Our Company

PhD Trials® is an International Contract Research Organization engaged into the clinical assessment of safety and efficacy of products for topical application (cosmetics or raw materials).

We are a multidisciplinary team of skin specialists, boasting more than 25 years of experience in the scientific support to the cosmetic industry.

The technical staff of PhD Trials® consists of skin physiologists, dermatologists, pharmacists, Ophthalmologists, Pediatricians, Gynecologists, Vascular Surgeons, biologists and engineers that are constantly developing new methods to substantiate cosmetic claims.

Our Skills

In Vivo Safety evaluation
In Vivo efficacy evaluation
In vivo Advanced methods efficacy
Regulatory consultancy
Quality control

Our Valuable Team Members

Pedro Contreiras Pinto
Pedro Contreiras Pinto Founder and CEO
Physiologist with a degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences and a Phd and Master degree in Advanced Pharmacokinetics, with interests in mathematical modeling of transcutaneous variables such as Trans Epidermal Water Loss, Transcutaneous Oxygen and Skin Blood Flow.

Dr. Pinto’s research work was always related with skin study method, particularly related with efficacy of cosmetic products. He was also member of the board of the Sociedade Portuguesa de Ciências Farmacêuticas, an IFSCC Society member.

Leonor Girão
Leonor Girão Clinical Director
MD, Dermatologist, former head of the Dermatology department at the Armed Forces Hospital in Lisbon, Dra. Leonor Girão has more than 20 years of experience in clinical evaluation.

Dra. Girão collaborated with several pharmaceutical companies, including CRO related with cosmetic studies, before being appointed as Clinical Director of PhD Trials®.

Her research work was recently related with new treatments for aesthetic field, namely the use of Platelets-Rich Plasma as a rejuvenating treatment.

Dra. Girão is, among other, a full member of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Patrícia Costa
Patrícia Costa Quality Manager
With a Master degreed in “Implementation of Quality Management Systems”, Dra. Costa collaborates with PhD Trials® since the company’s foundation.

Her vision and work help to implement a quality system that is one of the keys to the company success. Also, she has a degree in Translation, which focused her career on the translations of reports, protocols and clinical studies, providing a competence in this industry for more than 20 years.

Manuel Fitas
Manuel Fitas Research and Development Director
Skin Physiologist with a PharmD and Master degree in Pharmacy.

Dr. Fitas research work was related with new clinical methods to evaluate skin bases parameters in pathological context, like acne and psoriasis. Dr. Fitas was also teacher of Dermatocosmetic Sciences at several editions of the Dermocosmetic Master Degreee at Universidade Lusófona and regularly collaborates with the Pharmaceutical Sciences Department of the Pharmacy School of the Lisbon’s University.

He is also member of the board of the Sociedade Portuguesa de Ciências Farmacêuticas, an IFSCC Society member.