(Chemical) Bonding is what makes life possible

Maria João Melo is a full professor in the Department of Conservation and Restoration at NOVA School of Science and Technology and works as a research scientist at the Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry (LAQV), where she leads the Cultural Heritage line. She also contributes to the Institute for Medieval Studies and VICARTE, both affiliated with NOVA.
After earning her PhD in Physical Chemistry in 1995, she shifted her focus to art conservation. Since Italy is a leader in this field, she completed her postdoctoral work in Florence (1996-98) at the Italian Research Council (CNR). There, she specialized in infrared spectroscopy applications to cultural heritage and began research on photodegradation processes in complex systems.
Returning to Portugal in 1998, she played a key role in establishing the Department of Conservation and Restoration at FCT-UNL, served as its president from 2017 to 19, and currently oversees its PhD program in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, having received a PD/00253/2012 grant for 1,334,080 euros.
She has participated in 27 research projects, served as the principal investigator for 6 of them, and published over 120 articles in Web of Science-listed journals. She regularly presents at national and international conferences, with more than 100 oral presentations. Additionally, she has supervised 33 Master theses and 22 PhD theses.
Her current goal is to expand her interdisciplinary research at the intersection of social and natural sciences, with a focus on public engagement.