The afternoon of the second day of the PhD Open Days featured a pitch competition as well as recognition of the best posters, displayed throughout the event.

Gonçalo Botelho Teixeira, a PhD student in Electrical and Computer Engineering specializing in automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence, won the award for best scientific poster with his work “Cooperative and Smart Ex-Vessel Transportation in Nuclear Facilities.” He currently collaborates with IPFN and UKAEA/RACE on the development of autonomous heavy-duty transportation systems and remote handling and maintenance equipment and technologies, under the supervision of Professor Alberto Vale.

Pedro Martin, a student in the same program, was also recognized during the event, receiving an honorable mention for his pitch. His research focuses on quality assessment and optimization of 360º video streaming using virtual reality. Pedro Martin is currently working with the Instituto de Telecomunicações, under the supervision of Professor Paula Queluz.

The pitch competition also featured presentations by Gonçalo Figueiredo, Miguel Graça, and Shima Mohammadi.

Gonçalo Figueiredo’s research explores the impact of rapid urban growth on the Internet of Things and the role of photonic devices in smart cities.

Miguel Graça explicou que a sua tese consiste no processamento da informação presente no genoma Miguel Graça explained that his thesis focuses on processing information from the human genome and analyzing its variations using computational systems. He is developing AI models to explain genetic variations and relate them to specific diseases.

Shima Mohammadi’s research focuses on learning-based image coding, with an emphasis on quality assessment and perceptual optimization.

The PhD Open Days concluded with a special live session of the podcast “E o Resto é História?” (Observador), titled “When Did We Start Becoming Doctors?”, followed by the closing ceremony and awards presentation.