Alberto Dias

Alberto Dias is a Professor in the Department of Biology at Universidade do Minho, Portugal, holding a PhD in Plant Sciences (2000) from the same institution. He has been affiliated with the university since 1991 and leads research in plant secondary metabolites, natural products, and functional foods. His work integrates biotechnology, pharmacology, and environmental science to explore bioactive compounds' applications in health and industry.

Education:

• PhD in Plant Sciences (2000), Universidade do Minho
• MSc in Biotechnology (1991), Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon
• BSc in Applied Botany (1989), Faculdade de Ciências, Lisbon

Research focuses on phytochemical characterization, antioxidant mechanisms, and the development of bioactive compounds for neuroprotection, inflammation management, and functional foods. Key areas include microalgal bioactives, medicinal plant extracts, and nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems.

Grant activities include projects on grape berry metabolomics, drought mitigation in crops, and functional food development (e.g., HealthKaki project). He has coordinated over 20 national and EU-funded research projects, including the ‘Biosynthesis of secondary compounds in the grape berry’ (2018–2021).

Students advised include those in theses on neuroprotective plant extracts, bioprocessing of agricultural byproducts, and cosmeceutical development. Dias collaborates internationally, with studies published in Food Chemistry, Phytomedicine, and Journal of Functional Foods.