António Rendas

Dr António Manuel Bensabat Rendas has been the Rector of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa (NOVA) since January 2007. He was President of the Council of Rectors of Portuguese Unive​rsities from 2010 to 2014.

With a degree in Medicine from the Faculdade de Medicina de Lisboa, António Rendas earned his PhD in Experimental Pathology (pulmonary hypertension) from the Cardiothoracic Institute, University of London in 1977.

From 1974 to 1978 he was a researcher in the University of London and in Harvard Medical School. In 1979 he returned to Portugal where he has begun the teaching activity that he keeps until today in the NOVA Medical School/Faculdade de Ciências Médicas.

At NOVA, he served has Dean of the Portuguese Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (IHMT) and the NOVA Medical School/Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, among other positions.

Dr Rendas has played several top roles at national and international levels such as Vice-President of the Sociedade Portuguesa de Pneumologia, Coordinator of the Conselho Nacional de Ensino e Educação Médica da Ordem dos Médicos and he currently is member of the Steering Committee of the Network of Universities from the Capitals of Europe (UNICA).

His research interests focus on the physiology and physiopathology of respiration, biomedical evaluation of aging, medical education with emphasis on problem-learning and conceptual maps, university administration and management indicators. He is author or co-author of over 200 publications including communications, scientific articles, books and book chapters.

He has coordinated and participated in several national and international consultancies in areas like medical training, teaching and research in medicine, adoption of innovative pedagogical methods and development of biomedical research networks.

Dr Rendas was honoured with the Chevalier de I'Ordre National du Mérite by the French Republic and with the Medal D. Afonso Henriques de Mérito do Exército and the Gold Medal of the Ministério da Saúde.​

Dr Rendas joined the AKU Board in 2017.