Biography
Fernando Gomes de Souza Júnior is a senior academic and materials scientist with extensive experience in polymer science, nanotechnology, and experimental design. He earned his B.Sc. in Chemistry from the Federal University of Espírito Santo (1999), his M.Sc. in Materials Science and Engineering from the State University of Northern Rio de Janeiro (2002), and his Ph.D. in Science and Technology of Polymers from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) in 2006. In 2008, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Chemical Engineering with an emphasis on Data Analysis and Experimental Design at COPPE/UFRJ.
He is currently a Full Professor (Class E, since 2024) at UFRJ, serving in the Institute of Macromolecules since 2008 and at COPPE/UFRJ since 2019. Since 2024, he has also been a Visiting Associate Professor at the College of Engineering and Computing, Florida International University (FIU), USA.
His research focuses on biodegradable polymers, conductive nanocomposites, sensors, biopolymers, artificial intelligence for materials discovery, and data-driven environmental recovery strategies. He has authored 244 peer-reviewed papers (plus four accepted), 17 books, 52 book chapters, and edited eight volumes.
Prof. Gomes has received several honors, including the Young Scientist of Rio de Janeiro (2015), Scientist of Rio de Janeiro (2021, 2024), and the Mahatma Gandhi University Chair in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (2018). He was also awarded the Best Executive Plenary at the International Summit and Conference on Material Science, Nanotechnology, and Bio Manufacturing (ISCMNB, 2021) and the Gold Award in the International i2i Innovation Competition (MACRI, 2021).
He serves as Editor-in-Chief of Current Applied Polymer Science (since 2020) and the Brazilian Journal of Experimental Design, Data Analysis and Inferential Statistics (since 2021). He also contributes as associate editor and reviewer for numerous international journals.
His current h-index is 40 (Google Scholar) and 34 (SciVal), with over 4,300 citations. According to the AD Scientific Index (2025), he ranks among the top five researchers in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at UFRJ and within the top 3,300 researchers in Brazil.
Awards & Honors
- Scientist of Rio de Janeiro - FAPERJ, 2021, 2024
- CNPq Productivity Research Fellow, Level 1D, since 2023
- Best Executive Plenary Award - ISCMNB Conference, 2021
- Gold Award, Open Category - International i2i Innovation Competition (MACRI), 2021
- Mahatma Gandhi University Chair in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, 2018
- Young Scientist of Rio de Janeiro - FAPERJ, 2015
Education
- Postdoctoral Fellowship in Chemical Engineering (Data Analysis and Experimental Design) COPPE/UFRJ, 2008
- Ph.D., Science and Technology of Polymers - Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2006
- MS, Materials Science and Engineering - State University of Northern Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2002
- BS, Chemistry - Federal University of Espírito Santo, Brazil, 1999
- MS, Materials Science and Engineering - State University of Northern Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2002