PhD in Sociology from Iscte- Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (Iscte-IUL) in 2023. I studied the political appropriation of the notion of resilience and its role in transforming the European social model in the aftermath of the 2007/8 financial crisis and the global pandemic crisis in 2020, presenting a dissertation with the title: Everything is not gonna be alright: contributions to a critical perspective on social resilience. Graduated in Sociology in 2004 and finished a Master in Urban Studies in 2010, in both cases from Iscte-IUL. I am currently an integrated researcher at the Centre for Research and Studies in Sociology (Cies-IUL), integrating the line of research “Inequalities, Work and Well Being”, and guest assistant professor at Iscte-IUL, integrated in the Department of Political Science and Policies Public (ESPP). I am a researcher in studies in the areas of poverty and social inequalities, social protection, employment, and education, with an emphasis on evaluating policies aimed at reducing poverty and increasing the qualifications of disadvantaged social groups. I am co-author of articles in national and international publications, such as: “Labor relations under hardship in Europe: contributions for social resilience theory” (2023), “Fighting poverty in times of crisis in Europe: Is resilience a hidden resource for social policy?” (2022), “Welfare State Development in Portugal: From “Stage Zero” to the Post-Crisis “Leftist” Compromise against Austerity” (2019), “Crisis and Poverty in Portugal: resilience or social protection?” (2018), “Resilience: Moving from a “heroic” notion to a sociological concept” (2017), among others. My main research interests are: poverty, social inequalities and resilience; public policies; economic sociology and political economy; and education.

Ângela Romão is currently a student in the PhD Program in Psychology at ISCTE - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa. She has a BA in Psychology and a Master’s in Social Psychology of Health at the same institution. The various research projects in which she had the opportunity to participate as a Research Fellow in CIS-IUL, provided her with a diversity of experiences in the field of research, allowing her to have contact with researchers from nationally and internationally, empowering their knowledge in multiple domains. Her PhD project aims to examine the social perceptions towards informal caregivers, with a special focus on analyzing whether the dehumanization of informal caregivers and justice perceptions are processes that can help to explain the social devaluation of this group.

Elsa Justino, a Portuguese Social Worker, holds a PhD in Social Work, with a Master's degree and a degree in the same area. She's an assistant professor at the Department of Political Science and Public Policies at the University Institute of Lisbon (ISCTE-IUL) and an integrated research member at the Centre for Research and Studies in Sociology (CIES/Iscte - IUL). From 2019 to 2022, she was on the Board of the Hospital Center in the Portuguese region of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (CHTMAD). From 2016 to 2022, she was an Invited Professor at the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD). Among other leading positions, she was a University Administrator at the UTAD and Manager of the University Social Services (2008-2019), Head of Office of the Secretary of State for Employment and Vocational Training (2006-2008), Deputy Director of the Directorate General for Higher Education from 2002 to 2006 (Ministry of Science Technology and Higher Education) and Vice-President of the Student Support Fund (Ministry of Education) from 1998 to 2002.

Born in Luanda, Angola, in 1959. Holds a BA (1983) and a PhD (2001) in Sociology by ISCTE-IUL. Full Professor at the Department of Sociology of ISCTE-IUL and Senior Researcher of CIES-IUL.  Former Vice-Rector for Research of ISCTE-IUL (2014-2018). Former member of the General Council of ISCTE-IUL (2013-2018). Former Director of CIES-IUL (2006-2014). Former Director of the Doctoral Program in Sociology (2011-2014). Founder and former Director of Mundos Sociais publisher (2010-2014). Long record of research and publication on social classes and inequalities; migration and ethnicity; youth; sociology of sociology; economic and cultural value of the Portuguese language. Supervised or co-supervised 14 doctoral thesis and 31 master dissertations. Started a professional career at the Instituto de Estudos para o Desenvolvimento (1984-1986) and entered ISCTE-IUL as Assistente Estagiário in 1985. Research Assistant at the Institute for Social Sciences, Lisbon University (1987-1989). In 2023, he was awarded, ex aequo, the Prize João Ferreira de Almeida, category "Books", with Investigação Sociológica em Portugal. Um Guia Histórico e Analítico, Porto, Afrontamento, 2022.

Helena Belchior Rocha has a PhD in Social Work, is an Assistant professor at ISCTE- University Institute of Lisbon in the Department of Political Science and Public Policies and deputy director of the Transversal Skills Laboratory. Integrated researcher at CIES, Centre for Research and Studies in Sociology, linked to national and international research projects, namely 2 from Marie Curie Actions. Author of papers and communications at national and international congresses, in the areas of social work theory and methodology, environment, sustainability, community Intervention, ethics, human rights, social policies and Well-being, education and soft skills. Member of the Editorial Board of national/international journals.

Inês Casquilho-Martins is a social worker with a Master's and PhD in Social Work. She is Assistant Professor at Iscte - University Institute of Lisbon and researcher at the Center for Research and Studies in Sociology at Iscte - University Institute of Lisbon (CIES-Iscte) and at the Lusíada Research Center on Social Work and Social Intervention (CLISSIS) - Lusíada University. Between 2019 and January 2024 she was Assistant Professor in the three cycles of study in Social Work at ISSSL - Universidade Lusíada, where she coordinated the Master's in Social Work and the research line "Teaching and Training in Social Work" at CLISSIS. Her research interests include different areas and fields of social work, social policies, social protection systems, social assistance, migration, community development and training skills in higher education. In this field, her research has focused on making contributions from her scientific area to the study of contemporary social problems and public policies in different areas of social protection. She also invests in the pedagogical and scientific promotion of social work training.  In 2019, she received the Silva Leal Prize, awarded by Iscte - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa and the Secretary of State for Social Security for her doctoral thesis in Social Work “Models of social protection in societies with austerity programs”.  She was Online Learning's technical and pedagogical coordinator for the promotion, preparation, production and dissemination of iscte e-learning courses (2017-2019). 

I have a Degree in Psychology from the University of Lisbon in 1990, and since 1993 I have developed my academic career at ISCTE - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (Master in Management and Human Resource Policy, 1995;  PhD in Social Psychology in 2001, Habilitation in 2010) and my research activities at the ISCTE-IUL Center for Research and Social Intervention. My research focuses mainly on the factors and mechanisms that explain the legitimacy of injustice and victimization, including the phenomenon of "blaming the victim". This research is theoretically framed by the Belief in a Just World Theory, whose development and consolidation I have contributed to, especially in what refers to the legitimation of the injustices that happen to the members of our group. I have also developed research on the predictive value of the fundamental need to perceive the world as just to various indicators of well-being. My research has been published in international and national journals,  and has also been done in collaboration with master and doctoral students under my supervision.    

Assistant Professor at ISCTE-IUL and CIES and had completed his MSc and PhD in  Demography by FCSH of Universidade Nova de Lisboa. Member of the Associação Portuguesa de Demografia. Author of 20 scientific articles and 10 book chapters about 20 demographic topics as: fertility, contraception, mortality, migrations and demographic projections

Jorge Ferreira, Associate Professor with Aggregation at Iscte - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa. Aggregation in January 2024, on "Questioning Social Work as a Social Science" "Training/research in Social Work". PhD in Social Work in the speciality of Social Work, Social Policies and Society, (Approved with Distinction and Praise) carried out in association between ISCTE/ISSSL, on the theme: Social Work and Child Welfare Models. Modus Operandi of the Social Worker in Promoting Child and Family Protection. Master's Degree in Social Work on the theme: Social Intervention and Judicial Intervention in the Problem of Abused Children. Relation and/or Intersection (ISSSL:1998), after graduating in Social Work (ISSSL: 1990). Completed a postgraduate course at the Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada - History of Ideas and Major Doctrines in Criminology (ISPA: 1993), attended year zero "Systemic Approach" of the Family Therapy course (Associação Portuguesa de terapia Familiar: 1997), took the Pedagogical Aptitude and Scientific Capacity tests (ISSSL: 2000) on the subject of Mediation and Social Intervention in Justice. Further practical training after graduation abroad, in Psychiatric Rehabilitation at the Waterheuvel Foundation, Amsterdam / Holland (1993), in Psychiatric Rehabilitation at the Société Parisiene d'aide á lá Santé mental - SPASM .Paris (1993); Reintegration and Professional Integration at the Scottish Association for mental health . Scotland (1994). Participation in research programmes and projects in the areas of the Transfer of Action profiles, training, for the development of the helping relationship with people in situations of abandonment (Children, Adolescents); Social Work in Europe. Comparative Model in Romance Languages and in the fields of the Child Protection System; Children's Rights, Social Policies for Children and Social Intervention with Families. He has published 13 scientific articles and several papers at national and international seminars and conferences. He is a contributor to the Katálisis magazine (a biannual magazine that circulates in Spanish-speaking countries and Portugal and is aimed at social workers and professionals in related areas, teachers and researchers). Professor of different curricular units at 1st and 2nd cycle level. Visiting Professor at the Complutense University of Madrid (Escuela de Trabajo Social) and the University of Granada (Escuela de Trabajo Social), collaborator with higher education institutions in Portugal (Instituto Universitário de Lisboa. ISCTE) and in the scientific cooperation programmes of lecturers at the Lusíada University of Lisbon (Instituto Politécnico da Guarda, Instituto Politécnico de Beja, Universidade dos Açores). In 2009, Accredited External Evaluator for New Opportunities. Member of the Jury for the Public Administration's 2nd level middle manager competition. Pedagogical and scientific coordinator and teacher of the Technological Specialisation Course (CET) "Reception in Institutions". (2008/2010). Several participations in the Socrates Erasmus Programme (teacher mobility) with European universities: Complutense de Madrid Spain, University of Kalmar Sweden, University of Mastrich, Netherlands, Bicocca University Milan Italy and University of Granada Spain. Stradinsk University Letavia. Scientific Areas of Training: Theory and Methodology of Social Work, Critical Theory and Social Work, Research in Social Work, Seminars in Social Work Practice, Evaluation of Social Policy Programmes, International Social Work; Research Methodologies, Specific Intervention Methodologies in Social Gerontology, Social Intervention in Situations of Risk, Social Intervention with Abusive Families, Network Intervention, Deviant Behaviours, Introduction to Criminology and Victimology.

  Alexandra Ferreira-Valente is interested in the positive orientation of health psychology, pain assessment and management, effects and mechanisms of psychological pain interventions and cross-cultural mixed-method research. She is particularly focused on understanding how the association between the meaning attributed to pain, beliefs and coping responses and psychological and physical adjustment do chronic pain are mediated and moderated by culture in people with chronic pain from different countries and cultural backgrounds. She is also dedicated to the study of the mechanisms explaining the effects of self-management strategies and psychological and spiritual interventions on the adjustment to life in healthy and not healthy people. In her research work, she combines cognitive-behavioral and existentialistic approaches with the overarching and long-term aim of helping people better manage different stressors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, chronic pain, and their effects on people’s lives.

PhD in Social Work from ISCTE-IUL on the subject of "Hospital accreditation and good professional practice"; Specialisation in Family Mediation and Conflict Management and a degree in Social Work from the Lisbon Higher Institute of Social Work. Visiting Assistant Professor at ISCTE-IUL. She teaches on the 1st Cycle of Study of the Degree in Social Work, and on the PG in Social Work in Health.  She has supervised Master's and PhD research projects.  Social Worker at CHULC, She is part of several research projects: Validation of SWAAT instruments; IEXPAC for the Portuguese population. Creation and validation of quality indicators in healthcare in partnership with the ACSS; Member of the Join Action transfer of best praCtices In pRimary CarE (CIRCE-JA), from 2023 to 2025. She is a member of the PAFIC and APSS bodies; Her areas of research interest are: social work and health systems; hospital discharge planning; quality and good practice; innovation, the psychosocial impact of illness and operational tools to support professional practice and the integration of care.   

Maria Inês Amaro is PhD in Social Work and MA in Communication, Culture and Information Technology. Professor at the bachelor, master and doctorate in Social Work at University Institute of Lisbon. She co-ordinated Social Work bachelor and master degree at Catholic University of Portugal. Supervises master and PhD dissertations and thesis in Social Work. She is researcher at the CIES-IUL, Centre for Research and Studies in Sociology and reviewer of UCE (Catholic University Press) for Social Work publications. She founding member of the European Association for Social Work Research was part of the host committee for the 6th European Conference for Social Work Research (Lisbon, 2016). Has research interests in the areas of theory and practice of Social Work, Social Policy and Social Work, Society and Technology and Labour and Social Exclusion. Consultant in the area of social planning and evaluation. Author of books, chapters and articles in the above-mentioned fields. Since 2019, commissioner at the Institute of Social Security, where is Head of Social Development Department, with national responsibilities over the impkmentation and development of public policy in the fields of children and youth, cooperation with third sector and charities, and social intervention. President of the National Commission of the National System for Child Early intervention; of the National Council for Adoption (years 2024-2026); evaluation jury for Programa Escolhas (projects to prevent and combat youth delinquency), 2023 edition; is member of the National Council of Cooperation; Single Operational Group, for the reception of asylum-seekers; of the National Council for Migrations; of the Commission for Inclusive Policies for People with Disabilities; of the executive group for the Implementation, Monitoring and Assessment of the National Strategy for the Integration of People Experiencing Homelessness, and, among others,of the Follow-up Commission of the National Strategy for Fighting Poverty; is the national oficial link to civil protection.

Maria João Pena holds a PhD in Social Work, MA in Sociology and bachelor degree in Social Work. Director bachelor degree in Social Work is also professor at master and doctorate program. She is a researcher in CIES-IUL (Centre for research and studies in Sociology). The research interests are in Theory and Epistemology of social work , social work practices with children and families, at school and in disability.

PhD with international mention by the University of Huelva (Spain) in the Department of Sociology and Social Work. Full-time Social Work Assistant Professor at ISCTE- University Institute of Lisbon teaching different courses at the bachelors, masters and PhD Social Work programs. He holds the position of Master's Program Director in Social Work. He is a Researcher at CIES-IUL and a collaborating researcher of the Socio-educational Intervention Group in Social Contexts at UNED (Spain). His areas of interest are linked to Immigration (Superdiversity, Interculturalism, Mixed Couples, and Cultural Heritage in Children); Social Work Education; Social Exclusion, Human Rights and Social Work; and Digital Social Work.

Master in Demography and Sociology of Population and PhD in Sociology from Iscte-Instituto Universitário de Lisboa. Associate Professor at the Department of Social Research Methods (DMPS) and Researcher at CIES-Iscte, in the Family, Generations and Health research line. Co-coordinator of the Laboratory of Social Studies on Birth - nascer.pt.President of the Pedagogical Council of Iscte.Member of the Scientific Committee of the Department of Social Research Methods, School of Sociology and Public Policy (ESPP).President of the Jury of the M23 competition of the ESPP, and member of the Scientific Committee of the special competitions for access to Iscte, which contributes to the design of training and monitoring responses for an increasingly diverse student body, aiming to improve access conditions and the academic and social experience of students (from 2019 to 2023).Areas of research interest: Demography, Sociology of Population and Sociology of Birth and Maternity.Co-coordinator of an international cooperation project in the area of Education and Higher Education with the Amílcar Cabral University in Guinea-Bissau.Researcher in the projects FEMINA, EQUALS4COVID19, ERASMUS+ Education and Training, and member of the team responsible for the elaboration of the Strategic Plan for Intermunicipal Development of Education in Alto Alentejo, the Strategic Educational Plan of Baixo Alentejo and Municipal Educational Charters.