LATEST NEWS

ciTechCare receives funding to promote access and adherence to pulmonary rehabilitation

16 January 2026

The SCALE UP project – Scaling up Pulmonary Rehabilitation uptake and adherence: co-design and implementation of a hybrid intervention – was one of the 768 projects funded under the 2023 Call for Scientific Research and Technological Development (IC&DT) Projects in All Scientific Domains, from a total of 2,551 submitted applications. The project will be funded by national and European funds, with a total amount of 250,000 euros. Joana Cruz, a researcher at ciTechCare, will be the principal investigator of the project, which aims to improve access and adherence to pulmonary rehabilitation (PR), as well as to maintain its long-term benefits

ciTechCare hosts a session on Innovation in Health Data Science

27 December 2025

Rui Rijo, PhD, Adjunct Professor in Computational Sciences at the Polytechnic of Leiria and Vice President of Operations at Sound Particles, and Nádia Hipólito, a PhD student in Health Data Science, were the guests at another Science Swing session, which took place on December 11 at 5:00 p.m. in the auditorium of the Health Innovation Hub – Campus 5 of the Polytechnic of Leiria. The session highlighted the current paradigm of digital transformation, in which both researchers discussed how bringing together digital transformation, data science, and healthcare can lead to more effective solutions. Nádia Hipólito and Rui Rijo also focused

Science and Technology Week returns to ciTechCare

22 December 2025

From November 24 to 30, ciTechCare joined the Ciência Viva initiative to celebrate Science and Technology Week. Throughout the week, several initiatives took place with the aim of sharing with the community who are the scientists of this research unit, what they investigate, and their contributions to a healthier, more inclusive, and more active society. Topics such as Knowledge Transfer in the Health Area and the Development of Software Used as Medical Devices were highlighted, involving several researchers and experts in the field. Several research fellows and PhD students were also at schools with students from the 2nd and 3rd

President of the Order of Nutritionists visits ciTechCare

19 December 2025

On November 25, Liliana Sousa, President of the Order of Nutritionists (ON), attended ciTechCare to meet some of the researchers, research fellows, and scientific and innovative projects currently underway in the fields of nutrition and health promotion. The visit began with a presentation of the Health Innovation Hub of the Polytechnic of Leiria, as well as its laboratories where the various ongoing projects take place, conducted by the coordinator, Maria Guarino. The main part of the visit occurred in the Hub’s auditorium, where several researchers, research fellows and students presented the projects they are involved in, in a session that

Córtex school bag project Wins Good Practices Award for Active and Healthy Ageing in the Central Region

14 December 2025

Promoted by AGILidades, a spin-off of the Polytechnic of Leiria, the winning project in the Life+ Participation category of the 8th edition of the Good Practices in Active and Healthy Ageing Award of the Central Region aims to raise awareness among children about building empathetic and inclusive communities, promoting citizenship and social responsibility from the earliest stages of life. The various award winners were announced on December 10, during the 12th Congress on Active and Healthy Ageing of the Central Region, held at the Convent of São Francisco in Coimbra. The event aimed to foster reflection on current challenges in

‘Espaço com sentido’ inaugurated on Campus 5, aims to facilitate access to assistive technologies for people with special needs or disabilities

10 December 2025

The new space, equipped with assistive technologies for communication and inclusion of people with disabilities, was inaugurated on December 3 — the International Day of Persons with Disabilities — by the MEO Foundation and the Polytechnic of Leiria. Coordinated by aTOPlab – Assistive Technology and Occupational Performance Laboratory, the space is supplied with various assistive technologies such as MagicContact, Grid 3, PC Eye, and ZoomText, ensuring inclusion through access to communication, autonomy, and active participation for people with motor, cognitive, visual, or speech difficulties. The ciTechCare laboratory, responsible for researching and evaluating assistive products for people with functional limitations, will