He is a doctor, specialising in Clinical Haematology and Medical Oncology, and Senior Graduate Assistant in Haematology at the Portuguese Institute of Oncology in Lisbon. He is a visiting associate professor at the National School of Public Health. He was Minister of Health in the short-lived 20th Constitutional Government and Deputy Secretary of State of the Minister of Health in the 19th Constitutional Government. He was Deputy Director-General of Health and consultant on health policy issues at the Civil House of the President of Portugal.