LATEST NEWS

‘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

SPACEE project research distinguished at the 1st International Palliative Care Conference of the Azores

9 December 2025

The 5th Research Meeting of the Portuguese Palliative Care Association and the 1st International Palliative Care Meeting of the Azores took place on November 5, 6 and 7, and recognized the study “Spiritual wellbeing, coping with death and perception of spirituality and spiritual care: a cross-sectional study with professionals who care for people with palliative needs” with the Best Free Communication award. The presented work resulted from research associated with the SPACEE project and is part of the Master’s thesis in Palliative Care by Verónica Silva. The project, which includes researchers Carlos Laranjeira, Ana Querido and Maria dos Anjos Dixe,

E-Poster on Heart Failure Presented at the 29th International Congress on Thrombosis

6 December 2025

The abstract “Clinical and Thrombotic Risk Profiles in Patients with HFpEF: Preliminary Insights from a Real-World Cohort”, from Sónia Santos, a PhD student in Biomedical Sciences focusing on the study of Heart Failure, Rui Fonseca Pinto and João Morais was one of the works selected for the e-poster exhibition at the 29th International Congress on Thrombosis, held in Porto on 6, 7, and 8 November. The president of the executive committee was João Morais, a researcher at ciTechCare and current president of the European and Mediterranean League Against Thrombotic Diseases (EMLTD). The presented work consisted of a preliminary analysis of

The ‘Death Dinner’ integrated in the 4th International Congress on Palliative Care invites participants to talk about death

3 December 2025

On November 14 and 15, the 4th International Congress on Palliative Care took place at the School of Health Sciences of the Polytechnic of Leiria — a scientific meeting that addressed topics such as community access to palliative care, self-care among professionals who provide this type of care, and the palliative approach within mental health and intensive care. The first day of the congress ended with a moment dedicated to the joint reflection on life and its end, without taboos, entitled “Death Dinner.” The organizing and scientific committee, chaired by professor and researcher Carlos Laranjeira and which includes researchers Ana

ciTechCare researchers on the podium of the IPLeiria R&D+I Awards

25 November 2025

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

Marlene Lages is the newest PhD graduate from ciTechCare

18 November 2025

On November 7th, Marlene Lages, a doctoral fellow at ciTechCare, successfully defended her PhD Thesis entitled “Chronotype and circadian rhythms on dietary intake and metabolic homeostasis”, at the Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences of the University of Porto. The study explored the relationship between food intake and the circadian system and revealed that the consumption of certain types of fat is associated with the expression of clock genes that regulate the body’s rhythms, affecting essential metabolic processes. These findings pave the way for the development of nutritional strategies that may optimize the functioning of our metabolism by adjusting eating