Interview with Tiago Fernandes: Técnico Taguspark in a word

Tiago Fernandes describes Técnico Taguspark as “Welcoming” due to its family-like atmosphere. He believes that people’s relationships are closer, and the serene environment helps to focus on work.

Tiago Fernandes, with over 40 published articles and approximately 40 seminars on his work in more than 20 different locations, is a researcher and lecturer at Técnico. Currently, he is part of a team of about 60 scientists in the Stem Cell Bioengineering Group (SCERG) at the Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences (iBB) on the Taguspark campus, while also teaching master’s classes in the field of Stem Cell Bioengineering. “I really enjoy what I do, both in terms of research and teaching at Técnico,” says the researcher and lecturer.

Originally from a typical neighborhood in Lisbon, Tiago Fernandes could have become a historian if life had taken him in that direction. “From the beginning, I had a natural tendency towards scientific areas, although I was really good at History.” The avid reader confesses that he still plans to focus on this interest in his later years, although his passion for the field of Bioengineering and Regenerative Medicine remains significant.

“I’m here today due to a series of coincidences,” he says, laughing candidly. From the first sermon from a math teacher in high school that led him to focus on his studies, followed by a conversation with a Técnico student that made him want to join the Biological Engineering course related to health areas, to an unexpected encounter with Professor Joaquim Cabral on the stairs of the Chemistry Tower on the Alameda campus, which resulted in a Ph.D. proposal in Biotechnology. All these coincidences led Tiago Fernandes to find himself on a plane to the United States, specifically to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY, USA), where he solidified his fascination with the field.

“I went without knowing; even today, I don’t know how things went well.” Without any plans, Tiago accepted the challenge with open arms, planning to stay for 6 months that ended up being 2 years. “It was probably the most impactful experience of my life in terms of my personality traits, perspective, and how I interact with others.” In professional matters, it was also an unparalleled opportunity, and the work done there, after 14 years, remains one of his most cited articles, maintaining its relevance.

Shortly after submitting his doctoral thesis, Tiago Fernandes was honored as a promising young researcher in the fields of Bioengineering and Bioprocessing with the Malcolm Lilly Award, granted by the European Society of Biochemical Engineering Science in 2008. “It’s always good to be recognized by peers. It warms our hearts when others say we are good at what we do, but that’s not what should drive us,” explains the researcher. The truth is that the moment he felt most fulfilled in his entire career was when he submitted his Ph.D. thesis in front of his family: “It was the first (and only) time my family saw what I did. Until then, they didn’t fully understand the implications it could have, nor its importance. So, for me, the greatest achievement was that: them understanding!” he said emotionally.

The work that Tiago and his team carry out in Bioengineering and Regenerative Medicine aims to understand more about tissue regeneration, with the ultimate goal of developing cell-based therapies and generating cells and tissues that better reflect in vivo function. “Thinking like an engineer, our job is to use stem cells [cells with the potential to specialize in any type of cells] as raw material to produce a product, in this case, a tissue or an organ. In 20 or 30 years, perhaps it will be possible to replace the function of an entire organ!” Being a developing field, the failure rate is high, so “you need to have some resilience to failure, and those who maintain a resilient spirit are those who really enjoy what they do.”

Claudia Miranda, who has been working with Tiago Fernandes in the laboratory for 12 years, shares that one of the things she learned is precisely not to give up easily and that even bad results are results. “I also learned that accepting professional challenges outside our comfort zone is often the path to greater growth in the research field,” explains the researcher.

Upon completing his Ph.D., Tiago Fernandes could dedicate himself to research for another 6 years at Técnico, coinciding with the move from the Alameda Laboratory to the Taguspark campus. Those were challenging years with some cuts and restrictions, but now he looks back with pride at how the team grew and expanded. “During those years, I realized that I had to work to improve my resume and have some prospects for the future.” And so, in 2016, he became a lecturer in the department, and that’s when he discovered another love: teaching.

“The surprise was, after being dropped into a full amphitheater, realizing that not only did I enjoy teaching, but also the time spent on teaching (preparing classes, content, and reviewing what I was going to teach) helped me in my research activities.” Nowadays, teaching is what brings him the most pleasure, and the awards he likes the most are those that reflect the recognition of the students he has taught.

João Silva, a former master’s student in Biomedical Engineering, did his thesis in the laboratory and says that “Tiago Fernandes helped a lot in learning many laboratory techniques that proved essential to my development as a researcher. I admire Tiago’s ability to expose and explain concepts in a clear and concerned way.”

Currently, Tiago explains that the most challenging aspect of all activities, whether teaching, research, or otherwise, is managing relationships with people. “Managing a team, resolving conflicts, addressing more practical issues, dealing with people’s egos…” he specifies. However, Tiago is perceived with admiration, and his proactive approach to creating socialization events in his group is highly recognized. João Silva says that they still meet regularly to discuss science, and “they are always fruitful discussions from which I always take positive advice from Tiago’s vast experience.”