Our Team

Henrique Leitão
Principal Investigator

An historian of science, with a doctorate in Physics. Presently the head of the Department of History and Philosophy of Science of the Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon. His research during the last years has been dedicated to the History of Early-modern Science, especially Mathematics, Astronomy, Nautical Science and Cartography.

Antonio Sánchez
Senior Researcher

Antonio Sánchez is Assistant Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at the Autonomous University of Madrid. He is interested in early modern Iberian science, especially in the production of artisanal knowledge related to cosmography and maritime culture. He has several publications on these matters that can be consulted here: https://uam.academia.edu/AntonioS%C3%A1nchez."

David Salomoni
​​Post-doc researcher

He holds a BA Degree in Early Modern History and a MA Degree in Late Medieval History, both from the University of Parma. He was awarded a PhD in Education at the University of Rome III and a PhD in History at the University of Avignon. He was also awarded a Postdoctoral Fellowship in History of Education at the University of Rome III and an Andrew Mellon Fellowship in History of Science at the University of Oklahoma. His research is dedicated to Medieval and Early Modern Education, with a particular focus on the teaching of science in early modern religious congregations and the global circulation of educational models.

Juan Acevedo
​​Post-doc researcher

With a BA in Classics from the Universidad de Los Andes (Venezuela), Juan developed a career as a translator, publisher, and multilingual typesetter in Comparative Religion and Islamic Studies in the UK. In 2018 he got his PhD from the Warburg Institute, with a thesis on alphanumeric cosmology, drawing from sources in Greek, Latin, Arabic and Hebrew. With the Rutter project, he is tracking and examining early Arabic sources relating to Oceanic navigation, while keeping an eye on the cosmological and epistemological aspects of 16th century maritime developments.

Luana Giurgevich
​​Post-doc researcher

In 2008, she was awarded a PhD in Italian Studies at the University of Trieste, for a thesis on Travel Literature in the Adriatic area. Since 2010, she is a researcher at CIUHCT, University of Lisbon. Her interests include Travel Literature, Book History and History of Libraries, with a focus on the libraries of the Portuguese religious congregations and scientific book collections. The book Clavis bibliothecarum. Catálogos e inventários de livrarias de instituições religiosas em Portugal até 1834, co-authored with Henrique Leitão and main result of her archival work, received an honorable mention of the Portuguese Academy of History (2016).

Nuno Vila-Santa
​​Post-doc researcher

In 2014, he was awarded a PhD in the History of the Discoveries and the Portuguese Empire at NOVA University of Lisbon, with a thesis on D. Luís de Ataíde, 3º earl of Atouguia and vice-roy of Portuguese India. His book on Ataíde was awarded a Portuguese History Academy Prize (2015). His research is focused on political, military, social and cultural history of the Portuguese Empire in Asia during the second half of the sixteenth century, but also in the history of the portuguese nobility. His more recent studies concern the chronicler Diogo do Couto and also a book on Francisco Barreto, governor of Portuguese India and Mutapa in the sixteenth century.

Joana Lima
​PhD Student

Graduated in Classical Studies from the University of Lisbon, she holds a MA Degree in Portuguese Literature, a MA Degree in Teaching Portuguese and Classical Languages, and an Advanced Studies Diploma in Portuguese Literature from the Nova University of Lisbon. Her research is dedicated to the relationship between science and literature in the context of the Portuguese Maritime Expansion.

Inês Bénard da Costa
​Master of Science

Graduated in Liberal Arts and holds a master's degree in History and Philosophy of Science by the University of Lisbon. Her interests focus on History of medieval Arabic Science and knowledge circulation among different scientific traditions.

José Maria Moreno Madrid
​PhD Student

Graduated in History and masters in History and Anthropology of América by the Complutense University of Madrid. His main lines of research are History of the Modern Age Cartography and History of the Portuguese Empire expansion (16th-17th centuries). Relating that interests, within the framework of the project, he will try to find out how rutters and nautical charts interacted with each other.

Carmo La Cerda
​Master student

Graduated in Liberal Arts by the University of Lisbon, she is currently doing a MA Degree in History and Philosophy of Sciences at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon. Her interests are related to the History of Science, medieval science, science and religion and science and literature.

Carlos Paiva Neves
​​PhD Student

Graduated in Mechanical Engineering by the Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa and awarded a master degree in History of the Portuguese Empire by the Universidade Nova de Lisboa. His interests are focused on the History of Science, Nautical Science and History of the Iberian Expansion. His particular field of study is related with the Arab rutters of the XVI century.​

Silvana Munzi
Project Manager

Biologist and PhD in Environmental Science, she held several postdoctoral fellowships at the Universidade de Lisboa, among which a Marie Curie fellowship. During her career as a researcher, she gained experience in project development and management being proponent, principal investigator, participant and supervisor of several national and international projects.​