Dr. Carla Joana Silva

Dr. Carla Joana Silva is currently Chief Technology Officer at CeNTI (Centre for Nanotechnology and Smart Materials in Portugal). She received her degree in Biological Engineering in 1996 (University of Minho, Portugal), her M.Sc. in Industrial Biotechnology in 1999 (University of S. Paulo, Brazil) and her PhD in Textile Chemistry in 2005 (University of Minho, Portugal). In 2006-2007 she was a post-doctoral at UM-2C2T and lecturer of Applied biotechnology in the Master Degree in Textile Engineering (University of Covilhã). During her MSc, PhD and post-doctoral research she studied the xylitol production by fermentation using agricultural wastes, the treatment of wool with modified proteases and the modification and functionalization of several textile and protein fibers, like cotton, wool and hair. She started her professional experience in 1996, working as a superior technician at the Portuguese Technological Centre for the Textile Industries, where she had her first close contact with textile research, is also during that time an active member of the Portuguese Technical Committee for Water Standardization-microbiological methods, CT72. She attended several courses on quality control in credited laboratories, calibration of laboratory equipment, statistical treatment of data and metrology, project management tools and techniques, among others. Additionally, she has taken a specialization in techniques for planning experiments like DOE (Design of Experiments) and RSM (Response Surface Methodology) using programmes like Stat-Ease and Statistica.

She has been working at CeNTI since 2007, previously as a senior researcher (2007-20012), as the R&D manager of the Functional Materials & Solutions Unit (2012-2017), and currently as CTO of that institution. With more than 18 years of experience in applied and industry-oriented research, 9 granted patents and more than 35 published papers in peer-reviewed journals, she is responsible for the management and coordination of several national and international R&D projects covering various topics and has successfully captured funding for many research projects. Several researchers have been conducting their MSc studies under her supervision. Her current research interests are focused in the development of products and implementation of innovative processes in conventional industries (textile, automotive, ceramics, construction, etc.), by exploring sustainable processes and innovative technologies of surface and polymers engineering, advanced (nano)materials, fibers and coatings, biotechnology, nanotechnology and nanocoatings.