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João Simões is a highly qualified researcher specializing in Medicinal Chemistry, with a strong focus on Photodynamic Therapy (PDT), nuclear imaging (PET/SPECT), and the development of theranostic agents. He holds a PhD funded by the EU Marie Sklodowska-Curie program, where his research centered on the design and optimization of photosensitizers for applications in human health and food security. Currently, he is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Coimbra, working on the FCT-funded project "CHEM4LUNGCARE." João earned his Master's degree in Medicinal Chemistry from the University of Coimbra, where his thesis on novel ring-fused chlorins as PDT agents won the Best Master's Thesis Award in Organic Chemistry in 2019. His academic excellence was further recognized with multiple awards for ranking among the top 3% of students during his undergraduate studies. With expertise in organic synthesis, photophysical characterization, and in vitro/in vivo imaging, João has contributed to several high-impact publications, including studies on hydrazone-functionalized corroles for lung cancer therapy and porphyrin metalla-assemblies coupled to cellulose nanocrystals for PDT and imaging applications. He has actively participated in and co-organized international scientific meetings, presenting his work across Europe. Fluent in English and Portuguese, João combines innovative research with a commitment to advancing therapeutic solutions for cancer and other diseases.
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Identification

Personal identification

Full name
João Simões

Citation names

  • Simões, João C. S.

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
F518-9AE1-A928
ORCID iD
0000-0001-9755-0129

Email addresses

  • joao95simoes@gmail.com (Professional)

Telephones

Mobile phone
  • 910641191 (Personal)

Knowledge fields

  • Medical and Health Sciences - Basic Medicine - Medicinal Chemistry
  • Exact Sciences - Chemical Sciences
  • Medical and Health Sciences - Clinical Medicine - Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging
  • Exact Sciences - Chemical Sciences - Nuclear Chemistry

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
English Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1)
Education
Degree Classification
2018/09 - 2021/11/26
Concluded
 Marie Curie Innovative Training Network - European Joint Doctorate (Doctor of Philosophy)
Major in Terapia Fotodinâmica e Imagiologia Nuclear
Université de Neuchâtel, Switzerland

Université de Limoges, France

BioEmTech, Greece
"Radiolablled Porphyrinic Metalla-assemblies Linked to Cellulose Nanocrystals as PDT and Imaging Agents" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
2016/09 - 2018
Concluded
 Química Medicinal (Mestrado)
Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
"Novel Ring-Fused Chlorins as Promising PDT agents against cancer" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 18
2013 - 2016
Concluded
 Química Medicinal (Licenciatura)
Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
 16
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2022/04/01 - Current Postdoc (Research) Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
2018/09 - 2021 Researcher (Research) BioEmTech, Greece
Projects

Grant

Designation Funders
2021/04/01 - Current CHEM4LUNGCARE
PTDC/QUI-QOR/0103/2021
Post-doc
Ongoing
2018/01 - 2021/12 Design and photo-optimization of Photosensitizer for Human Health and Food security applications or "how light can save lives"
764837
 European Commission

Contract

Designation Funders
2019/01/01 - 2019/12/31 Coimbra Chemistry Center
UID/QUI/00313/2019
Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal

Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Investigação em Antropologia e Saúde, Portugal
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Concluded
Outputs

Publications

Conference poster
  1. Simões, João C. S.; Pereira, Nelson A. M.; Nascimento, Bruno F. O.; Pineiro, Marta; Botelho, Maria Filomena; Laranjo, Mafalda; Brites, Gonçalo; Pinho e Melo, Teresa M. V. D.. "A new generation of ring-fused chlorins as promising PDT agents". Paper presented in 6.º Encontro de Químicos Jovens Portugueses - 6PYCheM, Setúbal, Portugal, 2018.
  2. Simões, João C. S.; Pereira, Nelson A. M.; Nascimento, Bruno F. O.; Oliveira, Andreia S. R.; Pineiro, Marta; Pinho e Melo, Teresa M. V. D.. "Novel PEGylated 4,5,6,7-tetrahydropyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridine¿fused chlorins". Paper presented in 12º Encontro Nacional de Química Orgânica/5º Encontro Nacional de Química Terapêutica, Coimbra, Portugal, 2018.
Journal article
  1. Costa, Bruna D. P.; Simões, João C. S.; Lopes, Susana M. M.; Laranjo, Mafalda; Rodrigues, Ana Clara B.; Gonçalves, Ana Cristina; Seixas de Melo, J. Sérgio; et al. "Hydrazone-Functionalized trans-A2B-Corroles: Effective Synergy in Photodynamic Therapy of Lung Cancer". Journal of Medicinal Chemistry (2024): https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c01824.
    10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c01824
  2. Simoes, Joao C. S.; Wagnieres, Georges; Sarpaki, Sophia; Sol, Vincent; Therrien, Bruno. "Porphyrin metalla-assemblies coupled to cellulose nanocrystals for PDT and imaging applications". Journal of Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines (2023): http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/s1088424623500499.
    Open access • 10.1142/s1088424623500499
  3. Nelson A. M. Pereira; Mafalda Laranjo; Bruno F. O. Nascimento; João C. S. Simões; João Pina; Bruna D. P. Costa; Gonçalo Brites; et al. "Novel fluorinated ring-fused chlorins as promising PDT agents against melanoma and esophagus cancer". RSC Medicinal Chemistry (2021): https://doi.org/10.1039/D0MD00433B.
    10.1039/D0MD00433B
  4. Simões, João C. S.; Sarpaki, Sophia; Papadimitroulas, Panagiotis; Therrien, Bruno; Loudos, George. "Conjugated Photosensitizers for Imaging and PDT in Cancer Research". (2020): http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00047.
    10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00047

Other

Other output
  1. Porphyrin Metalla-Assemblies Coupled to Cellulose Nanocrystals for PDT and Imaging Applications. 2022. Simões, J.C.S.; Wagnières, G.; Sarpaki, S.; Sol, V.; Therrien, B.. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85144664789&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.26434/chemrxiv-2022-9ghwv
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2022/11/17 Enhancing photophysical properties of BODIPYs through oxime/hydrazone: novel imaging agents XXVI ENCONTRO GALEGO-PORTUGUÉS DE QUÍMICA
(Santiago de Compostela, Spain)
2021/06/28 Radiolabelled Porphyrin Metalla-assemblies in Cellulose Nanocrystals as PDT Agents 1st HighLIGHTing Science Meeting
Université de Limoges (Wroclaw, Poland)
2021/04/28 Radiolabelled Porphyrin Metalla-Assemblies in Cellulose Nanocrystals, A Theranostic Agent for PDT 29th European Colloquium on Heterocyclic Chemistry
LD organisation (France)
2019/07/15 Cellulose Nanocrystals as a Multipurpose Platform Photodynamic Therapy Intersectorial Summer School
Université de Limoges (Limoges, France)

Event organisation

Event name
Type of event (Role) 		Institution / Organization
2021/05/27 - 2021/05/28 A HighLIGHTing Science Meeting é um encontro organizado por estudantes de doutoramento com o objetivo de partilhar e disseminar o conhecimento adquirido em diversas áreas da ciência, com o especial foco na Terapia Fotodinâmica. (2021/05/27 - 2021/05/28)
Meeting (Co-organisor)
 Politechnika Wroclawska, Poland

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event 		Event name
Institution / Organization
2024/01/22 - 2024/01/24 Apresentação do Póster "Novel trans-A2B2 Porphyrins: from Oxime/Hydrazone a-Substituted Dipyrromethanes to meso-substituted Functionalized Macrocycles"
Meeting
 15th National Organic Chemistry Meeting & 8th National Medicinal Chemistry Meeting
Universidade do Algarve, Portugal
2024/01/18 - 2024/01/20 Apresentação do Póster "Avaliação Crítica das Atividades Práticas e de Laboratório no Ensino de Física: Um Estudo Longitudinal do 3º Ciclo do Ensino Básico ao Ensino Secundário, Considerando o Impacto da Pandemia de COVID-19 e das Escolhas Opcionais"
Meeting
 XX Encontro Nacional de Educação em Ciências
Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
2023/11/06 - 2023/11/07 Poster presentation
Workshop
 Synthesis&Catalysis Workshop 2023
Universidade NOVA de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Portugal
2023/07/24 - 2023/07/26 Apresentação do Póster "Oxime functionalization towards the enhancement of photophysical properties of BODIPYs"
Meeting
 XXVIII Encontro Nacional da SPQ
Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal
2021/05/18 - 2021/05/18 Apresentação do Póster "Radiolabelled Theranostic Agents in Cellulose Nanocrystals"
Conference
 The 5th Photodynamic Day
Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Turkey
2021/05/05 - 2021/05/05 Participação na segunda edição de Top Thesis Webinar Series on "Novel Radioligands for PET Imaging"
Conference
 Preclinical Characterization of Molecular Hallmarks of Huntington’s Disease through dynamic PET Imaging
2021/03/09 - 2021/03/12 Participação no Curso de Medicina Nuclear: The Physics of Medical Imaging
Workshop
 Physics of Medical Imaging Course
2020/11/27 - 2020/11/29 Participão no Webinar "Molecular testing along the cancer patient journey"
Congress
 12 the National Congress of the National Union Biosciences
2020/10/12 - 2020/10/14 Participação no evento "PhoBiA Annual Nanophotonics International Conference"
Conference
 PhoBiA Annual Nanophotonics International Conference
Politechnika Wroclawska, Poland
2020/08/24 - 2020/08/28 Apresentação do Póster "Porphyrin Metalla-Assemblies in Cellulose Nanocrystals, an Innovative Theranostic Agent"
Meeting
 15th European Molecular Imaging Meeting
2019/09/27 - 2019/09/27 Participação na "European Researchers Night" com o objetivo de divulgar e disseminar conhecimento científico com o público
Meeting
 European Researchers Night
Université de Limoges, France
2018/11/27 - 2018/11/30 Participação no evento "Winter School Fundamentals of Photodynamic Therapy " visando a aquisição de conhecimento na área da Terapia Fotodinâmica e a partilha do mesmo adquirido no âmbito do doutoramento até ao momento através de uma apresentação oral informal.
Conference
 Winter School - Fundamentals of Photodynamic Therapy
Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
2018/06/18 - 2018/06/22 Participação no evento "MedChem Train Frontiers in Medicinal Chemistry" visando a aquisição de conhecimento na área da Terapia Fotodinâmica.
Meeting
 MedChem Train – Frontiers in Medicinal Chemistry
Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
2018 - 2018 Apresentação do Póster "Novel PEGylated 4,5,6,7-Tetrahydropyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridine-fused Chlorins"
Meeting
 12th National Organic Chemistry Meeting - 5th National Medicinal Chemistry Meeting
Sociedade Portuguesa de Química, Portugal
2018 - 2018 Apresentação do Póster "A new generation of ring-fused chlorins as promising PDT agents"
Meeting
 6th Portuguese Young Chemists Meeting (PYCHEM)
Portuguese Society of Chemistry, Portugal
2018 - 2018 Apresentação do Póster "Cytotoxicity of Novel Pyridine-fused Chlorins as promising PDT agents against oesophagus cancer cell lines"
Congress
 3rd ASPIC International Congress
Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Portugal
2018 - 2018 Apresentação do Póster "Cytotoxicity of Novel Pyridine-fused Chlorins as promising PDT agents against different cancer cell lines"
Meeting
 YES (Young European Scientist) Meeting
Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, Portugal
Distinctions

Award

2021 Best Poster award at the 5th Photodynamic Day
Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Turkey
2019 Prémio para Melhor Tese de Mestrado em Química Orgânica 2019
Sociedade Portuguesa de Química, Portugal

Other distinction

2016 Prémio 3% dos Melhores Estudantes / 3% Best Students Award
Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
2014 Prémio 3% dos Melhores Estudantes / 3% Best Students Award
Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal