João Manuel Fernandes

João Manuel de Morais Barros Fernandes, born in Arcos de Valdevez, is an Associate Professor at the Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science and Technology at the University of Coimbra (UC) since 2023. He graduated in Physics/Applied Mathematics (Astronomy branch) from the University from Porto (1991) and has a PhD in Astrophysics and Space Techniques from the University of Paris VII (1996). Obtained a degree in Physics (Astrophysics) from the University of Coimbra (2014). He was an Assistant Professor between 1999 and 2023. His areas of research are the formation and evolution of stars, solar physics and the history of Astronomy in Portugal. He has published around a hundred research works in international journals, proceedings of scientific conferences and book chapters. He has developed scientific outreach activities (namely with lectures in schools) and was the national single point of contact for the International Year of Astronomy 2009, appointed by the International Astronomical Union. He received the “Future Faces” distinction from Visão magazine in 2013. He was deputy director of the Faculty of Science and Technology at the University of Coimbra with responsibility for the UC Geophysical and Astronomical Observatory (2013-2018). He has been coordinator of the Centre for Earth and Space Research of the University of Coimbra since April 2021. He has been Director of the UC Geophysical and Astronomical Observatory since February 2022.