Ana Madureira

Ana Madureira is a distinguished Professor Coordinator and Director of the Interdisciplinary Research Center (ISRC) at the Porto Polytechnic School of Engineering (ISEP/IPP). With extensive leadership experience in academic and professional organizations, she currently serves in key roles including membership on the External Member Evaluation Committee of Portugal's Higher Education Evaluation and Accreditation Agency A3ES in the field of Informatics Sciences since 2012.

Her educational background includes:

• Bachelor's degree in computer engineering from ISEP (1993)
• Master's degree in electrical and computer engineering - industrial informatics from FEUP (1996)
• Doctorate in production and systems from the University of Minho, Portugal (2003)

Professor Madureira's research spans the cutting edge of computational intelligence with primary focus on artificial intelligence, data science/data engineering, machine learning/deep learning, optimization techniques, and metaheuristics. Her work bridges theoretical advancements with practical industrial applications, particularly in production systems and engineering contexts. The trajectory of her research demonstrates a consistent evolution from foundational computer engineering principles toward increasingly sophisticated AI methodologies applicable to complex real-world problems.

Her scholarly impact is reflected in over 150 scientific publications spanning conference proceedings, journals, and books. Analysis of her publication trends reveals a strategic progression from traditional optimization techniques toward contemporary deep learning approaches, with consistent application to industrial informatics challenges. Her work shows particular strength in adapting computational intelligence methods to practical engineering constraints.

• Senior Member of the IEEE (2010)

Professor Madureira's professional service extends beyond her institution through significant contributions to the IEEE organization, having served as President of the IEEE Portugal Section (2015-2017), Vice President of the IEEE Portugal Section (2011-2014), and in various other leadership capacities including Secretary of the IEEE R8 (2019-2020). Her evaluation committee work with A3ES demonstrates her recognized expertise in higher education quality assurance for informatics disciplines.

As Director of the Interdisciplinary Research Center at ISEP/IPP, she leads initiatives that foster cross-disciplinary collaboration, particularly at the intersection of computer science, engineering, and industrial applications. Her leadership in this center has positioned it as a hub for innovative research in computational intelligence applied to real-world challenges.