Social Affairs

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

Author of the novels «Archipelago” and "Meridian 28», as well as the diaries «Life in the Countryside», which earned him the APE Grand Prize. He was born on Terceira Island, spent 20 years in Lisbon – where he wrote for almost all the major national newspapers – and returned to the Azores in 2012. Since then, he has been living in Dois Caminhos, where he takes care of his two dogs, a garden and an orchard. He is the author, among others, of the column «Father at 50» (Notícias Magazine).

He has a master’s degree in legal and political sciences and a law degree. A professional lawyer with over 15 years’ experience, he has also been a member of Parliament (2011-2013) and Secretary of State for Tourism (2013-2015). Furthermore, he served as vice-president of the CDS-PP (2016-2019). He has been a commentator and columnist for SIC, TSF, Visão, Jornal de Negócios, Diário de Notícias and i.

Last updated: April 2023

He has a PhD in Social Work, specialising in Social Policy and Social Movements. He is an associate professor at the Catholic University of Portugal School of Social Sciences and a researcher at the Católica Research Centre for Individual, Family and Social Well-Being. He is a member of the European Social Work Research Association's Social Work, History and Research and Social Work and Policy Practice research groups. His research focuses on poverty studies and public policies, especially citizenship social protection policies and social minimums. He participated as a researcher in the Adequate Income in Portugal project.

Last update. May 2021

She has a PhD in social work and a degree in sociology and currently works as Lecturer at the Faculty of Human Sciences of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa. She was a member of the Social Security staff, where she held various positions. She has been a councillor (without portfolio) in the Porto City Council since 2017, having also served a term from 2009-2013.
A consultant to the European Commission for social programmes, she coordinated the 2nd and 3rd National Action Plan for Inclusion (Portugal 2006-2010). She is president of the Administrative Commission of the Porto Delegation of the Red Cross (since 2017).

Last updated: May 2021

Journalist at the Público newspaper, she has also been working in the area of human rights and social exclusion for more than two decades, paying particular attention to historically marginalised groups.
She has written in-depth investigative reports and this is her eighth book, including three that she wrote when she was working in the field of international cooperation and volunteering. She has also written documentary plays and is now writing documentary films and narrative podcasts.

Last update: May 2026