Ilídio Lopes is a Full Professor at Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, where he currently serves as President of the Department of Physics. He also leads the Centre for Astrophysics and Gravitation (CENTRA). His academic leadership includes heading the engineering physics bachelor’s and master’s programs from 2018 to 2022, as well as membership in the Pedagogical Council. Prior to these roles, he was a faculty member at the University of Évora from 2004 to 2015, where he directed the doctoral program in Physics. Lopes holds a bachelor’s degree in physics and applied mathematics from Porto University and a master's degree from the University of Paris, where he also completed a PhD in 1994. His doctoral research on helioseismology, solar neutrinos, and asteroseismology was awarded the highest distinction, a rare honour for PhD candidates. His postdoctoral tenure included prestigious positions at the Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique, The Institute of Astronomy (University of Cambridge), and the Department of Physics at the University of Oxford, funded by several research fellowships and grants. His research encompasses astrophysics, particle physics, and gravitation, focusing on innovative areas such as neutrinos, and stellar dynamics. Lopes has been instrumental in using stellar phenomena to probe fundamental physics, including more recently investigations into dark matter and alternative gravitational theories. Lopes is known for his ability to bridge theoretical physics with observational data, challenging and refining existing models. His wide-ranging contributions have advanced our understanding of stellar and particle physics. Highlights of his work include: Solar Neutrino Problem, Pioneered the use of helioseismology, influencing the particle physics community; GOLF Experiment (SoHO), Analyzed low-degree acoustic modes and identified gravity mode candidates; Stellar Magnetism & Dynamos, Developed innovative techniques relevant to the PLATO mission; Dark Matter Detection, Created methods to use stars as dark matter detectors, exploring new particles and gravitational theories. At CENTRA, he built a leading research group focused on dark matter and modified gravity within stars, which has attracted global talent and propelled significant scientific discoveries. Lopes has proven to be a dedicated supervisor, successfully guiding 10 PhD students to graduation and mentoring six additional candidates. He has overseen eight postdoctoral fellows and 25 master’s students, significantly advancing their careers in both academia and industry. His influence is clearly reflected in their achievements: one master's student won the Calouste Gulbenkian Young Research Award, and two PhD students were honored with awards from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the University of Lisbon, as well as two prestigious Humboldt Fellowships. Additionally, several of his former postdocs have won prizes and obtained faculty positions in Greece, Chile, Spain, and the UK, continuing their research initiated under his guidance. Lopes boasts an impressive publication record of over 140 peer-reviewed articles in top-tier journals. His ground-breaking projects have transformed our understanding of dark matter interactions with astrophysical objects, pioneering the use of asteroseismology in studying dark matter, neutron stars, and other compact objects. Beyond theoretical contributions, his work provides practical tools and methods for the global scientific community, laying the groundwork for future discoveries with missions like LISA and PLATO.