Get to know... José Luís Louzada

Ph.D. in Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (2000), with Habilitation since 2013, José Louzada is a Researcher at the Department of Forestry Sciences and Landscape Architecture at UTAD and an integrated researcher at the Centre for the Research and Agro-Environmental and Biological Technologies (CITAB) and of the associated laboratory Inov4Agro. 

Since 2000, he has been responsible for the technical, scientific, pedagogical, and administrative activities of the Forest Products Laboratory. This laboratory is an interdisciplinary facility dedicated to the development of research projects and scientific training that advance knowledge in the areas of quality and growth relationships of forest products (wood and its derivatives, resin, and cork). 

Over the past 40 years, he has worked in the fields of Wood Structure and Properties, particularly focusing on the anatomical, physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of wood and its derivatives, as well as on the processing and technological optimization of these resources. 

Within these areas of expertise, he has been responsible for the development and implementation of research and development programs, ultimately translating them into projects, service contracts, and other forms of community-oriented support. 

Actively engaged in knowledge-transfer initiatives to society, in close collaboration with public authorities and private stakeholders, his scientific career includes more than 120 indexed publications (h-index of 27), 30 completed research projects, and 2 patents. He maintains a strong commitment to human resource development, reflected in the supervision of 84 undergraduate internships, 12 master’s dissertations, 19 doctoral theses, and 2 postdoctoral programs.