CQM Welcomes a New Assistant Researcher
The Madeira Chemistry Research Centre (CQM) is pleased to announce that, within the aim of the 7th edition of the Individual Scientific Employment Stimulus Call by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), another Assistant Researcher contract has been approved, with CQM as the host institution.
Oriana Marques was selected in this highly competitive call, in which only 14.4% of applications were successful, highlighting the scientific excellence and high potential of the approved proposal.
After eight years at Heidelberg University and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Germany, where she established herself as a specialist in iron metabolism and inflammatory diseases, Dr. Oriana Marques is now returning to Portugal to continue her research at CQM.
The three-year contract aligns with CQM’s strategic priorities for the coming years and will enable the development of innovative nanoparticle-based therapies for Anemia of Inflammation—a condition affecting millions of patients worldwide with chronic inflammatory diseases.
This project combines CQM’s established expertise in developing nanomaterials for biomedical applications with Dr. Oriana Marques’ specialized knowledge in iron biology and immune system regulation. The goal is to create “smart” nanoparticles capable of selectively targeting immune cells, restoring appropriate iron levels in patients, and paving the way for new therapeutic approaches to anemia associated with autoimmune diseases, cancer, and other chronic inflammatory conditions.
Following the approval of two other Assistant Researcher positions in previous calls, this third FCT-funded contract represents further recognition and strengthens CQM’s position in the international landscape of biomedical research and nanomedicine, by integrating into its team a highly qualified researcher with solid scientific experience and established collaborations with leading international institutions.
CQM joins INL in European platform for the development of new semiconductor chips.
The Madeira Chemistry Research Centre (CQM) has partnered with the INL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory to join the INFRACHIP, an European research platform dedicated to the sustainable development of the next generation of semiconductor chips.
Through INFRACHIP, researchers can access cutting-edge technologies installed across various parts of Europe free of charge.
CQM is participating in this initiative with the project "Heteroatom-doped and co-doped CDs: characterization", which was recently selected by a European panel to be part of the platform. This partnership will allow CQM researchers involved in the project to access highly specialized knowledge and advanced technologies in electron and X-ray microscopy available at INL. These are essential tools for the structural and morphological characterization of carbon nanomaterials, particularly carbon dots.
These nanomaterials, composed mainly of carbon but which may also contain oxygen and/or nitrogen atoms, exhibit unique optical properties and hold great potential for biomedical applications, especially in bioimaging. At CQM, carbon dots are being developed as part of the PhD project of junior researcher Ivo Martins, titled Fluorescent Carbon dot-cored dendritic polymers as novel cancer theranostics nanoarchitectures, funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (Ref. 2021.05990.BD) and supervised by Professor João Rodrigues, Full Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Madeira and senior member of CQM.
The first results of this collaboration have already enabled the observation and identification of new carbon nanostructures, with further structural and biochemical characterization studies currently underway. These efforts aim to pave the way for new applications of these materials not only in the field of next-generation chips and bioimaging but also in catalytic processes of high scientific and technological interest.
The Madeira Chemistry Research Centre (CQM) has been included in the prestigious Stanford/Elsevier 2025 list of Top 2% Scientists, which brings together the most cited researchers in 2024. This year, it includes seven researchers of CQM: Xiangyang Shi, Jaison Jeevanandam, José Câmara, Rosa Perestrelo, Serge Mignani, Jorge Pereira and Helena Tomás.
This international acknowledgement not only reflects the individual merit but also the dedication of a large team of researchers and technicians, who often work anonymously, ensuring the daily operation of such complex and demanding scientific infrastructure as CQM. We can only rejoice with these results, which, more than reflecting the success of some, are the result of everyone's contribution.
The impact of this result on the position achieved by the University of Madeira in the same ranking, occupying 28th place among 176 Portuguese institutions, side by side with some of the country’s most relevant universities and research centers.
Important note: CQM is a member of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA), a group of organizations dedicated to reforming how research, researchers, and research organizations are evaluated. Current research assessment methods rely heavily on publication-based metrics, such as citation counts, and often fail to recognize the diverse contributions made by researchers.
Registration is open for attending the "Hands-on training to use Design expert® (StatEase®) software for experiments design and optimization". The course is organized by the Madeira Chemistry Research Centre (CQM) and will be held by Jaison Jeevanandam (PhD), under the coordination of João Rodrigues (PhD).
Abstract
An experiment is a scientific procedure to test a hypothesis, discovery or demonstrate a known fact. Various types of experiments are available to obtain results and prove hypotheses. However, randomized experiments, in which various parameters affect the result, lead to loss of resources, chemicals, time, and inaccurate results, which are important aspects to consider in any laboratory. Thus, design of experiments is highly recommended to plan experiments. In general, design of experiments (DoE) is defined as a set of procedures to investigate a relationship between variables.
Further, DoE helps in the screening and optimization of process variables. Nevertheless, DoE involves several complex mathematical equations, which require strong mathematical and statistical knowledge to derive formulas and apply them for designing a list of experiments to optimize process variables. Thus, computational approaches via exclusive software are gaining attention among researchers for designing experiments.
There are numerous DoE software, such as Minitab®, ELLISAT, JMP® academic, QbD-DoE and Design expert®. Among these software, Design expert® is one of the most user-friendly (for those who are not experts in statistics) software, offering ability to screen, characterize, and optimize, and parameter designs, that are widely used in chemical engineering and pharmaceutical industries. Thus, this course will focus on the type of experiments, quality of data from experiments, concepts, types and procedures of experimental design, software for designing experiments, their advantages and limitations, and why Design expert® is a favorite in industrial applications. In addition, the software interface will be explored entirely during the course with hands-on experience in the optimization of parameters using the software, along with a few examples.
Dr. Jaison Jeevanandam Profile
Dr. Jaison Jeevanandam is a MERIT fellow (co-funded by Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and European Union) and R3 researcher in Experimental Neurobiology division, Preclinical Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, Czech Republic. Previously, he worked as a senior researcher in CQM, University of Madeira, Portugal (2020-2023). Dr. Jaison Jeevanandam obtained his Ph.D. in the Department of chemical engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Science from Curtin University, Malaysia and Australia. His current research focuses on the application of bionanotechnology and artificial intelligence in the fabrication of nanoformulation to deliver drugs for the treatment of several diseases, especially diabetes and its related complications in brain. Till date, Dr. Jaison has authored about 2 monographs, 7 edited books, 66 book chapters and 71 journal articles. He has been listed under Top 2% of highly cited scientists in the world by Stanford University, USA, consequently for 3 years (2021-2023) with H-index of 36.
COURSE PLAN
Day 1: 29/09/2025 – 09h00-12h30
- Theoretical aspects on types of design of experiments (DoE)
- Installation of software in personal laptops and view interface
- Explanation of software interface (Part 1)
- Explanation of software interface (Part 2) and Q&A session
Day 2: 30/09/2025 – 09h00-12h30
- Theoretical aspects of response surface methodology of optimization (Central composite) with software interface
- Theoretical aspects of response surface methodology of optimization (Box-Behnken approach) with software interface
- Explanation of other response surface methodology options in the software interface (Part 1)
- Explanation of other response surface methodology options in the software interface (Part 2) and Q&A session
Day 3: 01/10/2025 – 09h00-12h30
- Theoretical aspects of designing experiments using Design Expert® software
- Theoretical aspects of designing experiments using Design Expert® software with example
- Quiz and general factorial example in software (Part 1)
- General factorial example in software (Part 2) and Q&A session
Day 4: 02/10/2025 – 09h00-12h30
- Hands-on training to use software (Part 1; 2-level factorial method)
- Hands-on training to use software (Part 2; 2-level factorial method)
- Hands-on training to use software (Part 1; Response surface methodology – Box Behnken approach)
- Hands-on training to use software (Part 2; Response surface methodology – Box Behnken approach) and Q&A session
Day 5: 03/10/2025 – 09h00-12h30
- Tips and tricks to use Design Expert®
- Quiz, final remarks, summary and Q&A
Note:
1. All participants must download QR code scanner or Slido app to join the interactive sessions
2. The software will be provided to the audience using wetransfer before the workshop via email. Also, the software will be available via QR code or a pen-drive during the workshop.
3. The interactive section will be open on all the 5 days. If the participants have any queries, they can ask using the app or the interactive section (visible to all the participants) which will be answered the next day during the workshop session.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Dates: 29th of September to 03rd of October 2025
Duration: 16 hours [3.5 Hours/day with break for 15-20 min in between]
Venue: University of Madeira, Room 0.57
 |
Registration until 23rd September 2025 Fees: Members of CQM - exempt of payment Students and researchers of UMa - 30,00 EUR Other participants - 50,00 EUR. |
 |
Registration form |