Departamento de Engenharia Civil, Arquitectura e Georecursos, Instituto Superior Técnico, Laboratório de Mineralogia e Petrologia, Pavilhão de Minas, Piso 3, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal

• p: +351.218419295/7, ext. 3295/7
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Dr. Manuel Pereira is a Geoscience Scientist and Professor with 22 years of experience (7 of post-doctoral activity) in several fields of investigation, mainly evolving the physical and chemical characterization of natural materials.

Manuel Pereira earned the degree in Geochemistry from the University of Aveiro (Portugal) in 1995 and a PhD in Mining Engineering from the Technical University of Lisbon (Portugal) in 2005. As Assistant Professor at the Superior Technical Institute (IST) of the Technical University of Lisbon and member of the Centre for Petrology and Geochemistry (CEPGIST) he is involved in different research R&D projects (namely DECASTONE – dealing with monument stone decay studies and geotechnical applications). He is co-responsible for the Laboratory of Mineralogy and Petrology of IST and also Director of the Geosciences Museums and Archive. He is also a member of the IST Scientific Platforms of Environment and Nanomaterials.

Since 2000 he is collaborating within several projects from the area of cultural heritage conservation, applying analytical techniques such as Optical Microscopy, XRD, XRF, ATD-TG, non-destructive 3D X-ray microtomography, FTIR to the characterization of artistic (pigments, inerts, metal leaves), biological (human, animal and vegetable materials) and building (cements, mortars, polymers) materials.

He is also dealing with management and curatorship tasks for museums and collections in Geological field, organizing events within broader activities for dissemination of science to the specialized and larger public in Portugal (Ciência Viva, Rotas da Matemática, training programs for high school teachers in History).

In the last 16 years he undertook a broad spectrum of studies in the fields of natural geological resources, processes and risks, mineralogy/petrology, e-learning (www.e-escola.pt), museology, history of science and scientific dissemination (www.roteirodeminas.pt). He has a long experience of supervising the laboratory work of bachelor, master and PhD students. He is author of more than 10 publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals, proceeding of conferences, books etc. His professional activities include the participation in the redaction of Homem and Casa & Jardim cultural magazines in the years 1989 and 1990.

His main research interests include:

1. Geological materials study and characterization (pegmatites and  pegmatite minerals, economic geology,…)
2. Geochemical  and Geological processes  and risks
3. Microtomography applications (e.g. virtual modelling of polychrome artefacts, ...)
4. Innovative didactic and training methodologies/strategies for the investigation and conservation of cultural/natural heritage.
5. Biological materials study and characterization (e.g. bone, kidney and salivary calculus, cork,…)
6. Building materials characterization(ex. lightweight aggregates, mortars, natural stone...) and problems/pathologies evaluation
7. Earth Sciences Virtual Museums of IST
8. History of Science,  museums and IST
9. Creation, organization and dinamization of outreach activities to differents targets (kids, High school, university, teachers, etc.) , including e-learning projects.