

The 8th International Symposium of AMONET (13 December 2024, Monte da Caparica, Portugal) included a tribute to Professor Ana Lobo, who sadly passed away on 17 September 2024. During the event, her colleagues and former PhD students highlighted her exceptional qualities as a researcher, her unwavering dedication to teaching, and her inspiring energy as a supervisor.
Ana Lobo was the first President of AMONET and one of its founding members. She represented the association in EPWS for many years with energy, enthusiasm, and competence.
Born in Porto, Portugal, she graduated from the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon and earned her PhD in Chemistry from Imperial College London. She was a full professor in the Department of Chemistry at the NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University of Lisbon, where she also served as the elected President of the Scientific Council. She co-founded and was the first Director of the Bulletin of the Portuguese Chemical Society and served as President of its Organic Chemistry Division.
A distinguished scientist, Ana Lobo authored more than 130 publications and several patents. She was an active member of editorial boards, research evaluation committees, and a sought-after lecturer in Portugal and abroad. She also played a role in patent litigation cases in Portuguese courts.
Her research in Organic Chemistry focused on the synthesis and structural elucidation of natural molecules with practical applications, as well as on biochemical mechanisms such as chemical carcinogenesis. She was also deeply committed to inclusive education, developing new tools for teaching chemistry to blind students, demonstrating her activism and social engagement.
In recognition of her contributions to chemistry, she was named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. In 2016, the Portuguese Faculty of Science and Technology honored both Ana Lobo and her husband, Professor Sundaresan Prabhakar, by naming two laboratories in their department after them, in tribute to their lifelong contributions to chemistry in Portugal and beyond.
AMONET owes Ana Lobo a great debt for her efforts to integrate the association into the Portuguese scientific community and for securing the funding crucial to its growth and recognition.
EPWS remembers her with respect and affection, honoring her outstanding contributions to the Board of Administration, as well as her warmth and sense of humor.
To know more:
https://amonetpt.wixsite.com/amonet/8%C2%BA-international-symposium-amonet
https://epws.org/tribute-professors-ana-lobo-sundaresan-prabhakar/