Science

Graduated in Marine Biology from Lisbon Classic University, in 1986, with executive education at IMD (1995) and Harvard (1997), and Alumni Member of Stanford (2000). Executive President of Sociedade Francisco Manuel dos Santos B.V., the main shareholder of Jerónimo Martins, SGPS, S.A., since its establishment in 2012. Member of the Board of Directors of Jerónimo Martins SGPS, S.A. from 1995 to 2001 and from 2004 to 2015. Chairman of Unilever Fima, Lda., Gallo Worldwide, Lda., JMDB Representação e Distribuição de Marcas Lda. and Movendo Capital B.V. Since 2020, he is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos, of which he was member of the Board of Directors from 2009 to 2018 and member of the Board of Trustees from 2018 to 2020. Since 2015, he is the Chairman of Oceanário de Lisboa, S.A., and, since 2016, Chairman of the Board of Trustees and the Board of Directors of the Oceano Azul Foundation. Since 2024, he is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Alfredo de Sousa Foundation and member of the Board of Trustees of GIMM – Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine.

Last updated: october 2025

He has a PhD in Economics from the University of Rochester, USA, and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Catholic University of Portugal. He taught at the University of Pennsylvania. He is an associate professor at the Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics, where he has devoted himself to teaching and research in the areas of public economy, social policies and health economics, seeking to create theories of practical application.

Last updated: May 2023

Professor Charles Boxer at King’s College London. He has a PhD from the European University Institute, taught at Nova University Lisbon and he was director of the National Library and director of the Gulbenkian Cultural Centre in Paris. Among his monographs, we highlight «Racism from the crusades to the 20th century» and «History of Inquisitions», published by Círculo de Leitores in English, French, Italian and Spanish versions.

Last updated: May 2023

He is a theoretical physicist, retired professor from the University of Lisbon School of Sciences and a researcher at the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences. He has always been interested in the theory of relativity and cosmology and the dissemination of Albert Einstein's work. The expansion and deceleration of the universe, the collision of black holes and gravitational waves were the subject of lectures and courses he gave at the Lisbon Astronomical Observatory, and to FCUL classes.

He is a professor in the Mathematics Department at the University of Lisbon School of Sciences and vice-president of the European Mathematical Society, the first Portuguese person to hold this position. He got his Bachelor’s degree in Physics from the Lisbon School of Sciences in 1986, completed his Master's degree in Mathematics at Instituto Superior Técnico in 1991 and got his PhD in Mathematics at the University of Warwick in 1995. He chaired the Portuguese Mathematical Society, wrote several scientific articles and books and received the Rómulo de Carvalho Research and Disclosure Award.

Last updated: November 2023

Born in Verona, Italy, in 1956, Carlo Rovelli decided to specialise in theoretical physics, having studied at the Universities of Bologna and Padova. He worked at the University of Pittsburgh and is currently at the University of Aix-Marseille, France, where he heads the Quantum Gravity group at the Luminy Centre for Theoretical Physics. Rovelli was one of the founders of the loop theory of quantum gravity, today one of the most likely candidates for merging quantum theory with Einstein's theory of general relativity. He has contributed to the history and philosophy of science, notably through the publication of a book on the Greek philosopher Anaximander and an important re-evaluation of Aristotle's physics. The author of various books acclaimed by the general public and critics alike, one of his most successful was «Seven Brief Lessons in Physics», which has been translated into 41 languages and sold over 1.2 million copies. More recently, he published «The Order of Time. Foreign Policy» magazine considered him one of the hundred most influential «Global Thinkers».

Last updated: November 2019

Theoretical Physicist at CENTRA, Full Professor and Chairman of the Physics department at Instituto Superior Técnico. His research focuses on astrophysics and gravitation, particularly the physics of curved space-time, gravitational waves and black holes. He is the author of a book and around 200 articles published in international journals. His research has been honoured twice by the European Research Council.
In 2015, the President of the Republic awarded him the Order of Santiago D'Espada for his contributions to science. He is currently the leader of GWverse, an international consortium of over 30 countries and hundreds of scientists dedicated to studying gravitational waves and black holes. He is a founding member of the Portuguese Society of Relativity and Gravitation.

Last updated: March 2021

Pedro Pita Barros is a full professor at the Nova School of Business and Economics, Nova University Lisbon, where he is the BPI | Fundação la Caixa Professor of Health Economics, and a member of the Economic and Social Council (voted Personality of Recognised Merit).
Pedro held the position of Vice-Rector of Nova University Lisbon (2013-2017) and he is a member of the EC Expert Panel on Effective Ways of Investing in Health (EXPH) (the European Commission, by selection). He was the President of the European Health Economics Association (2013-2016) and a member of the Board of Directors of the Energy Services Regulator (2005-2006). He was also the President of the Portuguese Health Economics Association (1998-2000; 2009-2010), a member of the EC Mission Board for Cancer (the European Commission, by selection) (2019-2020), a member of the National Council of Ethics for Life Sciences (2015-2021) and a member of the National Health Council (representing the Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities) (2016-2021).
Pedro has been honoured as a Grand Officer of the Order of Prince Henry (Ordem do Infante D. Henrique) and with a gold medal for Distinguished Services, awarded by the Ministry of Health.
His research work is in the areas of health economics, economic regulation and competition policy. He acts as a consultant for public and private bodies in the same areas.

Last updated: August 2025

President of the European Association of Law & Economics. He is a Professor of Law at George Mason University in the United States and holds the Chair in Research Innovation at Católica Global Law School.
He has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Nova University Lisbon, holds a Master's degree in Economics and Law (LL.M.) from the University of London and a PhD in Economics from the University of York, UK.
He joined the Executive Board of the American Society for Comparative Law (2021-2023), after having chaired the Spanish Association of Law and Economics between 2017 and 2021. He has taught at Texas A&M University (2015-2018), the University of Illinois (2007-2015), Nova University Lisbon (2001-2007) and Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona (1998-2001).
He was awarded the Julián Marías prize by the government of the Autonomous Community of Madrid in 2010. He has written more than 150 scientific articles published in international journals.
He was Chairman of the Board of Directors of Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos between 2014 and 2016 and has been a member of its Board of Trustees since 2018.

Last updated: January 2024

Full professor of Medical Ethics at the University of Lisbon School of Medicine and obstetrician and gynaecologist at Santa Maria Hospital. He was the first elected president of the National Council for Ethics in Life Sciences (2009-2015), he is coordinator of three projects on sexual and reproductive health in the European Union (2003-2010) and was elected vice-president of the Bioethics department of the Council of Europe (2018-2019). He has published very widely on bioethics issues.