The strategic plan of FP-ENAS aims at bringing together a highly skilled and complementary group of researchers from academic, research, clinical and industrial arenas, in order to accommodate the competences and knowledge needed to develop fundamental, experimental and applied research in the scientific domains of health and life sciences and also on earth sciences and engineering. FP-ENAS performs, inter alia, interdisciplinary and inter-sectorial knowledge research.
The Unit aims at addressing the complex problems of fossil energy use and its effects on environment and health in an integrated way and on all aspects of the issue, from the prospection, exploration and clean exploitation of fossil fuels, to greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions management and geological storage of CO2, onto environment quality and environmental health, and finally on all issues of public health including environmental issues. The environmental impact of public health related procedures and innovative therapies are also addressed.
FP-ENAS research staff has been, on one hand, actively exploiting the concepts of the impact on air quality and health of the large urban traffic lines, air pollution photochemistry, surface ozone variability, stratospheric ozone shields, carbon storage, site assessment, injection and monitoring and, on the other hand, studying the molecular evolution and protein sequence, molecular genetics (genomics and proteomics), biochemical modelling, structural biology of nucleic acids and proteins, drug resistance, as well as aspects of the formulation of new drugs, counterfeiting, and ethical conduct, and applying these concepts in the promotion of human health, also considering the integrated environmental impact of the waste of medicines and potential risk to public health.
Besides the development of scientific projects, the FP-ENAS strategic plan aims to accommodate and support the existing UFP PhD programmes, accredited by the national agency A3ES: PhD in Earth Sciences, and PhD in Ecology and Environmental Health.