Silvia Cristina Claudio Nunes is an Auxiliary Researcher and Invited Assistant Professor at the University of Beira Interior (UBI, FibEnTech), with an established independent research career in Advanced Materials ChemistryShe obtained her degree in Industrial Chemistry from UBI in 2002, having received two Best Student awards. In 2008, completed her PhD in Chemistry in 2008 at the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, with Distinction and Praise. Her early research was strongly focused on sol-gel chemistry and self-assembly strategies for the development of hierarchical organic-inorganic hybrid materials, particularly silsesquioxanes with controlled morphologies and tunable mechanical, structural and optical properties. As a post-doctoral researcher in FCT-funded projects, she further developed polysaccharide-based membranes and amorphous organic-inorganic hybrid materials incorporating ionic salts, lanthanide complexes and ionic liquids, targeting their application as electrolytes in batteries, fuel cells and luminescent electrochromic devices. Since 2016, she has pioneered the development of near-infrared (NIR) emitting electrochromic devices with independent control of visible and NIR radiation, enabling multifunctional smart glazing systems. Her recent research is focused on low-carbon smart materials for energy-efficient buildings, particularly electrochromic and thermotropic glazing systems and luminescent solar concentrators integrating renewable and circular resources, such as ¿-carrageenan and biomass-derived carbon dots, for the active regulation of solar radiation and the reduction of building energy demand. She has authored 58 peer-reviewed publications (h-index 18; 848 citations, Scopus 2025), many in Q1 journals, including Small (Cover Picture 2025), Journal of Materials Chemistry A, ACS Applied Energy Materials, Advanced Sustainable Systems and ACS Nanoscience Au. She has contributed invited book chapters for leading publishers, including The Sol-Gel Handbook (Wiley) and an invited Elsevier chapter (2025). Her work has received three journal cover features and a Hot Paper distinction from the Royal Society of Chemistry, and she regularly serves as a reviewer for international scientific journals. She has delivered 27 international and 6 national oral communications and presented 69 poster communications at scientific conferences. She has supervised Master’s dissertation and supervised undergraduate final projects, received 15 awards and honors, and participated in multiple national research projects as PhD fellow, post-doctoral fellow and investigator. She actively lectures Organic and Materials Chemistry and fosters scientific excellence and curiosity among undergraduate and graduate students.