Curriculum Vitae — Daniel Cunha
Daniel Cunha
Project Manager with a background in materials science and experimental research. I coordinate complex research environments, structure multi-stakeholder projects, and drive process improvements using Lean methodologies, bridging scientific insight with operational execution.
Selected Impact
- Reduced recurring laboratory costs by more than €25K per year by bringing outsourced work in-house and redesigning laboratory procedures.
- Coordinated corrective actions for a €2.5M research system that had not met specification, ensuring supplier accountability and aligning users, technical staff, and the manufacturer through the current testing phase.
- Coordinated a laboratory relocation across multiple stakeholders and supported equipment planning and post-move troubleshooting.
Professional Experience
- Project Manager – University of Twente
- Lead research operations and coordinate planning, milestones, resources, and workflows across MSc, PhD, and postdoctoral projects.
- Currently developing a scalable group onboarding framework and piloting an interactive AFM training solution that could later be adapted for other instruments.
- Senior Scientist – University of Twente
Led research infrastructure and student supervision while driving experimental design and advanced characterization (PLD, SPM) - Researcher – University of Twente
Coordinated battery-related testing projects in collaboration with industry partners; planned experiments and supported performance optimization - PhD Researcher – University of Twente
Researched oxide thin films and nanoscale energy materials. Developed characterization techniques, implemented Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations, and supervised undergrad and MSc students. - Intern Strategic Planning – CTEEP, Brazil
Developed strategic reports for energy system reliability and market analysis; supported decision-making teams with data-backed recommendations - Undergraduate Researcher – UFABC
Conducted nanomaterials research for photovoltaics; published early work on zinc oxide nanostructures
Skills
- Project Management: Research operations, multi-project coordination, stakeholder management, resource planning, milestone tracking
- Process Improvement: Lean Green Belt (completed May 2026), Kaizen, workflow optimization
- Technical: Experimental design, Design of Experiments, PLD, SPM, Python, data analysis
Selected Publications
- (2026) Structure–Reactivity Insights from Design of Experiments: Facet Orientation of SrTiO3 Determines the Impact of Humidity and Light Intensity on the Photocatalytic Gas-Phase Oxidation of Acetone
- (2026) Effect of Al-Doping of Faceted SrTiO3 on Surface Chemistry in Photocatalytic Oxidation of Acetone
- (2025) Reduction of thermal conductivity by nanopillar inclusion in thermoelectric vertically aligned nanocomposites
- (2025) Room-temperature epitaxy of α-CH3NH3PbI3 halide perovskite by pulsed laser deposition
- See all publications →
Research Software & Data
Education
- PhD in Materials Science – University of Twente
- Bachelor's in Energy Engineering (Cum laude) – Federal University of ABC
- Bachelor's in Science and Technology – Federal University of ABC
Languages
Portuguese (native), English (fluent), Spanish (intermediate), Dutch (basic)
Personal Interests
Running, Bouldering, Drumming, Cooking, Reading