Biologist, PhD in Ecology from the University of Coimbra and with a post-doctorate in Global Change at Stanford University. She is a Full Professor in the area of Biodiversity and Ecology in the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Coimbra and holds the UNESCO Chair in Biodiversity and Conservation for Sustainable Development. In 2024, he was awarded the Ernst Haeckel Prize by the European Ecological Federation for his contributions to European ecological science.