dynamical systems theory.
Francesco Giavazzi is a Professor in the Department of Economics, Politics and Decision Sciences at Bocconi University, specializing in macroeconomics and political economy with active research output through 2024. His research centers on fiscal policy mechanisms, austerity impacts, and political-economic interactions. Key investigations include how government spending cuts versus tax increases affect economies differently, the role of timing in fiscal adjustments, and empirical analyses of terrorist attacks' influence on voting behavior using Twitter data. His work bridges theoretical economic models with real-world political phenomena. Recent publications demonstrate consistent focus on European fiscal policy challenges, with significant contributions through high-impact journals and books. His collaborative work with Carlo Favero and the late Alberto Alesina forms a distinctive research lineage examining austerity effectiveness across different economic contexts and institutional settings.
Rodrigo Ventura is an Associate Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), University of Lisbon. He is also a senior researcher at the Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisbon), leading the Space and Aeronautics thematic line. His research focuses on the intersection of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, emphasizing human-robot interaction, space robotics, and cognitive architectures. He coordinates the Minor in Space Sciences and Technologies at IST and the MBE on Space Systems for Tecnico+. As Adjoint Faculty at the International Space University (ISU), he contributes to global academic initiatives. His work includes experiments on the International Space Station and participation in analog space missions. Research interests span biologically inspired systems, machine learning, and teleoperation interfaces. Recent publications address reinforcement learning for UAVs, microgravity experiments, and pseudo-haptic feedback for robotic control. He teaches subjects like Artificial Intelligence and Decision Systems, Satellite Engineering, and Autonomous Systems.
Higher Institute of Education and SciencesPortugal
Zita Vale is a Full Professor at the Institute of Engineering (ISEP) of the Polytechnic of Porto (IPP), where she holds the first Full Professor position since 2017. She is a co-founder of GECAD (1999) and coordinates GECAD's Power and Energy (PES) activities. GECAD is recognized by FCT since 2004 and classified as Excellent. She has served as GECAD director (2010-2017), vice-director (1999-2009, 2017-present), and is a member of the administration board. She is also co-founder and member of the coordination board of the National Associated Laboratory on Intelligent Systems. Her educational background includes a PhD (1993) and Agregação/Habilitation (2003) in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Porto. She began her academic career at the University of Porto as a Teaching Monitor (1985), Assistant (1985-1993), and Professor (1993-1998) before moving to ISEP in 1998. Zita Vale's research focuses on the design and development of artificial intelligence-based models for Power and Energy Systems. Her work spans knowledge-based systems, multiagent systems, machine learning, metaheuristics, and semantics, with applications in smart grids, energy management, electricity markets, and renewable energy integration. She has an extensive international network and has participated in 80 R&D projects, raising over 22 million Euros for GECAD. Her recent publications demonstrate a strong emphasis on optimization techniques, explainable AI, energy storage systems, and the integration of distributed energy resources in power systems. She serves as Editor-in-Chief of Applied Energy (Elsevier), a leading journal in the field with an Impact Factor of 11.2. Her citation metrics are impressive, with over 17,000 citations on Google Scholar and an H-index of 64. Editor-in-Chief of Applied Energy (Elsevier) Over 17,000 citations on Google Scholar H-index of 64 Zita Vale has supervised 29 PhD students (25 completed) and 72 MSc students (66 completed), demonstrating her strong commitment to academic mentorship. She has also been involved in numerous international and national evaluation processes, including project proposals, faculty positions, and PhD juries across 15+ countries. She has contributed to over 225 evaluation processes from 2018-2023, including 150+ project proposals/execution, 50+ Faculty/Researchers positions, 2 Habilitation juries, and 25+ PhD juries. She leads GECAD's involvement in several major research initiatives, including the National Associated Laboratory on Intelligent Systems and various European projects such as IoTalentum, TRADERES, DOMINOES, and EcoRural-IoT from Horizon 2020, as well as PRODUTECH EU DIH from Horizon Europe. Her leadership extends to international organizations where she serves as President of Intelligent Systems Applications in Power (ISAP) and Technical Committee Program Chair of IEEE PES Analytic Methods for Power Systems Committee.
Isabel Horta Correia is a Full Professor at CATÓLICA-LISBON since 2004 and previously affiliated with the Research Department of Banco de Portugal. She holds a PhD (1993) and undergraduate degree (1980) in Economics from Universidade Católica Portuguesa. Her research focuses on Macroeconomics, specializing in Growth, Business Cycles, Fiscal and Monetary Policy, and Distribution. Her work bridges theoretical models with empirical analysis of taxation, policy trade-offs, and historical economic trends. Notable contributions include studies on optimal taxation in open economies and fiscal rules' impact on income transformation. Her publications span prestigious journals like the American Economic Review and European Economic Review, addressing topics such as consumption taxes' redistributive effects and historical business cycle patterns. While no scientific awards are explicitly mentioned, her extensive academic output underscores her scholarly contributions. Advising details and grants are not detailed in the provided text, though her affiliation with CATÓLICA-LISBON suggests active involvement in academic mentorship and research programs.
Institute of Hygiene and Tropical MedicinePortugal
Prof Dame Anne Mills serves as Deputy Director and Provost at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), alongside her role as Professor of Health Economics and Policy. Her career spans leadership in global health policy, with a focus on improving health systems and financial protection. Educated at Oxford University, she has contributed significantly to understanding health financing reforms and universal health coverage, particularly in low- and middle-income countries like Thailand and China. Her research emphasizes equity in healthcare access, hospital-centric health systems, and the impact of aid structures on governance. Notable contributions include analyzing Thailand’s universal coverage scheme and China’s health reforms. She has been recognized with prestigious awards, including election to the Royal Society and the DCMG Medal (2016). Her work advocates for stronger country leadership in global health initiatives and addresses challenges such as catastrophic health spending in Indonesia. Key Highlights: Deputy Director & Provost, LSHTM Professor of Health Economics and Policy Expertise in health systems, financing, and universal coverage Her mentorship and solutions-oriented approach have driven impactful policy changes, emphasizing sustainable health system strengthening. She actively promotes women’s leadership in global health through initiatives like the Women Leaders in Global Health Conference.
Luís Miguel Mendonça Rato is an Associate Professor at the Universidade de Évora and a Senior Researcher with a PhD at Centro ALGORITMI. He is affiliated with the CST R&D Group and VISTA Lab R&D Lab, focusing on interdisciplinary research at the intersection of Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, and Agricultural/Biomedical applications. Academic Degree: PhD Current Position: Associate Professor Labs: VISTA Lab Researcher IDs: ORCID 0000-0003-4492-7548, ResearcherID A-9152-2013, CiênciaID A914-6344-CD2D His research spans machine learning applications in Agricultural Engineering (Sentinel-2 satellite data for nutrient analysis), Biomedical Imaging (MRI-ADC texture analysis for tumor classification), and Control Systems (predictive control algorithms for water delivery canals and solar fields). With an h-index of 11 and 51 publications, his work emphasizes hybrid systems combining traditional engineering with computational innovation. Recent publications highlight trends in SLAM efficiency (2024), cloud service optimization (2022), and deep learning for medical imaging (2022-2023). He has contributed to Smart Cities initiatives through projects like M-Traffic (2006) and NanoSen-AQM (2020). As a senior researcher, he leads projects in the CST R&D Group and VISTA Lab , with notable work in the Universidade de Évora ecosystem.
Dr. Kai Li serves as Professor of Finance at the University of British Columbia's Sauder School of Business, holding the Canada Research Chair in Corporate Governance and W. Maurice Young Endowed Chair in Finance. Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2022), she is Managing Editor of the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis and previously served on editorial boards of Review of Financial Studies, Management Science, and Journal of Finance. Her academic foundation includes a BSc from Jiaotong University, MA from Concordia University, and PhD from the University of Toronto. Dr. Li's research examines corporate governance through three interconnected lenses: gender dynamics in finance (board diversity, analyst performance), corporate culture quantification (using generative AI and machine learning), and green innovation (environmental governance). Her methodology pioneers computational approaches to analyze textual data from corporate disclosures, bridging finance, computer science, and social sciences. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a distinct trajectory toward interdisciplinary research, increasingly integrating artificial intelligence with traditional finance to study culture and sustainability. This shift demonstrates growing emphasis on empirical measurement of intangible governance factors through NLP and generative models. Her accolades include: Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2022) UBC Killam Research Award Sauder Research Excellence Award (junior/senior) Barclays Global Investors Canada Research Award John L. Weinberg/IRRCi Best Paper Award (2024) Best Paper Award at 2024 China International Conference in Finance While the provided materials confirm her editorial leadership and research impact, specific details regarding graduate student supervision and grant funding portfolios were not disclosed. Dr. Li maintains affiliations with the Asian Bureau of Finance and Economic Research (Senior Fellow), European Corporate Governance Institute (Research Member), and FinTech at Cornell Initiative (Research Fellow).
Institute of Hygiene and Tropical MedicinePortugal
Dr Marcus Keogh-Brown is an Associate Professor in the Department of Global Health and Development within the Faculty of Public Health and Policy at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). His position is split between research focusing on macroeconomic modeling of health and serving as Deputy Programme Director for the school's public health distance learning program. Education: BSc in Mathematics and Statistics, Queen Mary University of London (1995-1998) MSc in Computer Studies, University of Essex (1998-1999) PhD in "A Statistical Model of Internet Traffic," Queen Mary University of London (1999-2004) PGCILT Modules 1 and 2, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (2008-2012) Dr Keogh-Brown's research focuses on analyzing the macro-economic impact of health disorders and developing macro-economic models in health contexts. His areas of interest include infectious diseases (SARS, influenza, COVID-19, tuberculosis, malaria) and non-communicable diseases (Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia). He specializes in health-related applications of Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) Modeling with GAMS, with current work on health and macroeconomic modeling of COVID-19, tuberculosis, child labor, and health-related food policies. His publication record shows a strong trend toward integrated macroeconomic-epidemiological modeling, particularly for infectious disease outbreaks and public health interventions. Recent work focuses on tuberculosis in India, Covid-19 impacts in Pakistan, and food policy interventions like the UK Soft Drinks Industry Levy. His research consistently applies economic modeling frameworks to evaluate the health and economic impacts of disease and health policies across multiple countries including Ghana, India, Thailand, Myanmar, UK, and China. Grants: Current: "Modelling the health social care and macroeconomic impacts of dementia policies in the UK" (NIHR, 2025-2026) Current: "Co-designing food system fiscal policy for healthy people and planet" (University of Oxford, 2022-2025) Completed: "COVID-19 vaccine scenario analysis for health economic and social impacts" (WHO, 2022) Completed: "Evaluation of the impact of the UK industry levy of sugar-sweetened beverages" (University of Cambridge, 2017-2023) Completed: "Macroeconomic Burden of Alzheimers in China" (Jansen Global Services LLC, 2014-2015) Dr Keogh-Brown is affiliated with several research centers at LSHTM including the Malaria Centre, Global Health Economics Centre, and Centre for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases. His collaborative work spans multiple countries and addresses critical intersections between health, economics, and policy.
Stefania Borghini serves as an Associate Professor of Marketing Management at Bocconi University's School of Management, where she investigates critical intersections between consumer behavior and societal challenges. Her work bridges academic rigor with real-world applications in sustainable mobility, inclusive fashion practices, and data-driven cultural management. Her research program centers on how consumers navigate physical and digital marketplaces, with particular emphasis on generational shifts in urban mobility preferences and embodied experiences in retail environments. She employs mixed-method approaches to explore sensory marketing, store attachment dynamics, and the socio-cultural dimensions of consumption, consistently addressing sustainability and inclusivity imperatives. Analysis of her publication trajectory reveals a strategic evolution toward interdisciplinary societal impact: early work established foundational insights in marketplace ecology and consumer psychology, while recent output pivots toward Generation Z's sustainable mobility adoption and body-positive fashion marketing. This progression demonstrates increasing engagement with policy-relevant research on urban planning and industry transformation. Her scholarly contributions have earned significant recognition: Three-time recipient of Bocconi University's Excellence in Research Award (2020, 2010, 2009) Innovation in Teaching Award from Bocconi University (2016) Davidson Honorable Mention for Best Article in Journal of Retailing (2011)
Associate Professor at the University of Lisbon's School of Economics and Management (ISEG) since 1983, João Carlos Lopes specializes in Portuguese economic analysis with emphasis on sectoral dynamics, European integration impacts, and circular economy applications. His institutional affiliation spans decades of active teaching and research within Portugal's premier economics institution. Research interests center on Input-Output Analysis , Circular Economy transitions , and Portuguese industrial history , particularly the cork sector. His work examines EU structural funds' regional impacts, migration economics through consumption patterns, and austerity policy consequences. Key thematic areas include: Macroeconomic policy evaluation in peripheral Eurozone economies Historical evolution of Portuguese industrial clusters EU migration's economic consequences via input-output modeling Rural innovation driven by young farmers in peripheral regions His 15 most recent publications (2013-2024) reveal a clear trajectory toward circular economy applications in Portuguese automotive and construction sectors, while maintaining core focus on EU integration challenges. Articles consistently employ Portuguese case studies to address broader European economic questions, with strong methodological emphasis on input-output frameworks and historical institutional analysis. Supervising over 40 Master's students since 2010, his advising portfolio shows thematic consistency with research interests: Circular Economy : 7 theses on automotive, construction, and pharmaceutical sectors EU Policy Analysis : 12 theses on migration, fiscal policy, and structural funds Portuguese Industry : 9 theses on cork, rubber, and regional specialization Teaching responsibilities include Macroeconomics I and EU Economics courses, with documented instruction from 2007-2025 across undergraduate and graduate programs.
