Teresa Melo

Dr. Teresa Melo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mineral and Energy Resources Engineering at the Instituto Superior Técnico (University of Lisbon). Her research focuses on hydrogeology, groundwater management, and environmental geochemistry, with a particular emphasis on climate change impacts and ecosystem sustainability. She is affiliated with the CERIS research unit, specializing in sustainable civil engineering innovations.

Her teaching portfolio includes courses such as 'Hydrogeology,' 'Groundwater Pollution and Protection,' and 'Advanced Topics in Water Resources and Environment.' She actively contributes to the AQUADAPT project, addressing climate-resilient riverine ecosystems and groundwater-dependent vegetation mapping.

Key research themes include groundwater-surface water interactions, natural background level assessments, and the socio-economic valuation of groundwater protection. She collaborates internationally on projects such as the FREEZE initiative, investigating submarine groundwater discharge and coastal aquifer dynamics.

Her publications span over three decades, with recent work emphasizing wildfire impacts on groundwater recharge, microbial diversity in aquifers, and ethical dimensions of contaminated groundwater management. She has advised numerous interdisciplinary studies on environmental risk assessment and policy frameworks.