She was born in Porto in 1963.
She is Associate Professor with Habilitation at School of Engineering since January 2020.
She graduated in Chemical Engineering at Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, on October 16, 1986; Master in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Industrial Automation profile, at Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, on May 6, 1991; PhD in Chemical Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, on December 22, 1997. She received the Habilitation degree in Industrial Electronic Engineering and Computers at the University of Minho, on 27 and 28 January, 2020.
She joined the University of Minho, as Assistant Professor, on October 1992, in the Department of Industrial Electronics at the School of Engineering.
She developed her teaching activity in the Automation and Process Control areas.
The main scientific interests have focused on process modeling and control. With a special focus on the use of technology as a mean of helping typically developed people or people with cognitive or motor limitations, she invested in the area of human-computer/robot interaction and human wellbeing, highlighting the use of social robots as promoters of interaction and communication with children with autism spectrum disorder. For several years, she has been dedicated to the field of Engineering Education, new methodologies and teaching/learning tools. These studies were/are developed within the scope of Master's and Doctoral studies. She is the author of several articles published in specialized international journals and conferences.
As part of the interaction with society, she participated in scientific dissemination actions in the media and in exhibitions.
She held the positions of Deputy Director of the Course Industrial Electronics Engineering, Director of the Doctoral Program in Electronics and Computer Engineering, Deputy Director of the Department of Industrial Electronics and of the Algoritmi Research Center, Scientific Coordinator of the Industrial Electronics Line and of the Research Group of Control, Automation and Robotics at Centro Algoritmi. She was Member of the Scientific Council and School Council of the School of Engineering and Secretary of the Scientific Council of the School of Engineering, and Leader of Initiative 2, High School Link (Links with pre-university levels) of the Board Direction of the School of Engineering.
She held the positions of President of the Board and President of the General Assembly of the Portuguese Association for Automatic Control (APCA); President of the Portuguese Society for Engineering Education (SPEE); Founder and President of the IEEE Affinity Group Women in Engineering (WIE); President of the Supervisory Board of Associação Projetos para a Aprendizagem e Ensino em Engenharia (PAEE).
