Profile

João Rocha, Full Professor of Chemistry, served as the Director at the University of Aveiro Institute of Materials-CICECO from 2002 to 2021 and is currently the Coordinator of the Council of Associated Laboratories in Portugal. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1990, post-doc 1991, from the University of Cambridge, UK.

Rocha has received numerous prestigious honors, including being named Officer of the Chemistry Division of EURASC (2014) and receiving membership in the Académie Royal de Belgique des Science, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts (2022). A permanent member of the Lisbon Academy of Sciences (2006) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (2016), he has also served as an advisor to the Prime Minister of Portugal. His awards include recognitions from FCT, Portuguese Chemical Society and the Société Chimique de France, and he has notably coordinated the ERC Consolidator Grants panel PE11.

Rocha’s publication record comprises over 550 SCI papers and 5 patents, that received more than 30,000 citations (h 83). He has delivered over 300 talks (most invited) at conferences (most international). Ranked among the top 2% of scientists across all disciplines by Stanford University, Rocha has supervised 43 post-doctoral researchers and 36 Ph.D. students, led more than two dozen projects (including 6 European projects as national PI), and advised extensively within the industry.

His work has significantly impacted various domains, including materials science and NMR spectroscopy. He has pioneered in creating new materials akin to zeolites and developing luminescent lanthanide-bearing Metal Organic Frameworks. His work has found practical applications, such as in the treatment of hyperkalemia with a zirconium silicate-based drug. Beyond his research, Rocha has contributed substantially to the academic community, holding various editorial and advisory roles, and nurturing future generations of scientists through mentoring and teaching. In 2024, he published the poetry book “Rock Art” (Opera Omnia).