Cristiano André da Costa

Prof. Dr. Cristiano André da Costa (CAC)

🏆 2025 Researcher of the Year (FAPERGS)
🔬 Director of SOFTWARELAB 🏛️ Professor at Unisinos since 2000
🎖️ CNPq Research Fellow since 2012 🌐 Senior Member IEEE & ACM

Welcome to my official homepage. I am a Full Professor (Titular II) and researcher at the University of Vale do Rio dos Sinos (Unisinos) in Brazil, working within the Applied Computing Graduate Program (PPGCA).

My work bridges the gap between advanced computing and real-world healthcare challenges. I am the founder and Director of SOFTWARELAB (Unisinos Laboratory of Software Innovation), a center of excellence dedicated to managing Research, Development & Innovation (R,D&I) projects in partnership with the industry.

Short Biography (About Me)

With over two decades of experience in higher education and research, my primary focus lies at the intersection of Distributed Systems, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Health.

I hold a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Computer Science from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). My academic journey includes a sabbatical as a Visiting Professor at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Germany (2016), where I collaborated with the Pattern Recognition Lab/Machine Learning and Data Analytics Laboratory.

I have been a Research Fellow at the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) since 2012. In recognition of my contributions to the field, I was awarded the 2025 “Pesquisador Gaúcho” Award in Computer Science and Information by FAPERGS.

My research has achieved significant reach and recognition within the global scientific community. According to Google Scholar, works I contributed have garnered over 10,000 citations, reflecting a robust and sustained contribution to the field. As of 2025, I maintain an h-index greater than 45 and an i10-index exceeding 125, underscoring the influence and high relevance of my publications in Applied Computing, Artificial Intelligence, and Health Informatics.

Research Interests & Expertise

My research leverages ubiquitous and distributed computing to solve complex problems, particularly in the health domain. Key areas include:

Digital Health and Medical Informatics
Artificial Intelligence: Applied AI, Machine Learning, and Pattern Recognition.
Internet of Things (IoT): Architectures for smart health and pervasive monitoring.
Interoperability: Semantic interoperability in healthcare systems.
Distributed Computing: Mobile computing, Cloud/Fog architectures, and Blockchain solutions.

Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Deeply committed to bridging the gap between academic research and practical market application, I actively engage in the technology ecosystem through startup creation, corporate governance, and innovation mentorship:

Potabil: Co-founder of Potabil, an eco-friendly tech company focused on developing biocompatible water treatment and effluent purification solutions. By leveraging proprietary, chemical-free hydrodynamic cavitation systems, the startup provides advanced socio-environmental technologies for both residential use and industrial waste management.
Greendoors: Co-founder of Greendoors, an innovative S-Commerce (sustainable e-commerce) platform designed for smart cities. The company combines predictive algorithms and artificial intelligence with eco-friendly supply chain solutions to optimize the replenishment of green-certified products for businesses and residential complexes, reducing carbon footprints and waste.
Instituto Core: Contributor and corporate governance specialist at Instituto CORE, a technology and management hub where strategy meets cutting-edge technology. The institution integrates organizational management with advances in artificial intelligence—such as digital twins, rich boardroom analytics, autonomous enterprise agents, and AI-driven compliance—to spearhead digital transformation and operational optimization.

Other Interests

Beyond my academic and research endeavors, I engage in a variety of personal pursuits that keep me inspired and continuously learning:

Culinary Arts & Gastronomy: I have a deep passion for cooking and exploring the culinary world. I share my recipes, experiences, and thoughts on food through my gastronomy blog, ChefRS.
Finance & Investments: I am highly interested in financial markets, wealth management, and stock market investing, and actively track economic trends and asset allocation strategies.
Occasional Development: As an extension of my technical background, I enjoy casual software development, building side projects, and experimenting with new technologies outside of formal research.

Professional Memberships & Leadership

I am deeply involved in the global and local computing communities:

Senior Member: ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) and IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers).
Coordinator: Special Commission on Applied Computing for Healthcare (CECAS) at the Brazilian Computer Society (SBC) from 2023 to 2025.
Member: Brazilian Computer Society (SBC), IEEE Engineering in Medicine & Biology Society (EMBS) and IADIS (International Association for the Development of the Information Society)

Full Curriculum Vitae at .