Carlos Laranjeira and Rafael Fernandes Pinheiro were recognized with the “+ International Scientific Publication” awards in the fields of Life and Health Sciences and Exact Sciences and Engineering, respectively.

The 1st place of the “+ International Scientific Publication” awards in the field of Life and Health Sciences was awarded to Carlos Laranjeira, PhD, researcher and lecturer at the School of Health Sciences of Polytechnic of Leiria, who has dedicated his research work to palliative care, grief, as well as quality of life and mental health in people at the end of life. The award, valued at €1,250, will allow him to continue his research in this area of Life Sciences.

Also, in the field of Exact Sciences and Engineering, Rafael Pinheiro, PhD, was distinguished with 3rd place in the ‘+ International Scientific Publication’ awards, valued at €500. His research focuses on the mathematical modeling of biological systems and the application of artificial intelligence in healthcare.

The “+ International Scientific Publication” awards are part of the Politécnico de Leiria (PL) R&D+i Awards, which aim to recognize and promote research, development, and innovation carried out by PL with international relevance and impact. This recognition is not only for individual researchers but also for the various Research Units (RUs) of PL, through the awarding of the ‘+Science’ prizes.

The awards ceremony took place on November 5, at the official opening session of the 2025/2026 academic year and the celebrations of the 45th anniversary of the Politécnico de Leiria, held at the José Lúcio Theater in Leiria.