Project Team
Manuela Pintado
Project Coordinator
Manuela Pintado is THRIVE’s Coordinator. She is the Director of CBQF and the leader of the research group Bioactives and Bioproducts Research. She is an expert on circular economy with an emphasis on the valorization of agri-food byproducts. Her group focusses on developing integrated solutions to obtain value-added molecules from underutilized resources, agri-food, and marine system wastes and byproducts, using bio-refinery approaches for functional foods, feeds, or materials applications. Her group works in close collaboration with the Portuguese industrial ecosystem. She is a Full Professor at the Faculty of Biotechnology of Universidade Católica Portuguesa, where she is also the Associate Dean for Research.
Paula Castro
Internal Support Team
Paula Castro is the leader of the Environmental Biotechnology and Resources research group at CBQF. She is the Director of the Faculty of Biotechnology of Universidade Católica Portuguesa. Her research focusses on the development of microbial bioprocesses targeted at environmental protection and restoration of soil and water. She is interested in the degradation of organic pollutants, including fluorinated compounds, combining with innovative wastewater treatment systems such as aerobic granular sludge, and in the use of microbial innoculants for soil health within agriculture and bioremediation. She is a Full Professor at the Faculty of Biotechnology of Universidade Católica Portuguesa.
Paula Teixeira
Internal Support Team
Paula Teixeira is the leader of the Food Microbiology research group and of the Food and Nutrition Thematic Line at CBQF. She is currently the Associate Dean for First Cycle of the Faculty of Biotechnology of Universidade Católica Portuguesa. Her research focuses in the development of knowledge on foodborne pathogens, with special focus on L. monocytogenes, using a 'One Health' approach. In general, studies focus on the ecology, transmission, pathogenesis and control of foodborne bacteria in different environments and food commodities. She is a Full Professor at the Faculty of Biotechnology of Universidade Católica Portuguesa.
João Cortez
Internal Support Team
João Cortez is the Director of UCP’s Research and Innovation Office which oversees the Pre-award, Project Management, Innovation, and Reporting activities of UCP. He is a member of the “INSURE.Hub: Innovation in Sustainability and Regeneration” Strategic Board. He has participated in several European projects since FP4, and currently is the coordinator or co-coordinator of several Horizon Europe projects. He is the Co-Chair of FOODforce.
Mariana Bexiga
Internal Support Team
Mariana Bexiga is CBQF’s Head of Strategy and Value Creation and the leader of the Research and Innovation Unit at CBQF, where she oversees the Pre-award, Communication, Technology Transfer, and Career Development activities. Her activities cover the complete lifecycle of a project, and she is an accomplished project manager with experience in the Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe framework, including in the ERA Chairs programme.
