Paula Mendes

Paula Mendes is a Professor of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology at the University of Birmingham's School of Chemical Engineering. She leads the interdisciplinary Mendes Research Group, focusing on nanoscience, biosensors, and nanotechnology applications in healthcare. Her work bridges engineering, chemistry, and biology to address challenges in biofouling, molecular diagnostics, and medical technologies. She is affiliated with the Healthcare Technologies Institute (HTI), advancing translational research in regenerative medicine and diagnostics.

Education: MSc (1997) and PhD (2002) in Chemical Engineering from the University of Porto. Postdoctoral research at the University of Birmingham and UCLA under Fraser Stoddart. Academic career at Birmingham since 2006, promoted to Professor in 2013.

Research Interests:

• Development of electrically switchable surfaces for on-demand biosensing
• Nanomaterials for cancer diagnostics and molecular imprinting
• Anti-biofouling materials and nanoelectrocatalysts for fuel cells
• Integration of nanotechnology with biological systems

Awards: ERC Advanced Grant (2024), IChemE Global Award (2016), Women in Tech Academic Award (2019), and over 100 published manuscripts.

Advising & Grants: Supervises doctoral students in molecular diagnostics and biosensor development. Holds grants including EPSRC Leadership Fellowship and ERC Consolidator/Advanced Grants. Her group collaborates across disciplines to translate nanotechnology into clinical applications.

Labs/Teams: Mendes Research Group at the University of Birmingham, part of the HTI network. Active in editorial roles for journals like Responsive Materials and ChemBioEng Reviews.