Miguel Cerqueira is a Staff Researcher in the Food Processing Group, and his research is focused on the development of nanosized bio-based structures for food applications. He works on edible and biodegradable films and coatings for packaging, encapsulation of functional compounds using emergent encapsulation technologies, and the structuring of gels, such as emulgels and oleogels.

Miguel holds both Graduation (2005) and PhD (2010) degree in Biological Engineering from the University of Minho (UM). He received three scholar merit awards during graduation, and his PhD thesis was awarded for the best PhD Thesis by the School of Engineering of UM. During his PhD, he performed scientific missions at the Federal University of Ceará, University of Aveiro and University College Cork. In 2011, he started as a Postdoctoral Researcher at UM and performed scientific missions at the University of Vigo, University of Campinas) and Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology – CSIC. He authored more than 80 scientific articles, published 20 book chapters, one patent and is editor of three books. Miguel supervised more than 10 students (PhD and MSc). In 2013 he co-founded a start-up (Improveat, UM Spin-off). In 2014 he won the Young Scientist Award and in 2016 was selected as Inaugural Member of the International Academy of Food Science and Technology Early Career Scientist Section both organized by the International Union of Food Science and Technology.

• Cerqueira M.A., Fasolin, L.H., Picone C.S.F., Pastrana L.M., Cunha R.L., Vicente A.A.
  Structural and mechanical properties of organogels: Role of oil and gelator molecular structure.
  Food Research International. 2017, 96, 161–170.

• Cerqueira M.A., Fabra M.J., Castro-Mayorga J.L, Bourbon A.A. and Vicente A.A. and Lagaron J.M.
  Use of electrospinning to develop antimicrobial biodegradable multilayer systems: encapsulation of cinnamaldehyde and their physicochemical characterization.
  Food and Bioprocess Technology: An International Journal. 2016, 9, 1874–1884.

• Cerqueira M.A., Pereira R.N., Ramos O.S., Teixeira J.A. and Vicente A.A.
  Edible Food Packaging: Materials and Processing Technologies.
  Taylor & Francis Group, LLC / CRC Press, USA, 2015 ISBN: 978-1-482-23416-9.

• Cerqueira M.A. et al.
  Design of bio-nanosystems for oral delivery of functional compounds.
  Food Engineering Reviews. 2014, 6(1-2):1-19.

• Cerqueira M.A., Costa M.J., Fuciños C., Pastrana L.M. and Vicente A.A.
  Development of active and nanotecnology-based smart edible packaging systems: physical-chemical characterization.
  Food and Bioprocess Technology. 2014, 7(5):1472-1482.