Experience

SilicoLife

• Portugal
• Biotechnology Research
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Market and IP Analyst

  • Mar 2023 - Present

  Braga, Portugal



Smart Separations Ltd

• United Kingdom
• Nanotechnology Research
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Founder & CEO

  • Jul 2013 - Apr 2023

  London, United Kingdom Smart Separations formed in 2013 to change the world of microfiltration with its revolutionary ceramic filtering platform. A completely customisable, low-cost filter that is ready for widespread adoption in the filtering of blood, air pollution, food processing, and more. I founded Smart Separations to get advanced microfilters in the hands of scientists, inventors, industry experts, and researchers everywhere. To make affordable, tailor-made filters the standard and to improve quality… Show more Smart Separations formed in 2013 to change the world of microfiltration with its revolutionary ceramic filtering platform. A completely customisable, low-cost filter that is ready for widespread adoption in the filtering of blood, air pollution, food processing, and more. I founded Smart Separations to get advanced microfilters in the hands of scientists, inventors, industry experts, and researchers everywhere. To make affordable, tailor-made filters the standard and to improve quality of life with real innovation. Together, our team of scientists, business experts, and creative minds have secured more than £4 million in funding and made strong foundations within the stem cell and air purification markets. Smart Separations not only wanted to be leaders in microfiltration, but also in creating a scientific community that never loses focus of our impact on the environment or how we engage with people. My responsibilities included: Leading the manufacturing and development of customisable ceramic filters. Overseeing the growth and outreach of Smart Separations. Developing links with researchers and innovators across a wide range of industries. Building the culture of our great company, investing into the incredible team members that we have. Show less



Imperial College London

• Research Services
• 700 & Above Employee

• Post-Doctoral Research Associate

  • Aug 2011 - Mar 2013

  London, United Kingdom Imperial College London is one of the World’s premier scientific research facilities, known internationally as an epicentre for high-impact research and frequently ranked among the top ten universities in the World. Continuing on the work I began during my PhD, I worked as a Research Associate at Imperial’s Chemical Engineering department. My research further refined the bioreactor I developed for producing red blood cells from stem cells. This work explored creating filters on a large… Show more Imperial College London is one of the World’s premier scientific research facilities, known internationally as an epicentre for high-impact research and frequently ranked among the top ten universities in the World. Continuing on the work I began during my PhD, I worked as a Research Associate at Imperial’s Chemical Engineering department. My research further refined the bioreactor I developed for producing red blood cells from stem cells. This work explored creating filters on a large scale and using them in applications across a variety of fields. It also allowed time to develop intellectual property skills to protect this invention. However, along the way, I felt my career in Academia had hit a roadblock. I felt I could do so much more, but needed some time to better strategise my thoughts. With this in mind, I gave my resignation letter in March 2013, and soon after I was thinking on how I could advance the use of my filters beyond the academic sphere, and towards a more commercialised role. My girlfriend wrote this sentence on a piece of paper: “There are those that see things the way they are and ask why; I dream of things that never were and ask Why Not” by George Bernard Shaw. And this was the beginning of a scary but indeed rewarding path that I was about to embark on. And I thought “Why not develop a customisable ceramic filter that could not only be used to make human blood, but so much more?”. My responsibilities included: Further research on producing red blood cells, including developing membranes and filtration methods. Organising the use of Imperial’s lab space and research equipment. Coordinating research with a community of academics around the world.

• PhD Student in Tissue Engineering

  • Oct 2006 - Jul 2011

  London, United Kingdom The focus of my PhD was the development of a bioreactor that could produce red blood cells in the lab using umbilical cord stem cells. An emerging but crucial healthcare research technique that requires the use of specialised filters. This culminated in my influential 2009 paper, ‘Stem Cell Bioprocessing: Fundamentals and Principles’ that has been cited over 100 times, my PhD thesis and a patented bioreactor system for the process. My work required a deep level of exploration and… Show more The focus of my PhD was the development of a bioreactor that could produce red blood cells in the lab using umbilical cord stem cells. An emerging but crucial healthcare research technique that requires the use of specialised filters. This culminated in my influential 2009 paper, ‘Stem Cell Bioprocessing: Fundamentals and Principles’ that has been cited over 100 times, my PhD thesis and a patented bioreactor system for the process. My work required a deep level of exploration and experimentation with blood diffusion and transportation, as well as the development of polymeric and ceramic filtration membranes that would ultimately bring combined benefits that I explored in the design of the first dual-hollow fibre bioreactor for blood production. During this time, I also had the opportunity to explore my entrepreneurial vein, through a close interaction with Imperial College Business School as well as the Royal College of Art, both within a stone’s throw from where I was studying. This unique environment provided me with the tools that I would later use in making Smart Separations a reality. As a PhD student, I fostered my desire to share our research with the wider world by establishing a group of likeminded entrepreneurial chemists. Working with the Imperial College Business School, we developed several projects with the aim of creating a commercial space for cutting-edge microfiltration devices. My responsibilities included: Researching, studying and experimenting with a bioreactor for creating red blood cells from stem cells. Deepening my understanding of many blood filtering techniques and current research. Giving presentations on my research to a variety of audiences.



GVS - Filter Technology

• Italy
• Hospitals and Health Care
• 400 - 500 Employee

• Researcher

  • May 2009 - Jul 2009

  GVS group is one of the world’s leading developers and manufacturers of filtering technology for a range of applications, including healthcare, automotive, and industrial filtration. As a researcher for GVS, I was working to develop a new method of coating filters used in the microfiltration of blood. Leaching has always been a big problem during filtration: nearly 10% of the one million units of blood donated in the UK every year are lost to lack of efficient leukoreduction filters to… Show more GVS group is one of the world’s leading developers and manufacturers of filtering technology for a range of applications, including healthcare, automotive, and industrial filtration. As a researcher for GVS, I was working to develop a new method of coating filters used in the microfiltration of blood. Leaching has always been a big problem during filtration: nearly 10% of the one million units of blood donated in the UK every year are lost to lack of efficient leukoreduction filters to remove white blood cells from donated blood. The pilot scheme of my new coating approach marked a breakthrough in filter coating and leach-reduction. During my time at GVS, I discovered how outdated blood filtration methods were in much of the healthcare industry. Many organisations still relied on basic cloth filtering. This is where I was inspired to begin developing a more sophisticated filter that could be mass-produced using a ceramics as their base - and hence a much more robust technology. These are some common misspelling of my name: Hewgo, Huego, Hughgo, Hugh, Hugho, Masedo, Maseedo, Maceedo, Marcedo, Marcedo. Show less