Alexandre Silva

Alexandre Silva is one of the most acclaimed chefs in contemporary Portuguese gastronomy. Awarded a Michelin star for the restaurant LOCO and founder of FOGO, he was born in Abrigada, Alenquer. Alexandre discovered his passion for cooking at the age of 18 and trained in Culinary Arts, Pastry, and F&B Management at the Lisbon School of Hospitality and Tourism, later complementing his education with studies in Molecular Gastronomy. He gained national recognition after winning the RTP television competition Top Chef in 2012, an experience that led him to El Celler de Can Roca, widely regarded as one of the best restaurants in the world. His cuisine combines creativity, research, and a deep connection to ingredients and territory, establishing him as one of the most innovative voices in Portuguese fine dining.

Ana Pena

SIC

Bio coming soon.

Ana Santos Almeida

GIMM, Lisbon School of Medicine

Ana Santos Almeida is Principal Investigator at GIMM and an Invited Assistant Professor at the Lisbon School of Medicine. She is a microbiologist and immunologist whose work explores how the gut and tumour microbiomes shape human health, inflammation, and cancer. She earned her PhD from Sorbonne University in 2012 and completed postdoctoral training at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and APC Microbiome Ireland. At GIMM she leads translational research combining microbiome science, immunology, and artificial intelligence to develop precision diagnostics and therapies, particularly in colorectal cancer and women’s health.

Carlos Moedas

Mayor of Lisbon

Bio coming soon.

Cristóvão Sousa

GIMM CARE

Bio coming soon.

Inês Domingues

GIMM

Bio coming soon.

Isabel Gordo

GIMM

Isabel Gordo is a Group Leader at GIMM, where she studies bacterial evolution in the context of the gut microbiome. Trained in Physics, she earned a PhD in Evolutionary Genetics from the University of Edinburgh in 2002 and conducted postdoctoral research at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, becoming a principal investigator in 2004. Her work examines how bacteria adapt to stressful environments such as antibiotics and immune pressures, and she currently holds an ERC Advanced Grant to study intrahost evolution in health and disease. Gordo’s lab combines theoretical and experimental approaches using E. coli and mouse models to understand the forces shaping microbial diversity and resistance. She founded the Portuguese Society for Evolutionary Biology and is an elected member of EMBO and the European Academy of Microbiology.

Margarida Santos

SIC

Bio coming soon.

Maria Mota

GIMM, Lisbon School of Medicine

Maria M. Mota is a biologist and leading malaria researcher, currently GIMM’s CEO. She earned her degree in Biology and a Master’s in Immunology from the University of Porto and completed a PhD in Molecular Parasitology at University College London. After postdoctoral work with Vitor Nussenzweig at NYU, she returned to Portugal to lead malaria research at the Gulbenkian Institute of Science and later became a principal investigator and Executive Director of iMM. Her work investigates both liver and blood stages of Plasmodium infection. An EMBO member and former HHMI international researcher, she has received major honors including the Pessoa Prize and national decorations for scientific merit. She is also an advocate for gender equality and public engagement in science.

Patrícia Costa Reis

GIMM, Lisbon School of Medicine, Unidade Local de Saúde Santa Maria

Bio coming soon.

Paula Peixe

Bio coming soon.

Ricardo Fernandes

GAT – Grupo de Ativistas em Tratamentos

Bio coming soon.

Sara Sá

GIMM

Bio coming soon.