Social Affairs

She was born in 1982 and did competitive swimming and then the triathlon until 1999, when she went to the School of Fine Arts in Lisbon, where she got a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Design. She was in college when she became a finalist for the Young Creators Prize in Literature. Her first novel came out in 2009 and won the Maria Amalia Vaz de Carvalho Award. Since then she has published novels, short stories and children's books. She has a PhD in Cultural Studies and also writes for dance and theatre.
www.joanabertholo.pt

Last updated: September 2023.

Geographer, holding a PhD in Geography and Territorial Planning from the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (NOVA FCSH) of the New University of Lisbon. He is Professor at NOVA FCSH, Coordinator of the Department of Geography and Regional Planning and Researcher at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Social Sciences (CICS.NOVA).
His research focuses on housing policies, real estate market dynamics, urban public policies, urban geography, spatial planning and urban studies. He has published various studies in these fields, in addition to conducting diverse knowledge dissemination activities, such as coordinating scientific projects and curating exhibitions.

Last updated: July 2023

She specialises in cognition and the cognitive distortion patterns that prevent us from making better life choices. She is also an expert on how behavioural changes can lead to a happier and more fulfilling life via positive psychological attitudes.
A professor of psychology and Director of Yale University's Silliman College, her «Psychology and Living Well» classes have been wildly successful, breaking all enrollment records at the institution. They also led her to create a free online course, which has already received over 3.3 million students, as well as the podcast «The Happiness Lab».
Drawing on her research, she explains how we are biologically programmed to be motivated by sex, to be deeply influenced by other people and to repeat our mistakes. Using examples from the animal kingdom, she explains many of our illogical behaviours and gives tips on how we can use our human abilities to counter evolution, make more rational choices and live happier lives.

Last updated: February 2023