CEO
With over 20 years of experience in the social and health care sector, there is not enough time in one life for all I wished to do. I have written and managed hundreds of projects, also implementing many of them in the field, with all its challenges, but also with many rewards, such as smiles, when they improved the quality of life of people with specific needs. Besides being SHINE's CEO, I am Chair of NET4Age-Friendly, Vice-President of the European Covenant on Demographic Change and Director of the SHAFE Foundation - Smart Healthy Age-friendly Environments. As a cancer survivor, this is one specific are where I hope to bring some added value, namely as Member of the Portuguese Cancer Hub.
COO
I am an IT Engineer and software developer and have also been working as IT trainer for over 18 years. As SHINE COO, I am project manager, fully engaged in proposal writing and preparation, networking and stakeholder engagement. I have a special focus and expertise in the areas of health, especially mental health and reintegration of excluded citizens in the job market developing personal and digital skills. I like games, gadgets and platforms and try to keep updated in the digital world.
RESEARCHER
The protection of human rights and the mobilization of civil society are topics of study that have always caught my attention. During my bachelor's and master's degrees, I worked in projects with children at risk in a “favela” in Brazil. Later, in addition to practicing civil law, I taught law classes for two years at a University in Brasilia. I came to Portugal to do my PhD, and here my horizon was broadened. Since 2019, I am manager and coordinator of European projects in the area of active and healthy ageing. Putting in theory what I have seen in practice, studying ethics, and involving older people in pilots, is one of my goals. These experiences have added to my life purpose, which is to work with and for people, guaranteeing their rights. I like to know new cultures, I lived in Argentina and Spain, I travelled to almost all continents, and I try to bring this worldview to my work.
RESEARCHER | DESIGNER
I’m a project manager and a graphic/web designer based in Coimbra, Portugal with experience in multimedia and print design. In SHINE 2Europe I work as a project manager, with focus on research and design within the various projects and activities of the organisation. Always curious to explore different fields I've also been a LGBTQ+ Youth Group Coordinator, where I planned and hosted meetings with different themes twice a month. I've also participated in a hackathon as a mentor of teams participating in a challenge to develop technology through themes such as active ageing, integration of refugees and migrants, and the well-being of migrant children and young people. In SHINE I can further develop these skills and competences and combine them with my initial training. I love hearing from people's experiences and learning how design can improve their lives.
I am a Biomedical Engineer with a strong passion for digital health innovation. With 10 years of experience in both academic and business environments, my role is in aligning the needs and expectations of all stakeholders throughout the innovation process. I started working on European projects in 2013 and immediately fell in love with their dynamics. I find it fascinating to work in multidisciplinary and international teams towards solutions that fit the needs of the individuals and the organizational systems in different countries while accounting for cultural diversity. I am thrilled to be able to continue this work at SHINE. My research expertise focuses on the personalization of digital health solutions for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. This means that I work at the intersection of various fields, such as psychology, physiology, and public health, but also signal analysis and human-computer interaction. My big dream is to help close the health inequalities gap by contributing to digital health solutions available to and usable by everyone, especially those in underprivileged groups. When I find some free time between work and the mother duties of two young children, you can find me running.
I have a Master’s Degree in Education Sciences and I am completing the Master’s Degrees in Psychology. I have worked in harm reduction teams with socially excluded population. I was also a trainer in the promotion of citizenship. As a volunteer, I worked with young university students and homeless people. I have particular interest in subjects related to inclusion, equity and justice for all. I am passionate about animals, nature, and people. As a mother of a baby daughter, I am trying to create a world that is just a little better for everyone.
I am passionate about education, because I believe it is a powerful key to unlock our human potential in a way we can individually and collectively work to a more equative, just and sustainable world (and happier people!). So, I made a complete turn in my academic life from Physics (graduation and masters) to Education, with a Masters in Adult Education and Community Intervention. This led me to work with children, youngsters and adults from different ages and backgrounds, in rural and urban contexts. I have experience in designing, implementing, and assessing educational activities, workshops, and training programs. I believe processes can be more engaging and contribute to the empowerment of participants if they are co-created. So, as a Project Manager and Researcher I am driven to incorporate participants, stakeholders and partners opinions’ and expertise in a meaningful outcome. I did so as coordinator of the Portuguese strategy of Open Schooling, within the scope of the Horizon 2020 Open Science Hub project. I feel at home when I am surrounded by nature, my friends and family.
I have been active in the Research and Development community for almost 15 years. My academic background is in Computer Science and Human-Computer Interaction, and I have been working on Digital Health since 2009. Initially, my focus has been academic, resulting in a PhD degree in 2014. Since then, I have managed and coordinated various small- and large-scale European research projects and worked on attracting national and international funding. Since early 2021 I have moved further away from academia into the world of business and startups – working on dialogue-driven virtual coaching applications in Digital Therapeutics, all the while staying in touch with the European R&D Community. As a project manager at SHINE, I hope to apply my skills to contribute to SHINE’s mission of promoting inclusiveness in societally impactful projects.
I am a Geographer, specialized in spatial planning and development, with more than 12 years of experience in the academic environment and multidisciplinary research in the area of health and well-being. I have a special focus and expertise in the areas related with urban health and geographic equity, that is, the influence of the place - where you born, grow, work, live and age -, in your ability to be healthy and reach your full potential, and the role of policies from different levels and sectors on shaping that relationship. As an advocate of placemaking and co-creation as drivers of transforming cities into better places, I hope I can contribute in advancing knowledge and delivering solutions in people-oriented and place-led development projects. Outside work, I love spending time with family, friends and my dog “Mel”, traveling, music (going to concerts and music festivals is one of my passions) and sports (preferably outdoor and in contact with nature).
I am a lawyer, with special interest in the protection of human rights, with a view to a more inclusive, just and egalitarian society, raising awareness and promoting civil society for this purpose. In addition, I have a passion for writing that I develop in everything I do. I started my professional career as an administrative officer in companies and later worked as a jurist in a finance service. After that, I practiced law and gave training in several areas of law, namely, in social law, organization law and citizenship.I lived 11 years in Switzerland and, now back in Portugal, I embraced this new professional project at SHINE, where I hope to contribute to the promotion of inclusion in social impact projects. In my free time, I enjoy being with family and friends, and hiking outdoors, preferably by the sea.
RESEARCHER | TRAINER
I am a Portuguese and French language teacher. I have been working for 20 years as a trainer in professional inclusion programs for adults with mental illness. I also contributed to the pedagogical development of several projects in this area. In SHINE, I am a researcher and trainer for several projects.. I am curious about technology. I like the way it integrates into the lives of people with different interests, aspirations, difficulties, facilitating many of the daily tasks and helping to overcome obstacles. I like sports, I practiced judo for many years, which always helped me to bring energy and discipline to what I do.
RESEARCHER | COMMUNICATION
Specialized in Communication and Public Relations, I also have a background related to the arts and architecture. Realizing how design, architecture and communication can create inclusive and healthier environments for everyone is a theme that I greatly appreciate, and I am always curious to learn more from people. I love doing interviews and talking to different people with different stories and experiences. I was part of the support platform for refugees and worked on projects of social inclusion for migrants and people of different ethnicities. The projects I most enjoyed working on boosted the digital literacy of older persons and are effective in cognitive stimulation, also combating isolation and loneliness.
I have a degree in Art and Design and more than ten years of experience in graphic design. I started working at a local children’s book publisher and designing wedding stationery as a side hustle, but I eventually felt stuck and developed a curiosity for nomadism in 2018. That curiosity brought me to meet a wonderful couple from New Zealand that helped me to learn about web design, and I’ve been working remotely with them since then. I’ve also volunteered for one full year at Remote Portugal, an ONG dedicated to amplifying the knowledge about remote work and how it should be done in Portugal, helping companies and individuals to adapt to this work trend. Outside work, I am a nature and animal lover, the owner of two shameless cats, and a van that takes me to the most amazing places where I climb mountains as a hobby. At SHINE 2Europe, I work in international projects, mainly designing logos, brand identities, and websites.
I'm a design enthusiast and web developer. With a degree in Design and over a decade of experience, I've had the privilege of owning my own advertising agency and working with clients from diverse industries. This journey has allowed me to refine my creative skills and develop a deep understanding of the intricacies of design. Recently, I embarked on a new chapter in my career by completing a full stack web development program. I'm passionate about transforming ideas into visually appealing and functional digital experiences, and I'm excited to take on new challenges and create innovative solutions. Outside of work, I enjoy archery, photography, cooking, and outdoor sports. I also find great joy in traveling, as it broadens my perspective and provides inspiration for my work.
I am a psychologist and a university teacher, with a strong passion for science, especially in the applied fields of clinical psychology and education. Since I finished my PhD (2017), I have participated in both national and European projects linked to the areas of health psychology, psychophysiology and neuropsychology. It has been a wonderful experience to be part of multidisciplinary and international teams in order to merge knowledge from different areas of expertise (e.g., tourism, engineering, psychology, medicine) to fulfil the Projects goals. I am happy to continue this type of work at SHINE 2Europe. Also, I love research, the process of developing new hypotheses and building or selecting instruments/procedures to test them, and I am thrilled to have the possibility to help others to improve their scientific capacities through supervision and teaching. I am a family devoted man, with a wife and two small daughters, and I try to spend as much time as possible with them, exploring the wonderful places of our city, region, country, world!
With more than 10 years of experience in communication and multimedia design, I have a hybrid profile combining project management and operation, with a strong experience in audiovisual, from capture and production of television content, to software usability analysis, interface design and user experience, 3D modelling and animation, as well as the creation of content for virtual reality and projection mapping. My passion is creating digital experiences that solve problems in a ubiquitous way, that help to raise the paradigm of citizenship and communication. The projects I cherish the most are those involving museology, where I strive to create didactic and usable experiences that are above all, accessible to everyone. For me technology is a great way to unite us as human beings as well as citizens. When I am not on the computer, I am a being of nature, love hiking, cycling and team sports. Exchanging experiences with people is one of the greatest pleasures of my life.
