João Soares, PhD, is a Senior Researcher at GECAD (ISEP/P.Porto), having earned his doctorate in Electrical and Computer Engineering in 2017 with maximum classification at UTAD. He has demonstrated exceptional capacity in securing competitive funding, notably through two consecutive highly prestigious FCT individual research grants: MIGRATE (Junior Researcher, 2019–2023) and FIRM (Auxiliary Researcher, 2023–2025), alongside coordinating major FCT projects like CENERGETIC (PI), BENEFICE (co-PI), and the recently approved EXPLAINERGY (2026–2028). His trajectory reflects continuous, full-time dedication to research, pioneering hybrid optimization methods combining Benders decomposition with metaheuristics for large-scale smart grid scheduling. His scientific core lies in designing optimization and artificial intelligence methods that make power systems more flexible, reliable, and socially acceptable. He has achieved breakthroughs in modeling electric vehicles (EVs), distributed resources, and local energy markets. A key contribution is the creation of modular simulation platforms, such as EVeSSi, ACELERA, and METAERM, which provide standardized testbeds for benchmarking metaheuristics globally. Recently, his research has advanced toward integrating explainable AI (XAI) into computational intelligence, moving from black-box models to transparent, fairness-aware energy management systems. These leadership roles have propelled his international visibility, leading to enduring collaborations with São Paulo State University (UNESP) and École Centrale de Lille (ECL) in France. In ECL, he has served as a Visiting Professor since 2019 and was nominated as an Adjunct Professor in 2026 in recognition of sustained collaboration. His global reach recently expanded to China, where he served as an invited professor at Harbin Institute of Technology and Huazhong University of Science and Technology (2025). In total, he has held coordination or PI responsibilities in 16 competitive projects spanning national, European (Horizon/H2020, Interreg), and bilateral programs. His work captured the interest of Honda Research Institute Europe, resulting in 7 R&D contracts as PI to translate academic models into industry-applicable tools. Furthermore, he currently co-coordinates the SAtCOMM project (Interreg Atlantic Area) to deliver sustainable Atlantic energy communities. Dr. Soares has built and managed a multinational research team, demonstrating a sustained commitment to mentoring. He has supervised or co-supervised 10 PhD students (3 completed), 28 MSc dissertations (20 completed), and over 30 BSc/internship students. His mentoring excellence is evidenced by alumni securing competitive industry positions and prestigious national accolades, such as the REN Best Master Thesis Award. His scientific contributions are reflected in over 250 publications, including 84 indexed journal papers in top-tier venues, garnering over 7,000 citations (h-index 47). He actively shapes the scientific community through editorial roles, having launched 16 special issues in JCR journals, and by serving on the editorial board of Applied Energy. He is the Chair of the IEEE ISATC Task Force on Computational Intelligence for the Energy Domain and Secretary of the IEEE PES Intelligent Systems Subcommittee. He has delivered over 40 invited talks globally and organized over 30 events, including widely recognized international algorithmic competitions. Beyond research, he integrates his advanced findings into teaching at ISEP, UNESP, and Centrale de Lille, and is frequently invited to PhD and MSc defense juries across Europe, Australia, and Brazil, cementing his role as a leading global expert in AI-driven energy systems.