Nanotechnology and Life Sciences: Speakers

4th UTEN Workshop 2011 – Nanotechnology and Life Sciences
Increasing Commercialization Outcomes for University Nanotechnology Laboratories
Universidade Nova de Lisboa – 26 September 2011
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Servando Aguirre-Tostado
Director, Nanotechnology Incubator of Nuevo Leon (NINL)
Research Professor at CIMAV-Monterrey

Dr. F. Servando Aguirre-Tostado is currently the Director of the Nanotechnology Incubator of Nuevo León and Professor at the Advanced Materials Research Center (CIMAV) in Monterrey Mexico. Dr. Aguirre-Tostado pursued a BA in Physics at the Autonomous University of Sinaloa and received Ph.D. in Solid State Physics from the Department of Physics of CINVESTAV in Mexico City in 2004. After his postdoctoral training with the Electronic Materials Group at the University of Texas at Dallas, he occupied a Research Scientist position to develop more stable and efficient semiconductor interfaces for next generation Integrated Circuits. In 2008 he joined CIMAV to start a research line in the area of Advanced Electronic Materials. In September of 2009 was appointed Director of the NINL to lead a novel Incubation Model for nanotechnology businesses starts in the State of Nuevo Leon. Servando Aguirre is Author and co-author of more than 30 research papers and has participated in more than 20 research projects related to nanotechnology product development.

Rafael Antunes
Hovione

Rafael Antunes is the Director of Strategic Sourcing of Hovione (www.hovione.com), an international group dedicated to the cGMP development manufacture and particle engineering of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs). Rafael is the Hovione ambassador for the Faculty of Science and Technology (FCT/UNL) hosting this workshop.

With a degree in Applied Chemistry and an MSc in Technological Organic Chemistry from the New University of Lisbon, he started his career at Hovione as a process chemist. Later he did a Post-Graduation in Technology and Innovation Management at ISEG in Lisbon and moved to sourcing. Rafael Antunes is co-inventor in two patents.

With FDA inspected plants in Europe, the Far East and the US, and a 50-year track record, Hovione offers advanced technologies as well as APIs for all drug delivery systems, from oral to injectable and from inhalation to topical applications. Specializing in complex chemistry and particle engineering, Hovione offers all services related to the development, manufacture and pre-formulation of both new chemical entities (NCEs) and existing APIs for off-patent products.

Hovione has more than 350 patents worldwide and is the Portuguese company with more active patents. It sponsors in collaboration with Solvay the SHIC – Solvay and Hovione Innovation Contest, an award to Portuguese scientists who present innovative ideas in the fields of action of these two companies.

Mariana Brandão
Biocant

Mariana Brandão is currently the CFO and CHRO of Biocant – Technology Transfer Association, the first Portuguese Science and Technology Park specialized in Biotech. She holds a Business Degree from the University of Minho and a post-graduation in Accounting and Taxes from the Business School of Accounting and Administration of Coimbra.

In the past few years she has been working as a Project Manager and business developer of Biotech SME´s. Technology and science park management and internationalization, as well as cluster management, are her main interests.

She also worked abroad as a consultant of Sonangol E.P, the sole concessionaire for exploration of oil and gas of Angola. Before that she worked as Coordinator for the Unit for Intellectual Property Promotion at CITEVE (textile sector).

Nuno Correia
Paper-e

Nuno Correia is Researcher at CENIMAT/CEMOP from the New University of Lisbon. He has a M.Sc. degree in Materials Science and Engineer and was awarded with the best project in the field of Materials Science and Engineer in 2008, given by Portuguese Material Society. His current research interest includes the development and optimization of paper as an electronic substrate, whether to be used in the electrochromic technology or in the Field Effect Transistor (FET) technology.

Bruce Gnade
Vice President for Research, University of Texas at Dallas

Bruce is a Professor in Electrical Engineering and Chemistry, and the Distinguished Chair in Microelectronics at the University of Texas at Dallas. Bruce received his BA in Chemistry from St. Louis University in 1976 and his Ph.D. in Nuclear Chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1982.

He managed several research and technology groups during his 14 years at Texas Instruments including Si Materials and Processing, field emission display advanced technology, and Advanced DRAM Materials.

From 1996-1999 he was on a temporary assignment at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as a program manager, where he managed or comanaged the High Definition Systems Program, the Molecular Electronics Program, and the Heterogeneous Integration of Materials on Silicon Program.

Prior to joining UTD he was at the University of North Texas (9/99 – 08/03) as Chair of the Materials Science Department. He has authored/co-authored approximately 100 refereed papers, 68 U.S. patents and 54 foreign patents.

Brian A. Korgel
Professor of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin

Focus: Developing new methods for synthesizing nanostructured materials, fabricating devices based upon these materials, and studying their properties.

Flexible Germanium Nanowires: Ideal Strength, Room Temperature Plasticity, and Bendable Semiconductor Fabric [PDF]
Damon A. Smith, Vincent C. Holmberg, and Brian A. Korgel (ACS Nano, 2010)

Abstract: We have developed a solvent-based approach to VLS-like growth of semiconductor nanowires, called supercritical fluid-liquid-solid (SFLS) growth, which enables the production of large amounts of nanowires. For example, more than 1g of Ge nanowires can be produced in a single reaction in a 250mL vessel. This approach provides enough material to explore new applications of semiconductor nanowires, like fibers and fabrics.

Nanowires of materials that are typically brittle, are flexible and strong, and can exhibit a distinctive combination of electronic, optical, andmechanical properties, important for a variety of new device technologies, including next generation flexible electronics, nano electromechanical systems (NEMS), piezoelectronics, and structural materials.

The large quantity of Ge nanowires produced by the SFLS method and their high flexibility allows for the fabrication of nonwoven ceramic fabric, or paper, of Ge nanowires.

Rodrigo Martins
CENIMAT, FCT/UNL

Full professor of New University of Lisbon since 2002; head of the Materials Science Department of the Faculty of Science and Technology of New University of Lisbon; expert in Micro/Opto-electronics and Nanotechnologies; running president of the European Materials Research Society; member of the executive committee of the European Materials Forum; permanent delegate of Initiative for Science in Europe; member of the International advisory committee of the International Conference on Amorphous and Nanocrystalline Semiconductors, ICANS. He works in the field of amorphous semiconductors since 1976, starting with Prof. W. Spear (Scotland), the inventor of amorphous silicon as a true electronic semiconductor; head of the team that produced the first oxide TFT at room temperature, 2003; inventor of the paper and memory transistors. He holds more than 60 patents and has published more than 900 scientific papers, presenting more than 100 invited communications in the last 5 years in high ranking conferences and workshops. He was chairman in major International (ICANS21, ICEM) and European Conferences (EMRS 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011) and symposia (e.g.: EMRS falls meeting, 2008, related to transparent electronics); he edited as author and co-author 2 books, 10 book chapters and was editor in 10 conference books (examples: Thin Solid Films, 2010 in transparent conductive oxides; in Physics Status Solid a, 2008, Transparent Electronics; Journal of non-Crystalline Solids, 21st ICANS conference, 2005; II Advanced Materials Forum, in Materials Forum 2003; Silicon Carbide Semiconductors, Thin Solid Films, 2000).

Juan Ramón Morante
Professor, Department of Electronics, University of Barcelona

Professor Dr. J.R. Morante was born in Mataró (Spain). In 1980 he received his Ph. D. in Physics from the University of Barcelona. Since 1985 he has been a professor of Electronics. He is the director of the research group on Electronics Materials and Energy M-2E and has been dean and vice-dean of the Faculty of Physics of the University of Barcelona, head of studies for the degree in Electronics Engineering, co-director of the Master on Energy Engineering and director of the department of Electronics.

He is currently the director of XaRMAE (Leading Centre in Advanced Materials for Energy of the Generalitat of Catalunya). At the end of 2008 he joined the Catalonia Institute of Research for Energy, IREC where he is the head of the Advanced Materials Area. His activities have been focused on electronic materials and devices; the assessment of their related technologies and production processes, with particular emphasis on material technology transfer. He is involved in materials for sensors, actuators and Microsystems, particularly on chemical sensors. He is focused on the mechanisms for energy transfer in solid interfaces involving electrons, photons and phonons as well as chemicals. He is also specialized in the development of renewable energy devices and systems for applications in the field of energy and the environment based on nanomaterials and their functionalization. His special attention is focused on advanced materials and systems for energy storage and energy conversion. He has taken part in R&D international projects (>25) within programs such as BRITE, Growth, priority 3 in 6FP, NMP in FP7, ESPRIT, IST, priority 2 in 6FP, ICT in FP7, JOULE, Energy… and industrial projects in programs including EUREKA, IBEROEKA, CRAFT, as well as in private industrial projects. He has co-authored more than 500 works in international specialized journals, (h≈34), several patents and he has supervised more than 25 doctoral theses; he is a member of international committees and editorial teams of journals. He has been the general chairman of international events and has been the guest editor of many special issues. He has been awarded the Narcís Monturiol of the Generalitat of Catalunya, and the “senior research distinction” of the Generalitat of Catalunya.

Vera Moura
TREAT-U

Vera Moura has a PhD in Pharmaceutical Technology and a BSc in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Portugal.

She collaborated in research projects for the development of new strategies for cancer treatment since 2005, at the Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology (CNC), entitled: “Targeted nanotechnology for the treatment of human cancer” and “Targeted drug delivery to tumor vasculature: a new therapy against human breast cancer”; and in Pharmacology; in collaboration with the National Institute of Engineering Technology and Innovation – INETI: “Strategies to improve the therapeutic effect of antimycobacterial drugs” and “Microtubule inhibitor formulations against zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis”.

Moura is co-inventor of the patent “Capsulating system binding to nucleolin”, submitted to the USPTO in 2008, as a result from the PhD project initiated in 2006. The novelty and inventiveness of the technology was the ground foundation, in 2010, of Treat U, Lda, a spin-off from the Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology from the University of Coimbra, located at Biocant Park, an international reference for research and business making in Life Sciences.

Vera Moura is co-founder (with João Nuno Moreira and Sérgio Simões) and the Chief Executive Officer of Treat U, Lda. The company is dedicated to the research and development of nanotechnology-based platforms for the specific (targeted) delivery of agents with pharmacological interest for human health. Awarded with the InovCapital award for the best business idea in the Arrisca Coimbra 2009 contest, and with the second place in the 2010 I2P Idea to Product® Portugal Competition.

João Paulo Miranda Ribeiro Borges
NOVATISSUE

João Paulo is a Professor in Materials Science and Engineering at FCT/UNL, responsible for the Biomaterals area. He received his BA in Materials Engineering from FCT/UNL in 1992 and his Ph.D. in Materials Science – Macromolecular Materials from FCT/UNL in 2004. In 2002 he started a colaboration with CERAMED/Altakitin, an enterprise devoted to the development of new biomaterials and medical devices. As result of several joint projects and research work from MSc. or Ph.D. students, performed at CERAMED, 3 new patented products will reach the market in 2012. His current research interests focus on biopolymers, bioceramics and biocomposites, with applications in the field of Tissue Engineering (soft and hard tissue regeneration). He has authored/co-authored 5 PT patents and 2 International patents as well as several papers in journals of high impact factor (Advanced Materials, Soft Matter, Biosensors and Bioelectronics).

Valentina Borissovna Vassilenko
DPL-screen

Valentina Vassilenko is an Assistant Professor of Physics at FCT/UNL. Her scientific activity is primarily in the area of atomic and molecular physics, having completed a PhD thesis “Theoretical and Experimental Study of Thermal Diffusion Factor in Binary Mixtures of He-CO and Ar-CO”, under the scientific guidance of Professor Manuel Laranjeira (FCT/UNL) and Professor F. A. Gianturco (University of Rome “La Sapienza”).

Since 2005, Valentina has worked in the area of Biomedical Physics, having introduced Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) to Portugal. Her present research interests include:

• Development of devices, sensors and non-invasive methods of assessment and intervention in human health.
• Research on breath biomarkers for various diseases.
• Analytical techniques for characterization of biological matrices and medical devices.

Valentina is the founder of the university spin-off “NMT – Technology, Innovation and Consultancy Ltd”, established in 2007 in Madan Parque of Science and Technology (FCT/UNL’s incubator).