Manuel Luís Capelas

Manuel Luís Capelas serves as an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Health Sciences and Nursing of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP), following the transformation of the Institute of Health Sciences in September 2023. He is also a Researcher at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Health (CIIS) at UCP and maintains an active research profile with 327 research outputs and an h-index of 11. His professional affiliations include membership on the Scientific Council of the Bioethics Institute of UCP (2020-2021) and leadership roles in palliative care organizations.

His educational background includes a Bachelor's degree in Nursing from the Franciscan Missionary School of Nursing of Mary (1989), a Master's in Palliative Care from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon (2006), and a PhD in Health Sciences-Palliative Care from the Institute of Health Sciences of UCP (2013).

Dr. Capelas specializes in palliative care research with particular expertise in end-of-life care, symptomatic treatment, and quality of life assessment. His work spans multiple contexts including prison healthcare settings, oncology, and nursing education. He has made significant contributions to understanding palliative care delivery systems and ethical considerations in healthcare.

His recent scholarly output demonstrates continued productivity with multiple publications in 2025 focusing on palliative care applications in diverse clinical settings including oncology, prison healthcare, and lung cancer management. These works reflect his interdisciplinary approach connecting medical, ethical, and practical aspects of care delivery.

• International Ageing Award 2018
• Sócio Honorário da Associação Portuguesa de Cuidados Paliativos (2019)

Dr. Capelas actively supervises research and has participated in numerous projects including NursesMH#Survey2023, MIMi (Imminent Death in Internal Medicine), and ICTOLL_CARE. His grant portfolio demonstrates strong institutional support for his research on palliative care, mental health of nurses, and innovative care delivery models. As Director of the Portuguese Observatory of Palliative Care at UCP, he oversees significant initiatives in this field.

As Director of the Portuguese Observatory of Palliative Care and former President of the LInQUE Health Ethics Committee (2021-2023), Dr. Capelas leads important institutional efforts in palliative care research and ethics. His involvement with the European Association for Palliative Care Task Forces demonstrates his international standing in the field, particularly regarding palliative care in prisons and nursing education.