Graduate Research Fellow

Hugo Lopes completed a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Minho in 2025, specializing in Medical Electronics, achieving a final grade of 17 out of 20, including an 18 on his Master’s dissertation. He previously obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from the same institution in 2023, where he developed a strong foundation in engineering principles applied to healthcare technologies. From an early age, he developed a strong fascination with technology and its potential to positively impact people’s lives. This interest naturally led him toward the intersection between engineering and healthcare. During his studies, he became particularly interested in the electronics aspects of biomedical engineering, particularly sensing technologies and electronic systems for medical applications. His master’s dissertation focused on the development of a millimeter-wave sensing system operating in the 60–75 GHz range capable of distinguishing materials with different dielectric properties. This work, which combined electronic design, electromagnetic modeling, and biomedical sensing, highlighted the potential of high-frequency technologies for medical diagnostics. With this, his research interests include medical electronics, RF and millimeter-wave systems, dielectric characterization of biological tissues, and advanced electromagnetic sensing technologies for healthcare applications. His research work has been presented in international scientific venues. He presented and published research at the 8th IEEE Portuguese Meeting on Bioengineering (ENBENG 2025) and at the 18th International Joint Conference on Biomedical Engineering Systems and Technologies (EM4Health), contributing to discussions on emerging sensing technologies for biomedical applications. Looking forward, he is particularly interested in exploring THz technologies for biomedical sensing and imaging. The unique interaction of THz radiation with biological materials, combined with the possibility of compact on-chip THz generation, offers promising opportunities for developing next-generation diagnostic tools capable of providing high-resolution, non-invasive characterization of biological tissues. Since January 2026, he has been a Graduate Research Fellow on the TeraHealth project (http://dei-s2.dei.uminho.pt/pessoas/pmendes/WEB_TeraHealth/). Alongside his studies, he also completed a summer internship at the company NUADA, where he had the opportunity to apply the knowledge acquired during his academic training in a professional environment and further develop practical engineering skills. Beyond academic work, he has also been actively involved in outreach and extracurricular initiatives. He volunteered with Just a Change, participating in housing rehabilitation projects aimed at improving living conditions for vulnerable communities. He is also part of the Pint of Science Braga team, helping bring scientific discussions to a broader public audience. Additionally, he participated in national and international mentoring programs at the University of Minho, where he engaged with mentors from diverse professional fields, contributing to the development of broader communication and interpersonal skills. Driven by curiosity, analytical thinking, and a strong problem-solving mindset, he aims to contribute to the development of innovative electromagnetic technologies that can advance medical diagnostics and healthcare systems.