Joana Lia Ferreira has a PhD in Conservation Sciences (2011) and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Conservation and Restoration at FCT NOVA.

She has been dedicated to the study and preservation of plastics and other synthetic historical polymers and, in this context, has coordinated several research projects, namely PlasCO2 – CO2-based Green Technologies for Cleaning Plastics in Museums and Heritage Collections and HERIT-AGES. Glass and Plastic ‘Ages’ for whom? Exploring new avenues for valorising and preserving heritage for the future.

Working primarily with contemporary art, her current research interests include the evaluation of cultural significance as a basis for heritage management, including its relationship with the communities that enjoy it. In this context, with her colleague Inês Coutinho, she launched this curricular area dedicated to Heritage Preservation and Sustainability.