Institute of Telecommunications, Portugal.
Ana Filipa Soares Pires is a Junior Researcher specializing in biomaterials and bioelectronic devices at Instituto de Telecomunicações, Instituto Superior Técnico. Her research focuses on creating systems that respond to stimuli like light, electricity, and magnetism to guide cell behavior for tissue regeneration. She is particularly interested in drug delivery systems, such as liposomes, nanoparticles, and hydrogels, and has made groundbreaking contributions to bioelectronics and personalized medicine. Ana's work on biodegradable LEDs for real-time monitoring of anticancer drugs has propelled innovations in precision medicine and tissue engineering.
Profile
Education 🎓
Ana Filipa Soares Pires holds a Ph.D. in Radiation Biology and Biophysics, where she specialized in biomaterials and bioelectronics. Her educational background also includes Master's Fellowships in Pharmacokinetic Analysis (PEstOE/EEI/LA0008/2014), focusing on the pharmacokinetics of nanostructured films, and in Textile Electrode Design (2014), where she innovated designs using cotton and silk electrodes to collect electrical signals from living tissue. Her education laid the foundation for her pioneering work in bioelectronics, tissue engineering, and drug delivery systems.
Experience 💼
Ana's research experience spans multiple interdisciplinary projects, including the development of drug delivery systems, tissue scaffolds, and biosensors. She has collaborated with leading researchers from institutions such as IFSCAR (Brazil) and Synchrotron Facilities (Denmark), and her work is published in prestigious journals like European Polymer Journal and Fungal Biology. As a guest editor, Ana has also contributed to the scientific community by editing special issues and reviewing for top-tier journals.
Research Interests 🔬
Biomaterials & Bioelectronics: Developing biodegradable LEDs for real-time monitoring of anticancer drugs.
Drug Delivery Systems: Improving the precision and safety of therapeutic treatments using liposomes, nanoparticles, and hydrogels.
Tissue Engineering: Engineering conducting scaffolds for neural tissue regeneration.
Molecular Interactions: Exploring the interaction between catechins and cellular membranes for their antioxidant effects.
Awards and Honors 🏆
Ana has been recognized for her exceptional contributions to bioelectronics and biomaterials. Some notable projects she has worked on include:
European Innovation Council, EIC PathFinder (2022-2025)
Co-PI for "Magnetic field-assisted MSCs-based therapies" (La Caixa Foundation, 2022)
Master Fellow in Pharmacokinetic Analysis of Nanostructured Films
Selected Publications 📚
Heparinized Acellular Hydrogels for Magnetically Induced Wound Healing Applications
Authors: Pires, F., Silva, J.C., Ferreira, F.C., Portugal, C.A.M.
Journal: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
Year: 2024, Volume: 16(8), Pages: 9908–9924
Citations: 4
Indium-gallium-zinc-oxide Based Semitransparent Electrodes on Flexible Substrates for Biodegradable Electronics
Authors: Pompilio, M., Gharehbagh, J.S., Krik, S., Ciocca, M., Cacialli, F.
Conference: 6th IEEE International Flexible Electronics Technology Conference, IFETC 2024 - Proceedings
Year: 2024
Magnetic-Responsive Liposomal Hydrogel Membranes for Controlled Release of Small Bioactive Molecules—An Insight into the Release Kinetics
Authors: Pereira, L., Ferreira, F.C., Pires, F., Portugal, C.A.M.
Journal: Membranes
Year: 2023, Volume: 13(7), Article: 674
Citations: 5
The Impact of Blue Light in Monolayers Representing Tumorigenic and Nontumorigenic Cell Membranes Containing Epigallocatechin-3-gallate
Authors: Pires, F., Magalhães-Mota, G., Geraldo, V.P.N., Oliveira, O.N., Raposo, M.
Journal: Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces
Year: 2020, Volume: 193, Article: 111129
Citations: 19
Effect of Epigallocatechin-3-gallate on DMPC Oxidation Revealed by Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Pires, F., Rodrigues, B., Magalhães-Mota, G., Ribeiro, P.A., Raposo, M.
Conference: Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture)
Year: 2020