Diogo Veloso Gonçalves (2A1C-3144-C937)

Curriculum Vitae

Diogo Veloso Gonçalves

Diogo Gonçalves is a physical chemist whose research focuses on astrobiology. He earned his PhD in Chemistry from Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) in 2025, following an undergraduate degree in Aerospace Engineering (2017). He also holds two MSc degrees: one in Bioengineering and Nanosystems (2020) and another in Chemistry (2021). Gonçalves has conducted international research as a visiting researcher at the Freie Universität Berlin (2022) and at the Institut de Chimie de Nice, Université Côte d’Azur (2023). During these research stays, he contributed to the detection of prebiotic molecules on Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. His current research focuses on applying physical chemistry approaches to problems in planetary geochemistry, particularly those related to the origin of life on Earth and Mars.

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Identification

Personal identification

Full name: Diogo Veloso Gonçalves

Citation names

Gonçalves, Diogo

Author identifiers

Ciência ID: 2A1C-3144-C937
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2140-7745

Email addresses

diogo.v.goncalves@tecnico.ulisboa.pt (Professional)

Knowledge fields

Exact Sciences - Chemical Sciences
Exact Sciences - Chemical Sciences - Physical Chemistry
Exact Sciences - Chemical Sciences - Analytical Chemistry

Languages

Language	Speaking	Reading	Writing	Listening	Peer-review
Portuguese (Mother tongue)
English	Advanced (C1)	Proficiency (C2)	Proficiency (C2)	Advanced (C1)	Proficiency (C2)
Italian	Elementary (A2)	Intermediate (B1)	Elementary (A2)	Intermediate (B1)	Beginner (A1)

Education

	Degree	Classification
2021/09/15 - 2025/11/30 Concluded	Doctoral Chemistry Program (Doutoramento) Universidade de Lisboa Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal "Detection of Extra-Terrestrial Life on the Surface of Titan" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)	Pass with Distinction and Honour
2018/09/15 - 2021/10/31 Concluded	Master's of Science in Chemistry (Mestrado) Universidade de Lisboa Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal	18/20
2017/09/15 - 2020/10/15 Concluded	Master's of Science in Bioengineering and Nanosystems (Mestrado) Universidade de Lisboa Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal	18/20
2017/09/15 - 2018/05/24 Concluded	Post-Graduation of Master's of Science in Management (Pós-Graduação) Universidade Nova de Lisboa Nova School of Business and Economics, Portugal	17/20
2014/09/15 - 2017/07/01 Concluded	Bachelor's of Science in Aerospace Engineering (Licenciatura) Universidade de Lisboa Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal	15/20

Affiliation

Science

	Category Host institution	Employer
2023/06/01 - 2023/06/30	Visiting Researcher (Research)	Institut de Chimie de Nice, France

2022/09/16 - 2022/10/10	Visiting Researcher (Research)	Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

Projects

Grant

	Designation	Funders
2021/12 - 2025/11	Detection of Extra-Terrestrial Life on the Surface and Subsurface of Titan 2021.04932.BD PhD Student Fellow	Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia Concluded

Contract

	Designation	Funders
2024 - Current	Origin of life: from hydrothermal vents to protocells (ORIGINS) 2022.05284.PTDC Researcher Universidade de Lisboa Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal	Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

Other

	Designation	Funders
2025 - Current	COST Action 22133 – The birth of solar systems (PLANETS) Website Researcher	European Cooperation in Science and Technology Ongoing

Outputs

Publications

Conference abstract	Gonçalves, Diogo; Barbosa, Leonardo; Orench-Benvenutti, José M.; Bruno Pedras; Martins, Zita. Corresponding author: Gonçalves, Diogo. "Fiber optic chemical sensors for the in-situ characterization of icy moons". Paper presented in EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2025, Helsinki, 2025. 10.5194/epsc-dps2025-194 Gonçalves, Diogo; Hofmann, Florence; Wipf, Severin; Urso, Riccardo G.; Bocková, Jana; Meinert, Cornelia; Rimmer, Paul B.; et al. "Atmospheric survivability of amino acids produced in the cryovolcanic regions of Titan". Paper presented in EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2025, Helsinki, 2025. 10.5194/epsc-dps2025-192 Gonçalves, Diogo; Hofmann, Florence; Wipf, Severin; Urso, Riccardo G.; Bocková, Jana; Meinert, Cornelia; Rimmer, Paul B.; et al. "The Photochemistry on the Polar Cryovolcanic Regions of Titan". Paper presented in 56th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Houston, 2025. Gonçalves, Diogo; Barbosa, Leonardo; Orench-Benvenutti, José M.; Bruno Pedras; Martins, Zita. "Fiber Optic Chemical Sensors for the In-Situ Characterization of Icy Moons". Paper presented in 56th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Houston, 2025.
Conference poster	Gonçalves, Diogo; Hofmann, Florence; Wipf, Severin; Urso, Riccardo G.; Bocková, Jana; Meinert, Cornelia; Stroscio, Gautam D.; et al. Corresponding author: Gonçalves, Diogo. "The Photochemistry on the Polar Cryovolcanic Regions of Titan". Paper presented in 56th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, 2025. Gonçalves, Diogo; Barbosa, Leonardo; Orench-Benvenutti, José M.; Bruno Pedras; Martins, Zita. Corresponding author: Gonçalves, Diogo. "Fiber Optic Chemical Sensors for the In-situ Characterization of Icy Moons". Paper presented in 56th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, 2025. Gonçalves, Diogo; Hofmann, Florence; Wipf, Severin; Urso, Riccardo G.; Bocková, Jana; Meinert, Cornelia; Rimmer, Paul B.; et al. Corresponding author: Gonçalves, Diogo. "Dragonfly May be Able to Sample Amino Acids Produced on the Polar Cryovolcanic Regions of Titan". Paper presented in European Astrobiology Network Association Conference 2025, 2025. Gonçalves, Diogo; Barbosa, Leonardo; Orench-Benvenutti, José M.; Bruno Pedras; Martins, Zita. Corresponding author: Gonçalves, Diogo. "Fiber Optic Chemical Sensors for the In-situ Characterization of Icy Moons". Paper presented in European Astrobiology Network Association Conference 2025, 2025. Gonçalves, Diogo; Pedrosa, Leonardo; Orench-Benvenutti, José M.; Bruno Pedras; Martins, Zita. Corresponding author: Gonçalves, Diogo. "Fiber Optic Chemical Sensors for the In-situ Characterization of Icy Moons". Paper presented in EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2025, 2025. Gonçalves, Diogo; Barbosa, Leonardo; Orench-Benvenutti, José M.; Bruno Pedras; Martins, Zita. Corresponding author: Gonçalves, Diogo. "Fiber Optic Chemical Sensors for the In-situ Characterization of Icy Moons". Paper presented in XXXV National Astronomy and Astrophysics Meeting, 2025. Gonçalves, Diogo; Hofmann F.; Wipf S.; Urso R.; Bocková J.; Meinert C.; Elsaesser A.; Pedras B.; Martins Z.. Corresponding author: Gonçalves, Diogo. "Uncovering the Habitability of Titan’s Summer Pole". Paper presented in XV Portuguese Conference of Polar Sciences, 2023. Calapez, F.; Dias, R.; Cesário, R.; Gonçalves, Diogo; Pedras, B.; Canário, J.; Martins, Z.. "Spectroscopy of Arctic Ice Samples as Planetary Field Analogues for Astrobiology". Paper presented in Goldschmidt 2023, 2023.
Journal article	Diogo Gonçalves; Cláudia Ribeiro; João P.C. Tomé; Bruno Pedras; Zita Martins. "Towards fiber optic chemical sensors for 1,3-butadiene detection in Titan's hydrocarbon lakes". Analytica Chimica Acta (2026): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2025.344982. 10.1016/j.aca.2025.344982 Diogo Gonçalves; Florence Hofmann; Severin Wipf; Riccardo Giovanni Urso; Jana Bocková; Cornelia Meinert; Paul Brandon Rimmer; et al. "The Photochemistry of Amino Acids Produced on the Polar Cryovolcanic Regions of Titan". ACS Earth and Space Chemistry (2025): https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00376. 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00376 Diogo Gonçalves; Florence Hofmann; Janina Drauschke; Severin Wipf; Riccardo Giovanni Urso; Ana M. Ferraria; Ana M. Botelho do Rego; et al. "Characterization of Amino Acid Nanolayers and Their Interactions under Simulated Planetary Conditions". ACS Earth and Space Chemistry (2025): https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00334. 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00334 Diogo Gonçalves. "Rethinking life and predicting its origin". Theory in Biosciences (2024): https://doi.org/10.1007/s12064-024-00420-9. 10.1007/s12064-024-00420-9 Francisco Calapez; Rodrigo Dias; Rute Cesário; Diogo Gonçalves; Bruno Pedras; João Canário; Zita Martins. "Spectroscopic Detection of Biosignatures in Natural Ice Samples as a Proxy for Icy Moons". Life (2023): https://doi.org/10.3390/life13020478. 10.3390/life13020478

Activities

Oral presentation

	Presentation title	Event name Host (Event location)
2025/09	The Photochemistry of Amino Acids Produced on the Polar Cryovolcanic Regions of Titan	XXXV National Astronomy and Astrophysics Meeting (Lisboa, Portugal)
2025/09	Atmospheric Survivability of Amino Acids Produced in the Cryovolcanic Regions of Titan	EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2025 (Helsinki, Finland)
2025/05/23	Biosignatures in Space	i3S Retreat Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (Porto, Portugal)
2025/05/16	The Detection of Biosignatures on Titan	Seminar Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences (Porto, Portugal)
2025/05	The Photochemistry of Amino Acids Produced on the Polar Cryovolcanic Regions of Titan	CQE Days 2025 (Lisbon, Portugal)

Event organisation

	Event name Type of event (Role)	Institution / Organization
2025/10/21 - 2025/10/24	European Astrobiology Network Association 2025 conference (2025/10/21) Conference (Member of the Organising Committee)	Universidade de Lisboa Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal
2023/11/02 - 2023/11/03	XV Portuguese Conference of Polar Sciences (2023/02/26) Conference (Member of the Organising Committee)	Universidade de Lisboa Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal

Event participation

	Activity description Type of event	Event name Institution / Organization
2025 - 2025	(Public Outreach) A dragonfly on Titan Other	AstroCoruche 2025
2025 - 2025	(Public Outreach) Introduction to Astrobiology Other	Colégio Pedro Arrupe
2024 - 2025	European Astrobiology Institute Academy 2024–2025 Seminar	Centro de Astrobiología, CSIC-INTA, Spain
2024/02/26 - 2024/03/01	Inaugural Workshop on Nuclear Astrochemistry Workshop	European Centre for Theoretical Studies in Nuclear Physics and Related Areas, Italy
2024 - 2024	(Public Outreach) Astrobiology Other	”Congresso de Ciências III” by AEFCUP
2024 - 2024	(Public Outreach) The Astrobiology of Mars Other	EPSC Young Minds Lisbon
2024 - 2024	(Public Outreach) Roundtable on Planetary Systems Other	Astronomy Summer School 23/24 by NFIST
2024 - 2024	(Public Outreach) Newspaper piece on Field Campaign to Alaska, USA Other	Expresso
2024 - 2024	(Public Outreach) Introduction to Astrobiology Other	”Jornadas da Biologia XII” by NuBISA
2023/11/02 - 2023/11/03	Co-chair of the Astrobiology and Planetary Sciences session Conference	XV Portuguese Conference of Polar Sciences
2023/09/04 - 2023/09/08	Course on Environmental Sampling Workshop	Universidade de Lisboa Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal
2023/06/26 - 2023/06/30	Summer School Moons of the Solar System Workshop	Aix-Marseille Université, France
2022 - 2022	(Public Outreach) The Possibility of Life in Titan Other	PULSAR by NFIST

Association member

	Society Organization name	Role
2025 - Current	Europlanet Society	Member
2025 - Current	EANA – European Astrobiology Network Association	Member
2025 - Current	OoLEN – Origin of Life Early-career Network	Member
2022 - Current	POLAR2E - College on Polar and Extreme Environments of Universidade de Lisboa	Member

Course / Discipline taught

	Academic session	Degree Subject (Type)	Institution / Organization
2021/12 - 2022/02	Physical Chemistry	Physical Chemistry (Mestrado integrado)	Universidade de Lisboa Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal

Journal scientific committee

	Journal title (ISSN)	Publisher
2026 - Current	Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical (1873-3077)	Elsevier

Mentoring / Tutoring

	Topic	Student name
2025 - Current	Towards the Observation of Prebiotic Molecules in Titan’s Atmosphere	Maria Coelho
2025 - Current	Fluorescence Sensing of Aldehydes on Enceladus' Plumes	Ana Sofia Fernandes Pereira
2025 - 2025	Development of Space-Ready Fluorescence Optical Sensors	Angelica Cortellini

Scientific expedition

	Activity description	Institution / Organization
2024/04/02 - 2024/04/10	Fieldwork Campaign to Fairbanks, Alaska, USA	University of Alaska Fairbanks, United States

Distinctions

Award

2026	Life Travel Award (860 €) MDPI AG, Switzerland
2026	EAI Travel Award (900 €) European Astrobiology Institute, France
2025	POLAR2E Travel Award (1,000 €) POLAR2E. College on Polar and Extreme Environments, Portugal
2025	EPSC Conference Bursary (610 €) Europlanet Society, Belgium
2022	Diploma of Excellence – Master's degree in Chemistry Universidade de Lisboa Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal
2021	Diploma of Excellence – Master's degree in Bioengineering and Nanosystems Universidade de Lisboa Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal
2020	Diploma of Excellence – Master's degree in Chemistry Universidade de Lisboa Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal
2019	Diploma of Excellence – Master's degree in Bioengineering and Nanosystems Universidade de Lisboa Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal
2016	Diploma of Merit – Integrated Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering Universidade de Lisboa Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal
2014	First place at "Olimpíadas do Conhecimento", Mathematics category Universidade Fernando Pessoa, Portugal
2014	Bronze Medal at Olimpíadas Portuguesas de Matemática Sociedade Portuguesa de Matemática, Portugal
2011	Silver Medal at Olimpíada de Mayo Olimpíada Matemática Argentina, Argentina
2011	Bronze Medal at Olimpíada Paulista de Matemática Sociedade Brasileira de Matemática, Brazil
2011	Silver Medal at Olimpíadas Portuguesas de Matemática Sociedade Portuguesa de Matemática, Portugal