Maria Filomena Macedo Dinis

Maria Filomena Macedo Dinis serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Conservation and Restoration at the Faculty of Science and Technology, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (FCT-UNL), teaching core courses in 'Biology in Conservation and Restoration' and 'Preventive Conservation' since 2003. Her institutional leadership includes roles as Departmental ERASMUS coordinator (2011-2017) and representative on the University Pedagogical Council.

She holds a PhD in Environmental Sciences and Engineering (2002) and completed postdoctoral research in Preventive Conservation at the Canadian Conservation Institute, establishing a foundation for her interdisciplinary approach to heritage science.

Her research program centers on preventive conservation risk analysis models and biodeterioration mechanisms affecting cultural heritage. She pioneers methodologies for assessing microbial threats to paper and stone artifacts, with significant contributions to understanding fungal bioreceptivity of restoration materials and cyanobacterial colonization patterns on Mediterranean monuments. This work integrates conservation science, environmental microbiology, and material engineering to develop evidence-based preservation protocols.

Analysis of her publication record (2009-2018) reveals consistent focus on microbial degradation pathways, particularly fungal interactions with paper heritage and phototrophic biofilms on stone monuments. Key thematic trends include chemical stability assessment of restoration materials, stain formation/removal mechanisms, and biodiversity monitoring of biodeterioration agents—directly informing practical conservation treatments.

She has supervised 36 postgraduate students across degree levels (6 PhD, 19 Master’s including 1 ongoing, 11 Bachelor’s) and secured leadership of three research projects, notably the CleanART initiative for fungal stain removal from paper artworks. Her grant portfolio demonstrates strong alignment with practical conservation challenges in heritage preservation.