Gabriel de Jesus
Researcher (PhD) | IR • NLP • Tetun
I am an affiliated researcher at INESC TEC Porto (Portugal) and the creator of Labadain. My research focuses on language inclusion and digital preservation of Tetun.
About Me
I work at the intersection of language technology and cultural preservation, developing computational algorithms, methods, and resources that advance digital inclusion for Tetun-speaking communities. I have authored and contributed to scientific publications in this area.
I have over 10 years of professional experience in digital governance, information systems, and leadership. My previous roles include Non-Executive Board Member of the National Communications Authority, IT Director at the Major Project Secretariat, and HRIS Manager for the USAID HRH2030 Program in Timor-Leste.
Research Interests
Information Retrieval (IR)
Advancing information retrieval for low-resource languages, particularly Tetun, through efficient indexing, and effective retrieval methods.
Natural Language Processing (NLP)
Developing core NLP capabilities for Tetun, including language modeling, linguistic resource creation, and reproducible research practices.
Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)
Designing and improving RAG systems for Tetun by combining robust retrieval pipelines with generative models and reliable evaluation frameworks.
Agentic AI
Exploring autonomous AI systems for Tetun that integrate NLP and retrieval, with a focus on adaptability, reproducibility, and real-world impact.
Projects
Labadain Platforms
A suite of platforms for the Tetun language, designed to strengthen digital inclusion for Tetun speakers.
Education
PhD in Informatics Engineering
2021-2025Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto (FEUP), Portugal
Thesis: Text Information Retrieval in Tetun
My doctoral research established foundational methods and resources for Tetun IR, including datasets, algorithms, tools, and baselines that enable reproducible research and the development of search technologies for the language.
View ThesisMSc in Computer Science
2011-2013Faculty of Science, University of Porto (FCUP), Portugal
Dissertation: Relatórios e Análise de Tendências de Rede Social Desportiva Playnify
View DissertationBInf in Informatics Engineering
2005-2008Fundação das universidades Portuguesas, Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosa'e (FUP/UNTL), Timor-Leste
Grants
PhD Research
Research project "Pesquisa e recomendação computacional de conteúdo noticioso".
DOI: 10.54499/SFRH/BD/151437/2021
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), 2021–2025
Master Scholarship
Erasmus Mundus ACP scholarship for Master's studies in Computer Science.
European Union, 2011–2013
Summer Schools
Lisbon Machine Learning School (LxMLS)
A week-long intensive program covering machine learning foundations, natural language processing, and deep learning, with a strong focus on real-world applications and hands-on practice.
Lisbon, Portugal (July 18–23, 2022)
European Summer School in Information Retrieval (ESSIR)
Advanced training in information retrieval, including core IR models, evaluation methods, and modern approaches such as neural and multilingual retrieval systems.
Lisbon, Portugal (July 24–29, 2022)
Trainings
Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG)
Hands-on sessions on designing, building, and optimizing RAG systems, including real-world applications and evaluating tradeoffs between cost, speed, and quality.
Coursera (August 22, 2025)
Machine Learning Specialization
Hands-on sessions on building and training machine learning models, including supervised learning (linear and logistic regression), neural networks with TensorFlow, decision trees and ensemble methods, as well as applying best practices, unsupervised learning (clustering and anomaly detection), recommender systems, and deep reinforcement learning.
Coursera (February 23, 2023)
Academic Services
Conference Reviewer
The 15th International ACM SIGIR Conference on Innovative Concepts and Theories in Information Retrieval (ICTIR), Padua, Italy, 2025.
ICTIR, 2025