Joana Inês Bastos Barbosa

Joana Inês Bastos Barbosa is a Junior Researcher at the Centre for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry (CBQF) within the School of Biotechnology at Catholic University of Portugal. She specializes in food safety research with a focus on foodborne pathogens and clean label food development.

Education:

• PhD in Biotechnology-Microbiology (2015) from Escola Superior de Biotecnologia of Universidade Católica Portuguesa
• Master's degree in Food Science and Technology (2008) from Escola Superior de Biotecnologia of Universidade Católica Portuguesa
• Degree in Microbiology (2004) from Escola Superior de Biotecnologia of Universidade Católica Portuguesa

Dr. Barbosa's research focuses on food safety, particularly on foodborne pathogens including Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella. Her work spans multiple areas including biocontrol strategies, clean label food development, and the microbiological safety of novel food products. She has made significant contributions to understanding bacterial interactions, biofilm formation, and the development of natural antimicrobial solutions for the food industry. Her research aligns with sustainable food production goals and has practical applications for improving food safety standards, with recent publications exploring edible insects safety, fermentation effects on gut microbiota, and innovative preservation techniques using natural compounds.

Scientific Awards:

• 2nd award in the Mentorship Program Comendador Arménio Miranda (1000Eur Funding, 2020)
• 2nd Free Communication Award in Poster modality (2014)
• Annual incentive of CBQF for researchers (2020)
• Annual incentive of CBQF for researchers (2021)
• Annual incentive of CBQF for researchers (2022)

Dr. Barbosa has an extensive record of student supervision, having guided numerous MSc and PhD students through their research. She has participated in 18 research projects, 13 of which were industry-related, demonstrating strong connections between academic research and practical applications in the food sector. Notable projects include Portugal2020 on natural ingredients in dry-cured meat, FEDER on innovative clean label food, and PRR on sustainable meat products. She serves on editorial boards for BioMed Research International and Foods, and has guest-edited seven special issues across multiple journals.

She leads the CBQF Task Force "Society Engagement," which focuses on science communication to the community through school outreach programs and activities designed to attract new students to scientific disciplines at various educational levels, reflecting her commitment to public engagement with science.