Maria J. Matos

My research sits at the interface of Medicinal Chemistry and Chemical Biology, with a strong commitment to Biomedical applications. I am driven by the challenge of discovering and developing novel drug candidates, with a particular focus on neurodegenerative diseases. My work spans two complementary lines of research. The first centres on peptide and protein bioconjugation, where I develop chemoselective methods compatible with biological systems to redesign the structure and function of therapeutically relevant peptides and proteins, enabling targeted delivery of potent molecules. The second, which has been a constant thread throughout my career, is rooted in Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Discovery — from the earliest stages of the pipeline: computational studies, organic synthesis, structural characterisation, and biological screening of new pharmacologically active compounds built on diverse heterocyclic scaffolds. Together, these two lines share a common goal: to translate chemical innovation into therapeutic solutions.

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"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?" Albert Einstein