She is a full professor in the Department of Social Psychology and the Psychology of Organisations at ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon, where she has taught since 2004. She does her research work at the Research and Social Intervention Centre at the same university.
She has coordinated several research projects throughout her career, having specialised in the application of Social Psychology to health and environmental issues. One of the topics that she looked into more closely is the question of risk perception, from the social factors that affect it to its consequences for public participation in decision-making processes.
Between 2006 and 2010, she chaired the Portuguese Association of Psychology. She was a member of the Scientific Council of Social Sciences and Humanities at the Foundation for Science and Technology.
She has written several books, such as «Social Psychology of Health, Volumes 1 and 2» (Edições Sílabo) and the essay «Ourselves and Others: The Power of Social Ties», published by Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos.