Teresa Patrício Gouveia, one of the best-known names in Portuguese female politics in the last 40 years, was distinguished at the 35th edition of the Dona Antónia Awards with the Career Consecration Award. Biomedical researcher Inês de Castro Gonçalves received the Revelation Award for her contribution to innovation in science, with the development of biomaterials and medical devices for antimicrobial and cardiovascular applications.

Awarded since 1988, the Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira Awards aim to distinguish and honour Portuguese women with an exceptional life path who stand out for their human qualities, entrepreneurial spirit, leadership skills, social responsibility, openness to innovation and constant striving for their own development. Since its genesis, and throughout these 35 editions, it has distinguished personalities who have made a difference in the Portuguese economic, social, and cultural panorama. All the winners are the protagonists of a singular and different story, following the example of the life and work of Dona Antónia and identifying with the personal and professional values embodied by her.

The autonomous jury, chaired by Artur Santos Silva, annually awards the Career Consecration Award, which pays tribute to a consolidated life path deserving of unequivocal public recognition, and the Revelation Award, which seeks to honour an important career in a phase of affirmation and development.

"One of the goals of our Global Sustainability Approach - Seed the Future - is to actively contribute to the empowerment of 100 women, inspiring them to make a positive impact on society and the development of our country, following the example that Dona Antónia left us," said Raquel Seabra, Executive Board Member of Sogrape. "All possible forms of tribute will always be few, whether the Dona Antónia Awards to recognise unique women for their humanism and professional skills, the Antónia Adelaide Ferreira DOC Douro Tinto wine with the new 2019 vintage launched on 4 July, or the name of the future bridge over the Douro River, where a popular vote chose to call it Ponte da Ferreirinha," she said.

The 2022 winners

Teresa Patrício Gouveia (b. 1946) graduated in History from the Faculty of Arts of the University of Lisbon. She soon went into a career in politics and female culture in Portugal. She has held various political positions, starting as a Member of Parliament for the Social Democratic Party (PSD) between 1987 and 2004. She was also Secretary of State for Culture (1985-1990), Secretary of State for the Environment (1991-1993), Minister of the Environment (1993-1995) and Minister of Foreign Affairs (2003-2004).

In parallel with her political career, she maintained a strong connection to the cultural area, where she was President of the Steering Committee for Cultural Cooperation of the Council of Europe (1985-1987); Governor and member of the Executive Council of the European Cultural Foundation, in Amsterdam (1990-1995); and Director (1997-2000) and Chair (2000 and 2003) of the Serralves Foundation. She was also a Member of the Advisory Board of Público newspaper (1990-1991) and the University of Lisbon (2007-2008); Member of the Council of the Portuguese Honorific Orders - National Orders (2002-2003); Trustee of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (2004-2019); and, more recently (since 2020), Member of the Board of Trustees of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). This is the third time that the Dona Antónia Awards highlight one of the most outstanding personalities of national politics, following the recognition of Elisa Ferreira in 1992 at the 5th edition, and Leonor Beleza in 2010 at the 23rd edition.

Inês de Castro Gonçalves (b.1981) graduated in Microbiology at the Escola Superior de Biotecnologia da Universidade Católica do Porto (2003). After that, she got her PhD in Biomedical Engineering at FEUP - Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto (2009), with a thesis on the development of biomaterials for contact with blood, hoping to prevent the formation of thrombi associated with the use of cardiovascular implants.

Since then, she has had a brilliant career in scientific research. She has been a researcher at INEB - Institute of Biomedical Engineering since 2012, where she developed a new research area using biocompatible and antimicrobial graphene-based materials for different biomedical applications. She is currently the Principal Researcher and leader of the Advanced Graphene Biomaterials Group at i3S - Institute for Health Research and Innovation and, within this, at INEB. She is also a board member of the Iberian Society of Biomechanics and Biomaterials and co-founder of the startup GOTech Antimicrobial.

Her main research and innovation interest is the development of biomaterials and medical devices for antimicrobial and cardiovascular applications. Highlights include catheters and disinfection devices coated with antimicrobial graphene, as well as decellularised polymers and matrices reinforced with graphene for vascular prostheses.

She regularly participates in speeches to talk about Science, having coordinated the "Children's Port" initiative for over 10 years carried out by INEB in partnership with the Porto City Council, to provide primary school children with their first contact with Science.

She has led several technology transfer projects funded by different international entities, which have led to the submission of 5 patents, one of which has already been granted. She has also been distinguished with some of the most prestigious awards given in the country to promising scientists up to the age of 35. She was the Portuguese representative of the Young Scientist Forum, of the European Society for Biomaterials (2018 - 2021) and the author of more than 40 scientific publications in high-impact international journals. She has coordinated several national and international projects, organised more than 25 international scientific conferences, and her research has been presented at more than 120 international events. She leads an extensive team of post-docs, research assistants and PhD and MSc students, having supervised more than 25 MSc and PhD theses.

Read more about Dona Antónia and Previous Editions' Winners here: