Bioengineering and Regenerative Medicine: transforming people’s lives

Date: 2 June 2026

Locations:  i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto, Portugal
Porto City Council, Assembly Hall, 5th floor

Bioengineering and regenerative medicine are redefining the boundaries of modern medicine by opening up new possibilities for repairing, replacing and regenerating tissues and organs, with implications for the entire population, from the youngest to the oldest. From the interface between biology, engineering and technology, innovative solutions are emerging that promise to profoundly transform the way we treat injuries, chronic diseases and degenerative conditions. 
This aims to bridge the gap between science, clinical practice and society, highlighting how knowledge generated in the laboratory translates into concrete applications with a direct impact on people’s lives. Throughout the day, i3S opens its doors to the community (10h-16h), facilitating direct contact with researchers, cutting-edge technologies and ongoing scientific processes. 
At the end of the day, a roundtable will bring together experts from different fields — from medicine to engineering, from academia to industry and civil society — to reflect on the challenges and opportunities of bioengineering, as well as its role in building innovative, accessible and sustainable solutions for health. 
As part of the celebrations marking i3S’s 10th anniversary, this initiative reinforces the institute’s commitment to interdisciplinary science that is innovation-driven and impact-focused, capable of transforming knowledge into solutions that improve the quality of life. 

Language: Session in Portuguese

Registration in the round table: free but mandatory 
Registration for the Open Science Activities: not required 
 

Registration form >> 
 

Open Science Activities (10h-16h)
i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto
Address: Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
https://maps.app.goo.gl/qfLRdDpc86muhJRR6

Round Table Discussion (17h)
Porto City Council, Assembly Hall, 5th floor
Address: PC GEN Humberto Delgado, 4049-001 Porto
https://maps.app.goo.gl/r7EhZJS2Sta7ejj77
 

OPEN SCIENCE ACTIVITIES | i3S | Discovering Bioengineering

10h00 – 13h00 Explore and Experiment 
Interactive exhibition
•    Cutting-edge technologies
•    Live demonstrations
•    Direct contact with researchers

Throughout the day
Art & Science: Guided tours of the scientific photography exhibition

14h00 – 16h00 Explore and Experiment
Interactive exhibition

 
ROUND TABLE | Porto City Council

17h00 Welcome
Gabriela Queiroz, Vereadora da Câmara Municipal do Porto, representing the Mayor of Porto

17h05 Opening session
Cristina Ribeiro, Researcher at i3S – Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto; Director of INEB - Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, PT; and Director of the Biomedical Engineering Course, ISEP - Instituto Superior e Engenharia do Porto, Portugal

17h10 Bioengineering and people’s lives
Ana Paula Pêgo, Member of the Board of Directors and Head of Strategy and Value Creation, i3S – Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal

17h40 Round Table | Bioengineering and people’s lives 

Moderator
Alexandre Quintanilha, Commissioner for the 10th i3S Anniversary

Panellists
Nuno Neves
Director of the Centre for Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Medicine, CUF Porto Hospital, Portugal

Rui Martins Silva
Medical Coordinator of the Health Department, Futebol Clube do Porto, Portugal

Bento Aires
Chair of the Governing Board, Order of Engineers – Northern Region, Portugal

António Conceição
Chair of the Board, Portugal AVC – Union of Survivors, Family Members and Friends, Portugal

Paulo Pereira
Head of the Neurosurgery Department, São João University Hospital; Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Mental Health, Portugal 

Fernando Jorge Monteiro
Professor Emeritus at the University of Porto; former Director of INEB – Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Portugal

João Miguel Branco Silva
Strategic Manager of Medtronic Portugal 

19h00 Closing of the celebration
Claudio Sunkel, i3S Director

19h10 Porto de honra
 

Ana Paula Pêgo
Member of the Board of Directors and Head of Strategy and Value Creation, i3S – Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal

Ana Paula Pêgo is a researcher in biomaterials and nanomedicine and Group Leader at the i3S – Institute for Research and Innovation in Health of the University of Porto. She obtained her PhD in Polymer Chemistry and Biomaterials from the University of Twente and later became Principal Investigator at INEB, now integrated into i3S, where she leads the nanoBiomaterials for Targeted Therapies (nBTT) group.
Her research focuses on developing nanomedicine and biomaterial strategies to promote nervous tissue regeneration, including new polymers for nucleic acid delivery, nerve grafts for spinal cord injury, and engineered brain tissue platforms. She also contributes to discussions on the societal and ethical dimensions of regenerative medicine and nanomedicine.
Pêgo is Scientific Director of the Bioimaging Centre for Biomaterials and Regenerative Therapies and Invited Associate Professor at the Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar. She is currently a member of the i3S Board of Directors, President of the European Society for Biomaterials, Associate Editor of Biomaterials, and part of the Board of Reviewing Editors of Science.

Nuno Neves
Director of the Centre for Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Medicine, CUF Porto Hospital, Portugal

Nuno Neves is an Orthopaedic Surgeon specialising in spine disorders and Coordinator of the Orthopaedics Service and Spine Unit at the Hospital CUF Porto. He is also Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto and researcher at the i3S – Institute for Research and Innovation in Health.
He completed his medical degree and PhD in Medicine at the University of Porto and has undertaken specialised training in spine pathology in centres such as the Rothman Institute and Paris hospitals. His clinical and research work focuses on spine surgery, bone repair and regeneration, and the development of biomaterials for orthopaedic applications.
Author or co-author of more than 70 scientific publications, he has supervised postgraduate students, contributed to professional training in orthopaedics and spine surgery, and served as examiner for the European Board of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, as well as Editor-in-Chief of the Revista Portuguesa de Ortopedia e Traumatologia.

Rui Martins Silva
Medical Coordinator of the Health Department, Futebol Clube do Porto, Portugal

Rui Martins da Silva is a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, with a particular focus on sports medicine and the care of elite athletes. He is currently a member of the Health Department at Futebol Clube do Porto, where he works with both the professional and youth teams, whilst also serving as Clinical Director of the Portuguese Padel Federation. He began his professional career as a physiotherapist, having worked with professional clubs and national and international teams, an experience that contributed to an integrated approach to the prevention, diagnosis and rehabilitation of injuries in a sporting context. Throughout his medical training, he undertook sports medicine placements at internationally renowned institutions and developed specialist training in the fields of football medicine and sports imaging, establishing a clinical practice focused on performance, functional recovery and a safe return to competition.

Bento Aires
Chair of the Governing Board, Order of Engineers – Northern Region, Portugal

Bento Machado Aires is a Civil Engineer and President of the Order of Engineers – Northern Region. He is a visiting lecturer at Porto Business School, where he coordinates and teaches executive programmes in the field of property management. He holds a degree in Civil Engineering and a Master’s degree in Urban Regeneration from the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, and also has a postgraduate qualification in Project Management from Porto Business School. Throughout his professional career, he has held roles as project manager, communications director and operations director in organisations linked to engineering, property investment and infrastructure management. At the same time, he has maintained strong links with professional associations and institutional activities in the engineering sector, participating in national and international initiatives dedicated to the promotion and development of the profession.

António Conceição
Chair of the Board, Portugal AVC – Union of Survivors, Family Members and Friends, Portugal

António Conceição is the president of Portugal AVC – Union of Survivors, Relatives and Friends. He is a stroke survivor who dedicates his efforts to supporting other patients and promoting post-stroke rehabilitation, having founded this association to help those going through this experience.

Paulo Pereira
Head of the Neurosurgery Department, São João University Hospital; Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Mental Health, Portugal 

Paulo Pereira is a Portuguese neurosurgeon specialising in spine surgery, Director of the Neurosurgery Department at University Hospital São João, and Invited Associate Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto. He is President of the Ibero-Latin American Spine Society (SILACO), Past President of the World Spinal Column Society, and Secretary, member of the Executive Board and of the Presidential Line of EUROSPINE.

Fernando Jorge Monteiro
Professor Emeritus at the University of Porto; former Director of INEB - Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Portugal 

Fernando Jorge Monteiro holds a bachelor’s and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from FEUP, and taught in the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at the same faculty for over 47 years. A full professor since 1995, he served on the faculty’s governing body (2010–2014) and directed several bachelor’s, master’s and integrated master’s programmes in the fields of Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering. Alongside his teaching career, which he left in 2023,  Fernando Jorge Monteiro served as president of the National Institute of Biomedical Engineering (INEB) and was a member of the management team at the Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S) at the University of Porto between 2015 and 2020, the year in which he took up his role as a member of the University of Porto’s General Council (2020–2023). As a researcher at these institutions, he distinguished himself in the development of new biomaterials for applications in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. He also developed nanophasic theranostic systems for use in early detection and nanotherapies for certain types of cancer.

João Miguel Branco Silva
Strategic Manager of Medtronic Portugal 

João Miguel Branco Silva is Neuromodulation Lead at Medtronic Portugal, with a background in Biomedical Engineering. His career spans the medical device industry, including experience in IT consultancy at Novabase and in innovation and operational excellence at Siemens Healthineers, where he contributed to process optimisation, risk assessment, and R&D project management certification. Since joining Medtronic in 2011, he has led territory and team management while working closely with clinicians, hospital management, and healthcare decision-makers, supporting therapy adoption and the integration of innovative technologies into clinical practice. He holds an Executive Master in Health Services Management, with a focus on Value-Based Healthcare.