JOÃO NUNO MOREIRA RESEARCH ACTIVITY Scientific activity is focused on the design of lipid-based nanosystems for anticancer drug and nucleic acid targeted delivery, addressing the impact on the tumor microenvironment, at the cellular and molecular level, both in vitro and in animal models of cancer. With this, novel antitumor targeted strategies are expected to be generated against tumors associated with clear unmet medical needs. The goals of the group also point towards the identification and validation of target proteins overexpressed in tumors associated with clear unmet medical needs. Aiming at increasing the translational potential of the generated knowledge, the involvement of researchers from hospitals and clinicians is fostered. This is crucial to support the identified target proteins as markers for drug targeting, namely in patients-derived samples and thus validate the proposed targeting strategies. Has experience in coordination of funded research projects in several research projects, within academia as well as in collaboration with pharmaceutical industry. TRAINING (concluded) Has supervised 7 post-docs (including an ongoing Marie-Curie fellow), 17 PhD students (including a Marie-Curie student), 10 master students (with experimental work), 9 research fellows and 4 undergraduate students. He is co-editor of 2 books, co-author of 95 publications in peer-reviewed journals, 12 book chapters and 10 filed patents (3 of them have been granted in the United States and 2 in Europe, - and licensed to TREAT U, SA). Has lectured over 175 oral communications by invitation, among PhD and Master courses, as well as in national and international meetings. Has published in high impact journals such Nano Today (IF: 20.722), Biomaterials (IF: 10.273), Journal of Controlled Release (IF: 7.261), ACS Nano (IF: 12.033), Cancer Treatment Reviews (IF: 6.024), Accounts of Chemical Research (IF: 20.323) or Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews (IF: 15.038). One of the Lipid NanoParticles developed by João Nuno Moreira’s research group was awarded with the Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma, by the European Medicines Agency (2017) and the Food and Drug Administration (2018). EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND AND POSITIONS: Degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PharmD; University of Coimbra); MSc. in Cellular Biology (University of Coimbra); PhD in Pharmaceutical Technology (University of Coimbra/University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada); Habilitation ("Agregação") in Pharmaceutical Technology (University of Coimbra). Associate Professor, with Tenure (Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra). AWARDS, MERITS AND OTHERS: Group Leader at CNC (Group of Tumor microenvironment and targeted medicines); President of the Spanish-Portuguese Local Chapter of the Controlled Release Society (Jan 2016 - Jan 2018); Member of the International Committee of the Controlled Release Society (2015/2016); Member of the Board of the Portuguese Association for Cancer Research (ASPIC) (2016 ¿ 2018); Research work on breast cancer, has been honored by the Portuguese Society of Senology (2012); Winner of the 2010 Education Innovation Awards within the scope of the MIT-Portugal program; Lecturer on the advanced course on Principles and Practice in Drug Development (at MIT, Boston, USA;); Co-founder of TREAT U, SA (www.treatu.pt), a spin-off from the University of Coimbra and CNC (2010); Expert reviewer for the European Medicines Agency (2019); PhD and Post-Doc fellowships (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, including panel Coordinator in 2015) and grants from international funding agencies (EuroNanoMed ERA-Net Consortium; Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research; French National Research Agency, Israel Science Foundation, Dutch Cancer Society; COST Actions).