Prof. Xavier Romão | Construction | Best Researcher Award

Associate Professor at University of Porto, Portugal

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Xavier das Neves Romão is a renowned Portuguese civil engineer, With a passion for structural integrity and resilience, he serves as an Associate Professor in the Structural Division of Civil Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP). His expertise lies in earthquake engineering, risk analysis, and the safety of existing structures. He actively contributes to international research and training on disaster risk preparedness, particularly for cultural heritage. A valued member of ICOMOS-ICORP and the Portuguese Society for Earthquake Engineering, Dr. Romão combines research with field application. He plays a vital role in educating future engineers, delivering undergraduate to PhD-level instruction. His work blends theory, practice, and global outreach, making him a respected authority in seismic safety and heritage conservation. His interdisciplinary contributions are shaping safer infrastructure and communities across Portugal and beyond.

Professional Profile

Scopus Profile

ORCID

Education

Dr. Xavier Romão holds a distinguished academic background rooted in structural and earthquake engineering. He completed his Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering in July 1999 at the University of Coimbra, Portugal, with a solid foundation in engineering fundamentals. He further pursued a Master’s in Structural Engineering from the University of Porto in May 2002, achieving an “A” grade and refining his specialization in structural analysis and materials. His academic excellence culminated with a PhD in Civil Engineering, conferred in March 2012 from the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto. The PhD focused on earthquake engineering, a specialization where he achieved the highest academic distinction — Distinction and Honours. This rigorous academic training positioned him as a leading scholar in the analysis of risk and safety for vulnerable structures, bridging academia with real-world structural challenges, particularly those affecting historical and reinforced concrete buildings in hazard-prone areas.

Work Experience

Dr. Xavier Romão is an Associate Professor at the University of Porto’s Faculty of Engineering (FEUP), where he has taught structural and seismic engineering since 2002. Over two decades, he has mentored MSc and PhD students, contributed to civil protection programs, and lectured internationally. Beyond academia, he is a consultant for the Institute for Sustainable Construction (ICS-FEUP) and a core researcher at the LESE Laboratory. Dr. Romão is active in European and UNESCO-backed training projects, contributing to risk preparedness and cultural heritage protection in countries including Italy, Croatia, North Macedonia, Ukraine, and Angola. He holds leadership roles such as Vice-President of ICOMOS-ICORP and is a board member of the Portuguese Society for Earthquake Engineering. His expertise spans vulnerability analysis, post-event assessments, and interdisciplinary heritage conservation. His unique blend of teaching, research, and international engagement reflects his commitment to structural safety, resilience, and humanitarian impact.

🏆 Awards & Honors

While specific award titles are not mentioned, Dr. Xavier Romão’s academic and professional standing reflects exceptional honors in engineering and civil protection. His PhD with Distinction and Honours stands as a testament to his scholarly rigor and intellectual excellence. His vice-presidency of ICOMOS-ICORP, an elite international committee on risk preparedness, recognizes his global leadership in disaster risk reduction. He has been repeatedly invited by UNESCO, ICCROM, and the World Bank to lecture in high-impact international training programs — an honor reserved for experts with global authority in resilience and cultural heritage protection. His membership on the Board of the Portuguese Society for Earthquake Engineering also highlights national recognition of his contributions. Moreover, his involvement in cross-border initiatives — from post-war Ukraine to climate-threatened Balkans — underscores his respected role as a thought leader and policy influencer in structural engineering and risk management.

Research Focus

Dr. Romão’s research revolves around the risk and safety analysis of existing civil structures, with a special emphasis on earthquake engineering. His work targets the seismic behavior of reinforced concrete and masonry structures, particularly in historical and cultural heritage contexts. He advances methods in hazard vulnerability assessment, post-disaster damage evaluation, and risk modeling for structures exposed to multiple hazards. His affiliation with LESE and the ICS-FEUP Rehabilitation Nucleus allows him to bridge experimental research and real-world rehabilitation practices. A central theme in his work is the conservation and seismic assessment of heritage sites, making him a leading voice in cultural heritage risk mitigation. Dr. Romão actively collaborates with UNESCO, ICOMOS, and international civil protection agencies to shape resilience strategies. His research not only contributes to engineering science but also informs policy and capacity-building across Europe and developing regions.

🧠 Skills

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Xavier Romão possesses an advanced skill set in structural analysis, earthquake engineering, and risk assessment. He is proficient in finite element modeling, uncertainty analysis, and nonlinear dynamic analysis of structures. His skills extend to vulnerability assessment of historical buildings and reinforced concrete/masonry structures, applying both numerical simulations and field diagnostics. He has considerable experience in teaching and curriculum development for structural and seismic engineering at undergraduate, graduate, and PhD levels. Additionally, Dr. Romão is adept at international collaboration, capacity building, and technical training for risk preparedness. His communication skills are evident in his global lecture roles, and his consultancy roles showcase his applied problem-solving ability. Proficient in project coordination, research supervision, and technical writing, Dr. Romão is a well-rounded civil engineer, combining scientific expertise with leadership in disaster resilience, education, and heritage preservation.

Conclusion

Dr. Xavier Romão stands out as an internationally engaged, research-intensive academic with strong cross-disciplinary influence. His contributions to civil and earthquake engineering, especially related to the resilience of existing and historical structures, align perfectly with the ethos of the Best Researcher Award. Strengthening visibility through citation metrics and innovation would make his profile even more formidable. As it stands, he is a highly deserving and impactful nominee for this award.

Publications to Noted

Structural characterization of a suspension bridge by mapping the temperature effects on strain response based on neural network models
• Citations: 0
• Year: 2025

Flood risk assessment of cultural heritage across countries and spatial scales
• Citations: 2
• Year: 2025

The Built Environment Data Framework for Simulated Design and Vulnerability Modelling in Earthquake Engineering
• Citations: 0
• Year: 2025

Experimental analysis of the performance of screwed connections for steel-timber composite beams
• Citations: 0
• Year: 2024

Recent contributions addressing the assessment and protection of historic timber structures—VSI Foreword
• Citations: 1
• Year: 2024

A review: The analysis of fires in Chinese historic building and research progress on the fire protection
• Citations: 8
• Year: 2024

A new fire damage index to assess the vulnerability of immovable cultural heritage
• Citations: 4
• Year: 2024

Flood vulnerability assessment of built cultural heritage: Literature review and identification of indicators
• Citations: 5
• Year: 2024

Comparison of deep learning models for milk production forecasting at national scale
• Citations: 2
• Year: 2024

Closed-form expressions for partial safety factors used in the seismic assessment of existing RC buildings
• Citations: 0
• Year: 2024

Xavier Romão | Construction | Best Researcher Award