David Marçal
Associação Viver a Ciência, Lisbon (Portugal)
David Marçal studied Applied Chemistry and earned a PhD in Biochemistry from the New University of Lisbon. He did research both in industrial and academic contexts. Between 2001 and 2002 he was a scientist at Hovione and FarmaCiência, working in the development of methods for the production of active pharmaceutical compounds. From 2003 until 2008, David was a structural biochemistry researcher at the Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, New University of Lisbon.
Since 2009, David is dedicated to communication in science, being the author of several books, performances and television programs about science. Between 2003 and 2011 he was an author of Inimigo Público, a satirical newspaper supplement, having written hundreds of humorous texts on scientific subjects. Between 2004 and 2005 he was an editor of the Kult magazine, a publication for children aged 7 to 13 years, in which he wrote about science topics. He was also a science journalist in Público for a short period in 2006. Since 2009, he is the coordinator of Cientistas de Pé, a stand-up comedy group formed by researchers. He is author or co-author of the theater plays Stupid Design (2009), Nascer da Evolução (2009), De que falamos quanto falamos de cientistas? (2009), Método do Bosão de Higgs (2010), Aquecimento Esclarecido (2011) and A ciência precisa de mim porque eu sou um homem (2011). David wrote and performed on a humoristic television show, aired on Canal Q between October 2010 and January 2011 Janeiro. He is co-author, together with Carlos Fiolhais, of the books Darwin aos tiros e outras histórias de ciência (Gradiva, 2011) and Pipocas com telemóvel e outras histórias de falsa ciência (Gradiva, 2012). David is co-author and coordinator of the book Toda a Ciência (Menos as Partes Chatas) (Gradiva, 2013).
In 2010, David won the Young Chemist Prize (awarded by the Portuguese Society of Chemistry) and the Ideias Verdes Prize (attributed by the Luso Foundation and Expresso newspaper).
