Prof. Dr. João Graciano Mendonça Filho is Bachelor in Geology from Federal University of Paraná, Brazil (1989), Master in Organic Petrography and Geochemistry (Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 1993) and PhD in Organic Facies (Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 1999). He is Full Professor of Geociences Institute from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and currently he is coordinator of the Palynofacies and Organic Facies (LAFO) and Petroleum and Environmental Geochemistry (LAGEPA) Laboratories at UFRJ. Besides this, also coordinates the research groups of the Petroleum Geochemistry and Environmental Organic Geochemistry and Palynofacies and Organic Facies at CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development), where he is classified as Level 1 A Researcher. Advisor of several Bachelor, Master and PhD works in Geology at UFRJ, and contribute to the Undergraduate Courses and Graduate Programs in Geology from others universities in Brazil and Portugal, working in Geosciences with an emphasis in Petroleum Geochemistry, Organic Petrology, Palynofacies, Organic Facies, and Environmental Organic Geochemistry. He has great experience in coordination and research projects development acting on Oil and Gas Area. He is member of several scientific societies such as ICCP (International Committee for Coal and Organic Petrology) and TSOP (The Society of Organic Petrology). Within the ICCP, he is currently Vice-President, Convener of Organic Matter Concentration and Palynofacies Working Groups, Organizer of the Dispersed Organic Matter Vitrinite Reflectance Accreditation Program (DOMVR) and one of the Instructors of the ICCP Training Courses in Dispersed Organic Matter. Prof. João Graciano is author and co-author of an important number of peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, editor of Scientific Journals always focused on topics of geochemistry and organic petrology applied to fossil fuels exploration. In the last years he has received several international Awards recognizing his scientific and research work and contributions to the science, among them The Organic Petrology Award from ICCP in 2012.

Dr. Carolina Fonseca is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Minho (Portugal). She holds a BSc and MSc in Geosciences from the University of Coimbra and a PhD in Earth and Solid Planets Sciences from Université de Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier (France). Her research focuses on organic petrology and geochemistry applied to Oceanic Anoxic Events, with particular expertise in palynofacies and organic geochemistry for paleoenvironmental reconstruction. She has authored several publications in international peer-reviewed journals and has contributed to national and international R&D projects, including initiatives supported by IUGS/UNESCO and CNRS. Dr. Fonseca completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Laboratory of Palynofacies and Organic Facies (LAFO) from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), working within the Shell Brazil–funded PRESAL-II Project, where she investigated the organic facies variability of the pre-salt interval of the Santos Basin. She has taught at Université de Toulouse, the University of Porto, and previously at the University of Minho, and continues to mentor MSc students at UFRJ. She is an active member of the International Committee for Coal and Organic Petrology (ICCP) and The Society for Organic Petrology (TSOP). She served as TSOP Councilor (2022–2024), and currently acts as Secretary of ICCP Commission I. She is also accredited in the DOMVR (Dispersed Organic Matter Vitrinite Reflectance) program.