Helena Passos is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP) and a researcher at LSRE-LCM – Laboratory of Separation and Reaction Engineering – Laboratory of Catalysis and Materials, as well as at ALiCE – Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering. She earned her PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Aveiro in 2017. From 2017 to 2022, she was a researcher at CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials

Her research focuses on the development of sustainable separation and recovery processes based on alternative solvents and bio-derived materials. Her work combines principles of applied thermodynamics and separation engineering to design innovative solvent systems and bio-based platforms for the efficient extraction, purification, and valorization of compounds from complex matrices. A key aspect of her research is the transformation of biomass residues into functional materials and adsorbents for resource recovery, including the sustainable recovery of critical raw materials from secondary sources, aligned with Circular Economy and Green Chemistry principles. Passos has published more than 60 scientific articles, accumulating over 2,500 citations and an h-index of 28. She has delivered over 150 oral and poster presentations at national and international conferences, including two invited lectures. Since February 2025, H. Passos has been a guest member of the Working Party on Thermodynamics and Transport Properties of the European Federation of Chemical Engineering.