Speakers

Professor at the National School of Public Health of NOVA University Lisbon. He holds a PhD in Health Administration from the University of Lisbon, a Master’s degree in Public Health from NOVA University Lisbon, and a degree in Medicine from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon. He is a specialist in Public Health.

He is a member of CISP at NOVA National School of Public Health and of CHRC at NOVA University. He served as Minister of Health in the 21st Constitutional Government from 2015 to 2018.

He is a member of the Board of Directors of GIMM – Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine – and Invited Full Professor at Universidade Europeia. He is Coordinator of the Strategic Health Pact of the Presidency of the Republic and Chair of the Independent Technical Committee for University Local Health Units.

He was a member of the WHO Advisory Board on Noncommunicable Diseases. He is a Full Member of the National Academy of Medicine of Portugal and the author of dozens of scientific articles and communications.

Senior Graduate Consultant in Internal Medicine and one of Portugal’s leading figures in the integration of healthcare and innovation in hospital management. She graduated in Medicine from the Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon, completed her specialty in Internal Medicine with distinction from the Portuguese Medical Association, and later completed the Advanced Management Programme for Healthcare Institutions (PADIS) at AESE Business School.

Over more than three decades of activity, she has held clinical and administrative leadership roles, notably as Chair of the Board of Directors and Clinical Director of the Local Health Unit of the Alentejo Coast, as well as Director of the Internal Medicine Department, Director of the Emergency Department and Clinical Director in Baixo Alentejo.

She has coordinated innovative programmes in integrated care and case management, participated in European projects such as JADECARE, chaired the Portuguese Association for Integrated Care (PAFIC), and collaborated as a lecturer at the National School of Public Health.

Her career has been widely recognised by organisations in the sector, having received the PAFIC Career Award for her contribution to the National Health Service.

Lawyer, partner at Pérez-Llorca. With more than 20 years of experience, he specialized in public policies, regulation, public procurement and administrative litigation, with extensive experience in public contracts (both in pre-contractual phases and in the execution of public contracts on behalf of public entities and private companies). Extensive experience in contracting in the healthcare sector, he is the author of articles and a guest speaker on matters of value-based public procurement in the healthcare sector. He was Secretary of State for Tourism in the 19th and 20th Constitutional Governments of Portugal. During his mandate, he led the reformulation of a significant set of public policies: i) travel agencies, ii) hotels, iii) local accommodation, v) tourist entertainment, vi) online gaming, vii) marketing strategy for Portugal as a destination tourism (digital marketing, big data, business intelligence, among others). He is currently an independent non-executive Director and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Galp Energia, member of the arbitration panel of the Center for Administrative Arbitration (CAAD) and President of the Business Club of the World Trade Center Lisbon for smart cities. He teaches Public Management in the Master’s in International Development and Public Policies at NOVA SBE (ranked by the Financial Times as the 15th best in the International Master’s in Management, 11th in Finance and the 24th Business School in Europe). He also teaches Law and Public Policies in the Masters in Public Law and Regulation at NOVA School of Law. He is a regular speaker at academic and civil society conferences on public policy, business development, regulation, and public law.

Psychiatrist, Senior Resident in Psychiatry at Beatriz Ângelo Hospital (ULS Loures-Odivelas), where she coordinates the Adult Neurodevelopment Clinic and is a member of the Acute Inpatient Team and the Electroconvulsive Therapy Unit. She also provides clinical care at PIN – Partners in Neuroscience and teaches at Católica Medical School. She holds a Bachelor of Medicine degree from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon (FMUL) and completed her residency in psychiatry at the Lisbon Psychiatric Hospital (Júlio de Matos Hospital). She holds a postgraduate degree in Human Sexuality from FMUL and an Executive Master’s in Health Services Management from ISCTE-Executive Education. Throughout her career, she has worked in the Neuropsychiatry and Dementia Service (Júlio de Matos Hospital) and at Cascais Hospital, where she was responsible for Liaison Psychiatry. This is one of her main areas of interest, emphasizing an integrated approach to mental illness at its interface with other medical and surgical specialties. At the same time, she actively participates in initiatives to raise awareness and disseminate information about mental health, contributing to the promotion of knowledge and literacy in this area as a way to mitigate the stigma associated with mental disorders.

Afonso Dias Alves is Board Member and CFO at Promptly Health, a real-world evidence company that helps hospitals and life sciences organizations turn health data into faster research and better care. He leads finance and corporate for the company and has been closely involved in its growth over the years. He has over 20 years of experience across healthcare, technology, infrastructure, and financial services. His career has spanned multinational corporations such as Siemens and Unilever, as well as financial institutions including Caixa BI and Banco Primus. Across these roles, he has worked in business development, sales, strategy, innovation, and corporate finance. He holds a degree in Business Administration and Management from Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics.

PhD in Food Consumer Sciences from the Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences of the University of Porto.

President of the Portuguese Nutritionists’ Association from 2012 to 2023, President of the Installation Committee of the Portuguese Nutritionists’ Association from 2011 to 2012, and President of the Portuguese Association of Nutritionists from 1998 to 2011.

Senior Advisor in the Health Senior Technician career at the National Institute of Health Dr Ricardo Jorge. Guest Professor at the Faculty of Medical Sciences of NOVA University Lisbon and at the School of Biotechnology of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa.

She holds a Master’s degree in Food Innovation from the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, a postgraduate qualification in Health Management from Católica Porto Business School, and a degree in Nutrition Sciences from the Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences of the University of Porto.

Alexandra Domingos specializes in Public Management, Public Policy, and Strategic Planning, with experience in designing and implementing strategies for the transformation of public organizations and regions.

She holds a master’s degree in Economics and Public Policy and is a Ph.D. candidate in Public Policy, focusing her research on the challenges of governance, strategic planning, and the capacity of public institutions to anticipate and respond to economic, social, and demographic changes.

She is the Director of Strategy and Planning at GestPub – Public Management and Municipal Consulting and a City Councilmember for the City of Cascais. Her work has focused on building more strategic, integrated, and results-oriented public management models, with a particular emphasis on preparing regions for the challenges of longevity, innovation, and urban transformation.

Entrepreneur and Executive Manager with more than 29 years of professional experience in the Telecommunications, Information Systems and Management Consulting sectors.

A specialist in Leadership, Business Strategy, Communication and Mergers & Acquisitions, he is currently a Business Advisor and Non-Executive Board Member in several national and international business groups. He supports digital transformation processes, restructuring and governance, business growth and the development of new markets, as well as corporate consolidation processes across multiple sectors.

He is a Board Member of TagusPark and President of the Strategic Council for the Digital Economy at CIP.

A top executive at the Altice Group between 2012 and 2023, he served as Co-CEO of the Altice Group at international level, leading the Group’s operations in 10 countries. He was also Chairman of Altice USA and Chairman of Altice Portugal.

In Portugal, he was Executive President / CEO of Portugal Telecom / Altice Portugal between 2017 and 2022. He was also Executive Leader of Altice Labs, the Research and Development unit of the Altice Group, and President of the Altice Foundation until 2023. Previously, following the acquisition of Portugal Telecom by the Altice Group, he served as CTIO and was responsible for Operations between 2015 and 2017.

Earlier in his career, he was CEO of ONI Portugal and Mozambique, and a Member of the Board of Directors of Cabovisão, between 2006 and 2013.

He has worked in strategic management and consulting in Portugal and on several international projects in more than a dozen countries.

Academic Background
He holds a degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Lisbon, a postgraduate qualification in Sales and Marketing Management from Team View Institute, and several postgraduate qualifications in Management and Strategy.

Alexandre Quintanilha Born in Mozambique, he is a physicist, researcher and Emeritus Full Professor at the Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS) of the University of Porto, widely recognised for his contribution to the development of science in Portugal and for his international standing.

He graduated in Mathematics and Physics from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, where he also completed a master’s degree in Theoretical Physics and a PhD in the same field. He later obtained his habilitation in Biophysics from the University of Porto.

His scientific career initially developed in the United States, where, for around twenty years, he taught and carried out research at the University of California, Berkeley. There, he distinguished himself as a professor of cell physiology and biophysics and as director of an Environmental Studies Centre at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

In the 1990s, he returned to Portugal, where he played a decisive role in the modernisation of national biomedical research. He was the founder and director of the Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC) and the Institute of Biomedical Engineering (INEB), institutions that helped establish Portuguese research in cutting-edge fields. He also chaired the consortium of the Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S).

At the same time, he held prominent roles in the promotion of scientific culture, chairing the scientific council of the Pavilion of Knowledge – Ciência Viva.

His work also extended to the civic and political sphere, having served as a Member of the Portuguese Parliament and Chair of the Education and Science Committee, as well as a member of the National Council of Ethics for the Life Sciences.

His career stands out for his ability to bring together research, teaching, innovation and public service, making him one of the most influential figures in contemporary Portuguese science.

Since 7 February 2024, he has served as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Loures-Odivelas Local Health Unit (ULS), with responsibility for the financial portfolio. He previously served as Executive Director of the Almada-Seixal Group of Health Centres and as Director of the Primary Health Care Department at the Litoral Alentejano Local Health Unit. He has also worked as a higher education lecturer. He holds a Master’s degree in Health Sciences, a Specialist Qualification for teaching in higher education, a postgraduate qualification in Finance, a postgraduate qualification in “New Trends in Business Management”, a bachelor’s degree in Health Management, and a bachelor’s degree in Nursing.

A medical specialist in Immuno-Haemotherapy, he is currently Director of the Blood Service at ULS Santa Maria and Professor of Clinical Transfusion Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon.

He graduated in Medicine from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto and has developed a career marked by the leadership of blood services and the implementation of quality systems in healthcare institutions.

He served as Director of the Blood Service at Hospital de Évora and coordinated the Immuno-Haemotherapy Services networks in the Alentejo and Algarve regions, promoting certification and continuous improvement processes that led to the achievement of ISO 9001 certifications.

He was also Director of the “Laura Ayres” Regional Public Health Laboratory of the Algarve, contributing to the strengthening of quality and response capacity in laboratory and public health services.

Alongside his clinical and management activity, he has held teaching roles in postgraduate programmes dedicated to international quality systems, sharing his experience in the areas of management, certification and organisation of healthcare services.

Recognised for his career in transfusion medicine and quality management in healthcare, he currently serves as President of the Coordinating Council of SEDES, placing his experience at the service of strategic reflection and the development of policies for Portuguese society.

Ana Jorge earned her medical degree from the University of Lisbon in 1973 and later specialized in pediatrics. Throughout her clinical career, she worked for 15 years at D. Estefânia Hospital and served as director of the Pediatrics Department at Garcia de Orta Hospital. In the political arena, she served as Minister of Health in the 17th and 18th Constitutional Governments and also chaired the Lisbon and Tagus Valley Regional Health Administration. At the same time, she was deeply involved in institutional and academic activities, serving as president of the Garcia de Orta Center and of the Council of the Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She also coordinated the Mission Unit at Hospital da Estrela for Long-Term Care at Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa.

She holds a degree in management from ISEG and a specialization in health policies, strategies, and health organizations from the National School of Public Health, which has greatly contributed to her dialogue with policymakers and healthcare professionals. She holds a certification in Lean in Healthcare from Villanova University in the United States. Her extensive, well-established, and multidisciplinary professional experience has enabled her to develop a holistic view of the sector, whether at the level of companies, regulatory bodies, healthcare providers, or payers. She currently works as a healthcare consultant with a particular focus on continuous improvement and real-time quality.

Ana Povo holds a bachelor’s degree in medicine from the Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Porto and a Ph.D. in medicine from the University of Porto School of Medicine. She also holds an MBA in Health Organizations and Systems from Fernando Pessoa University.

She served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the ICBAS-CHP Academic Clinical Center and as a Senior Resident in General Surgery at the Santo António University Hospital.

During her training, she completed internships at St. Mark’s Hospital in London, United Kingdom; the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, USA; and the University of Erlangen, Germany, where she conducted part of her doctoral research.

In addition, she is a visiting associate professor at the Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Porto, where she is also a member of the scientific council, the scientific committee for the integrated master’s program in Medicine, the joint committee, and the pedagogical committee for undergraduate education at the Santo António University Hospital/ICBAS. She is also a visiting associate professor at Fernando Pessoa University.

Furthermore, she is a member of Infarmed’s Health Technology Assessment Committee and the European Medicines Agency’s Expert Panel on the Evaluation of Medical Devices.

Since February 2023, she has been a member of the Disciplinary Council of the Northern Regional Section of the Portuguese Medical Association, having previously served as a member of the Portuguese Medical Association’s Assembly of Representatives.

She has also served as a member of the board of directors of the Portuguese Society of Minimally Invasive Surgery and as a member of the Audit Committee of the Portuguese Society of Coloproctology.

Ana Raquel Santos holds a law degree from the University of Coimbra’s School of Law and a postgraduate degree in Hospital Administration from the National School of Public Health at Nova University of Lisbon. Throughout her professional career, she has gained solid experience in the management of healthcare organizations, notably serving as an executive member of the Board of Directors of the Figueira da Foz District Hospital, E.P.E. (HDFF). In this capacity, she assumed responsibility for strategic areas such as Procurement, Human Resources Management, Financial Management, Information Systems, Management Planning and Control, and General Services, in addition to other areas of shared responsibility. In parallel with her management activities, she has contributed to the discourse and development of the healthcare sector through the publication of several articles in the areas of Health Services Contracting and Telehealth. She is also a founding member of the Portuguese Association for Integrated Care, an association dedicated to promoting integrated models of healthcare delivery.

She is a researcher, professor, and specialist in Public Health at the National School of Public Health of Universidade Nova de Lisboa (ENSP NOVA). She holds a Ph.D. in Public Health from this institution, and her scientific and academic work focuses on empowering and engaging citizens in health decisions, with a special emphasis on the areas of Health Policy, Health Literacy, and Health Communication.

She currently coordinates the Academic Network for Health Literacy and is a researcher at the Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC). Throughout her career, she has collaborated strategically with the public sector, having served on the Task Force for the National Program for Health Literacy at the DGS and the Strategic Support Unit (NAE) of the Ministry of Health. She
is also co-coordinator of the national community outreach project “Saúde que Conta” [1] and host of the podcast “O Lado B da Literacia.”

Co-Founder and President of the All aBoard Association

Postgraduate Diploma in Adapted Sport

Master’s Degree in Physical Activity for People with Disabilities (currently pursuing)

Level I Football and Futsal Coach

Ana João Sepúlveda, a sociologist by training, has devoted the past 20 years to studying the relationship between longevity and economic development. An entrepreneur and current co-founder of Pedrabase Longevidade and Global Wellness Portugal, she develops projects at the intersection of longevity, economic development, sustainability, and organizational strategy, working with companies, municipalities, universities, and other organizations to build solutions for a society in which people are living increasingly longer lives.

She is the author of the concepts “Longevity Driven Economy” and “Longevity Social Governance” (LSG), arguing that longevity should be understood not merely as a demographic or aging issue, but as a structural force for economic and social transformation, with implications for work, markets, regions, health, well-being, and sustainability.

Throughout her career, she has conducted applied research, led consulting projects, provided training, and spearheaded awareness-raising initiatives on longevity and the economy, age-friendly organizations, and longevity ecosystems. She is the author and co-author of books and articles and regularly participates as a speaker and moderator at national and international conferences.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from the Portuguese Catholic University. She also holds an MBA from the AESE School of Management. Of particular note are the “Leadership in Healthcare Delivery” course/program at the Nova School of Business and Economics and the Advanced Course in Taxation at Arthur Andersen in London, Paris, and Amsterdam. She is currently Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Lisbon and Tagus Valley Regional Health Administration, I.P. She previously served as Coordinator of the Financial Management Unit at the Lisbon and Tagus Valley Regional Health Administration. Within the National Health Service (SNS), she also served as a member of the audit committees for the Western Lisbon Hospital Center, the IPO, and Prof. Fernando Fonseca Hospital. Highlights of her extensive professional career include serving as Director of Administration and Finance for the Bureau Veritas-Rinave Group; she was also responsible for the U.S. financial reporting of the Espírito Santo Group’s balance sheet, Manager of the Tax Consulting Division at KPMG, and Assistant Manager of the Tax Consulting Division at Arthur Andersen. She participated in various projects, with a special focus on the working groups coordinated by the ACSS for the Integrated Disease Management Platform—Chronic Kidney Disease—and for the Improvement of Financial Reporting by the ARS, among others.

André Tavares Rodrigues, who holds a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Oviedo and is currently an Assistant Professor at the European University, has 25 years of professional experience working with children and adolescents, having carried out projects in the field of educational guardianship promotion and protection in Portugal. He is the author of the first national study on the promotion of well-being in the workplace among social intervention teams. He is a co-founder of the Macaronesia Observatory for Children and Adolescents.

Founder and Executive Director of FÓRUM SAÚDE XXI, a civil society organisation founded in 2014 with the purpose of encouraging sustainable medium- and long-term policies in the fields of Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Citizen Empowerment.

President of the Coordinating Council of the Setúbal District branch of SEDES – Association for Economic and Social Development – since its foundation on 4 December 2021.

She began her professional career in the pharmaceutical industry, working for some of the sector’s leading multinational companies, and was responsible for editing scientific publications in the field of health for several years.

An entrepreneur and activist, her mission is to INSPIRE HEALTH AND PROTECT THE MOST VULNERABLE.

Ângela M. Teixeira is a senior resident in General and Family Medicine at the Nova Via Family Health Center (USF), part of the Gaia and Espinho Local Health Unit (ULS), and director of the General and Family Medicine Residency Program at Santos Silva 1 Hospital. She is a co-author of the book *The Family in General and Family Medicine: Concepts*, by Luís Rebelo, and the author of manuals on Child Health and Maternal Health. She was in charge of the DGS’s pilot physical activity clinic at the Nova Via Family Health Center in 2023.

Anne Geubelle works at the intersection of healthcare, data and transformation, supporting organisations in the use of technology and artificial intelligence to improve care delivery and the performance of health systems. She is co-founder of NAVAENA, an initiative that promotes new longevity models based on community, behavioural change and data-driven digital ecosystems. Her work focuses on creating environments that support longer, healthier and more meaningful lives.

António Lacerda Sales, a Portuguese orthopedic surgeon and politician. He became widely known for his time in government, where he played a prominent role as Secretary of State for Health (2019–2020) and Deputy Secretary of State for Health (2020–2022) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

António Saraiva is currently President of the Portuguese Red Cross. He served as President of CIP—the Confederation of Portuguese Industry—from January 2010, a position he retained when that organization became CIP—the Portuguese Business Confederation. He is a regular participant in social dialogue.

António Tavares, who holds a Ph.D. in Political Science, Citizenship, and International Relations and a bachelor’s degree in Law, served as a member of the Assembly of the Republic from 1985 to 1991. He was Secretary-General of the JSD from 1986 to 1988 and President of the Portuguese Association of Science and Technology Parks. He is a university professor and director of the bachelor’s program in Political Science and Electoral Studies at the Lusófona University of Porto. He is the author, among other works, of *Political Cohabitation under the 1976 Constitution*. He received the Adelino Amaro da Costa Award in 1982. He currently serves as Ombudsman for the Santa Casa da Misericórdia do Porto.

Degree in Medicine from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon – FMUL (1976). PhD in Medicine from FMUL (1994).

Specialist in Internal Medicine from Mount Sinai Hospital and Medical School, New York, USA (1983), Hospital de Santa Maria (1987) and the Portuguese Medical Association (1986).

Specialist in Nephrology from the University of California, San Francisco, USA (1985) and the Portuguese Medical Association (1989).

Specialist in Clinical Pharmacology, College of the Portuguese Medical Association, September 2008.

Diploma in Medical Education, University of Wales in Cardiff, UK (1997). Master’s degree in Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon (2000).

Director of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine Studies at the Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon (1999–present). Fellow of the American College of Physicians (FACP), elected in April 2008.

Executive Director of the Institute for Advanced Training, Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon (2009–present). Director of the Department of Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon (2016–2017).

Director of Cochrane Portugal (2014–present). Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology (FESC), elected in June 2015.

Director of the Institute of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon – FMUL (2017–present). Director of the Institute of Environmental Health, FMUL (2017–present).

Vice-President of the Scientific Council and Vice-President of the Institute of Evidence-Based Health, FMUL (2019–present).

Editor of several national and international medical journals. Author of more than 300 articles and book chapters, and more than 500 scientific communications.

António Vitorino served as President of the National Council for Migration and Asylum and has built a distinguished career spanning politics, law, public administration, academia, and international organizations.

He was Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) from 2018 to 2023. In Portugal, he served as a Member of Parliament for the Socialist Party across six legislative terms and held the positions of Minister of the Presidency, Minister of National Defence, and Secretary of State for Parliamentary Affairs.

He also served as a Judge of the Constitutional Court, Deputy Secretary to the Governor of Macau for Administration and Justice, European Commissioner for Justice and Home Affairs, and Member of the European Parliament, where he chaired the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.

Holding a Law degree and a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Sciences, he has been a practising lawyer since 1983. He has pursued a significant academic career at several Portuguese universities and is currently a Professor at Sciences Po in Paris.

In the private sector, he was a partner at the law firm Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira & Associados and has served on the boards, supervisory bodies, and advisory committees of various companies and institutions. His experience combines political leadership, legal expertise, and a strong international perspective, with a particular focus on justice, migration, and governance.

Armindo Moreira Palma Jacinto, from Idanha-a-Nova, has been Mayor of Idanha-a-Nova since June 2013. Married and residing in Penha Garcia, he has a long career in public service, civic associations and management.

Throughout his career, he has held several prominent positions in institutions related to regional development, tourism, civil protection and higher education. These include Treasurer of the Amato Lusitano Association, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Naturtejo, President of the Humanitarian Association of the Volunteer Firefighters of Idanha-a-Nova, Treasurer of the Historical Villages Association, member of the General Council of the Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, and Vice-President of the Portuguese Federation of Rural Tourism. All these positions were held on an unpaid basis.

He began his professional career at Caixa Geral de Depósitos in 1987, where he performed administrative, client management and deputy management duties in several branches across the region, including the opening and management of the Boa-Esperança branch in Castelo Branco.

In local government, he served as Councillor and Vice-Mayor of Idanha-a-Nova between 2002 and 2013, having previously been a member of the Municipal Assembly of Castelo Branco from 1997 to 2001.

At the same time, he developed activity in the areas of media, culture and sociocultural animation. He was director and programming manager of Rádio Amizade de Penha Garcia, produced radio programmes for several regional stations, and collaborated as a journalist and columnist with local and regional publications.

He interviewed several prominent figures in Portuguese political, cultural and social life, including Mário Soares and Aníbal Cavaco Silva. He also took part in the organisation of art exhibitions, craft fairs, tourism promotion initiatives and youth animation projects, in collaboration with local authorities and public bodies.

He was President of the Students’ Association of the Castelo Branco School of Agriculture and served on the governing bodies of several cultural, sports, environmental and civic associations in the region.

His career reflects a strong commitment to local development, civic engagement and the promotion of heritage, tourism and the identity of Beira Baixa.

Degree in Dental Medicine from the Faculty of Health Sciences at Fernando Pessoa University. Specialisation in Oral Rehabilitation from the Faculty of Dental Medicine at the University of Porto – 1st edition of the programme. Postgraduate qualification in Geriatrics from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Coimbra. Master’s student in Geriatrics at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra. Advanced Training in Management of Small Healthcare Units from Universidade Católica Portuguesa – Beiras Regional Centre. Member of GERMI (Geriatrics Study Group of the Portuguese Society of Internal Medicine). Postgraduate Course in Bioethics from the Faculty of Law at the University of Lisbon. Holder of a Pedagogical Competence Certificate (CCP).

Integrated Master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Lisbon, with a postgraduate degree in Pharmacotherapy from the Graduate School of Health and Management and a postgraduate degree in Economic Evaluation of Medicines from the Higher Institute of Economics and Management.

She is currently E External Affairs & Market Access DirectorE at AbbVie Portugal (since 2025). Previous experience as New Products & Real-World Evidence Manager (2023–2025); Head of Access, Policy & Healthcare System (2021–2023); Oncology Market Access Manager (2017–2021); and Oncology Disease Area Lead (2019) at Novartis Portugal. Market Access & Public Affairs Manager (2013–2017) and Scientific Advisor (2011–2013) at Bayer Portugal. She served as a hospital pharmacist in the Pharmaceutical Services department at HPP Hospital de Cascais and was a member of that institution’s Ethics Committee (2010–2011).

Invited to teach in various undergraduate and graduate health programs at the Portuguese Catholic University, the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Lisbon, and the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Coimbra.

Expert for the National Health Council (since 2023). Member of the Portuguese Pharmaceutical Society’s Interest Group on Health Technology Assessment and Market Access (since 2024). Member of the Executive Board of the Southern Regional and Autonomous Regions Section of the Portuguese Pharmaceutical Society (2016–2022). Founding Member and Board Member of the Portuguese Society of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacotherapy (2011–2016).

She holds a degree in Nuclear Medicine, specialising in Health Technology, and postgraduate qualifications in Business Management and in Information Management and Business Intelligence in Healthcare. She is also a specialist in Hospital Administration and currently serves as Municipal Director for Health and Social Affairs at Cascais City Council. She held management positions in primary healthcare for seven years, serving as Executive Director of the Arrábida Group of Health Centres (ACES) and later of the Cascais ACES. She began her career in public administration in 2011, specifically in the healthcare sector, as a senior officer at the Central Administration of the Health System (ACSS), where she worked mainly in national health planning until joining ACES Arrábida. In addition, she served on the Advisory Council of the Health Regulatory Authority as a representative of public healthcare providers without inpatient facilities and was a member of the Board of the Portuguese Association of Hospital Administrators (APAH).

Chief Nursing Officer at ULS Gaia Espinho, EPE. Higher Nursing Course, ESEDAG (1988). Degree in Rehabilitation Nursing (Specialty Course), ESECP (1995). Holds the title of Specialist Nurse in Rehabilitation Nursing awarded by the Portuguese Nurses Association. Advanced Added Competence in Management awarded by the Portuguese Nurses Association. Postgraduate qualification in Health Management and Economics from FEUC. Advanced Management Programme for Healthcare Institutions (PADIS) from AESE. Academic Specialist title awarded by UFP. President of the Portuguese Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (APER), elected on 25 February 2023 for his fourth term as President of the Board (terms: 2008–2010, 2011–2013, 2020 2022 and 2023–2025).President of the Board of the Specialty College of Rehabilitation Nursing of the Portuguese Nurses Association during the 2012–2015 and 2016–2019 terms. Member of the Rehabilitation Nursing Specialty Committee of the Portuguese Nurses Association during the 1999–2003 and 2004–2008 terms.

Bernardo Gomes is a public health physician, currently President of the National Association of Public Health Physicians (since 2025) and a Senior Resident at the Entre Douro e Vouga Local
Health Unit, a Visiting Professor at the University of Aveiro School of Medicine, and an Associate Editor at *Acta Médica Portuguesa*. His career combines institutional leadership, scientific
research, and involvement in health policy, with a focus on epidemiology, vaccination, and the improvement of health systems in Portugal.

Bruno Almeida is a physician specializing in Internal Medicine, with a practice focused on weight management, diabetes, cardiometabolic health, and longevity medicine. 

He coordinates the Multidisciplinary Obesity Centers at Hospital da Luz Torres de Lisboa and Hospital da Luz Setúbal, as well as the Diabetes Center at Hospital da Luz Torres de Lisboa. In his clinical practice, he develops a model of precision metabolic medicine focused on long-term weight management, the preservation of muscle mass, and the extension of healthy life years, integrating metabolic phenotyping, advanced body composition assessment, and continuous monitoring of biomarkers.

He is distinguished by his early adoption of technology applied to diabetes, notably continuous glucose monitoring and hybrid closed-loop insulin delivery systems, as well as by the integration of body composition data and remote monitoring into clinical decision-making. He has participated, as a principal investigator and co-investigator, in several Phase III clinical trials of new molecules in the areas of obesity, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), and cardiovascular risk. His prior experience in the pharmaceutical industry, as Medical Lead for Diabetes at Lilly Portugal, provides him with a comprehensive view of the entire therapeutic innovation cycle, from clinical development to access and clinical practice—a perspective he maintains today through his participation on pharmaceutical industry advisory boards in the areas of diabetes, obesity, and vaccination.

He was one of the expert authors of the General Directorate of Health’s Integrated Obesity Care Pathway, a national reference document for the organization of obesity care in Portugal.

He holds a master’s degree in Clinical Nutrition, has postgraduate training in Obesity Medicine from Harvard Medical School, and has postgraduate degrees in Health Management and Medical Law. He is a professor of Medical Ethics and Medical Law in the Integrated Master’s Program in Medicine at the University of Beira Interior and was a professor of Physiology at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra. She was part of the faculty team responsible for launching the medical program at the University of Cape Verde and has served as an invited international lecturer at Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique, Agostinho Neto University in Angola, and the University of Namibia in Windhoek.

Bruno Pina is CEO of Synapse, an international consulting company specialising in innovation and strategy in the healthcare sector.

He is also co-founder and Global Executive Director of the European Longevity Hub, an initiative based in Portugal that brings together researchers, entrepreneurs and investors with a common goal: to make well-being and longevity accessible to everyone, anywhere in the world.

With more than 20 years of experience in transformation, technology and innovation projects on a global scale, Bruno Pina has held executive roles in companies such as AstraZeneca, McKinsey & Company and IBM, leading transformation projects across several regions, including Latin America, North America, Europe and Asia.

In parallel, he works as an angel investor, mentor and strategic advisor, supporting healthcare companies and startups in their sustainable growth. He is also a guest lecturer in master’s programmes and has been a speaker for more than a decade, regularly taking part in international conferences and events.

A civil servant in the Science and Technology career track at the Brazilian Ministry of Health, she is currently on secondment to the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), where she serves as the head of the Fiocruz Representative Office in Portugal. She is a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Medical Sciences of the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), holds a Ph.D. in Public Health, specializing in Advanced Therapies, from the University of Brasília (UnB), a master’s degree in Health Sciences, and a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Pharmacy.

She serves on the Board of Directors of the Foundation for Scientific and Technological Development in Health (Fiotec) and on the Board of the Ataulpho de Paiva Foundation.

For five years, she served as Director of the Department of Science and Technology at the Brazilian Ministry of Health. During this period, she was recognized for creating and implementing the Genomas Brasil Program, the Action Plan for Clinical Research in Brazil, the Evidence Production Service to Support Decision-Making, and the Technology Commission for the production of the COVID-19 vaccine.

She also served as a consultant to the Butantan Institute and the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), participating in projects related to public funding for science, technology, and innovation in health, as well as the design and structuring of public programs and policies in this area, involving entities from both the public and private sectors.

Carlos Barranha, AIVE. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and a master’s degree in Business Administration, and has a 25-year professional career in the glass packaging industry, where he has held various leadership positions. He currently serves as Technical Director at Vidrala and represents AIVE in various forums.

He is currently President of the Santa Maria Local Health Unit (ULS). He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations, with a specialization in Economic and Political Affairs, from the University of Minho, and has had a distinguished career in public administration, health care, higher education, and business management. He began his professional career by helping to establish the Social Services department at the Polytechnic Institute of Faro, and later held regional and national leadership positions in the field of youth affairs. He served as President of the Algarve Regional Health Administration, Member of Parliament, Secretary of State for Health, and Deputy Secretary of State to the Minister of Tourism. He has also served as a government advisor, manager, and administrator at national and international companies, as well as President of the Lisbon North University Hospital Center and the Lisbon Academic Medical Center. He has maintained strong ties to higher education as a visiting professor and academic leader at various institutions. He is currently a leading figure in the fields of health, management, and international cooperation, having received numerous public honors for his contributions to institutional, economic, and social development in Portugal and abroad.

Carlos Mateus Gomes has a strong academic background in management; he holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Organization and Management from ISCTE and has completed postgraduate programs in Health Care Facility Management and Senior Management in Health Care, among other specializations. Throughout his career, he has held positions of high responsibility in the management of healthcare organizations, notably serving as an Executive Member of the Board of Directors of the Hospital do Espírito Santo in Évora and as CEO of the Portuguese Red Cross Hospital in Lisbon. An entrepreneur and author of the book *How to Plan*, he combines leadership experience, management skills, and strategic vision. He now puts his knowledge, expertise, and dedication to work for the development of the municipality of Arraiolos and its residents.

Carlos Oliveira is the current President of ADEXO (Association of Obese and Formerly Obese Patients of Portugal) and one of the most active advocates for the rights of patients with obesity.

A former merchant marine captain by training, his own journey to overcoming Class III obesity motivated him to dedicate his life to raising public awareness about this condition. His work extends to the international level, where he serves on the board of the European Coalition of People Living with Obesity (ECPO).

In Portugal, he is known for his regular participation in parliamentary committees, public debates, and academic conferences. His work focuses on combating social stigma, promoting equal opportunities, and advocating for better multidisciplinary care and treatment within the National Health Service.

He is one of Portugal’s most prestigious pulmonologists, Professor of Pulmonology and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra (FMUC), as well as Director of the Pulmonology Department at the Local Health Unit of Coimbra.

Between 2023 and 2024, he became the first Portuguese national to preside over the European Respiratory Society (ERS), the world’s largest organisation dedicated to respiratory diseases. He graduated and obtained his PhD from FMUC, has been a Full Professor since 2016, and also chairs the Council of Portuguese Medical Schools.

In his clinical practice, he has been a specialist in Pulmonology since 1992, is a Senior Consultant, and heads the Pulmonology Department at ULS Coimbra, while also maintaining clinical activity at Hospital da Luz.

He has also held important institutional leadership roles, having chaired the Board of Directors of the Coimbra Academic and Clinical Centre. He currently coordinates the Ministry of Health Working Group responsible for monitoring the Health Emergency and Transformation Plan.

His scientific and professional career has been widely recognised with several national and international distinctions, including four Thomé Villar Awards, the AstraZeneca Award from the Portuguese Society of Pulmonology, and the prestigious Morgagni Award, granted in Italy.

His career combines clinical, academic and research excellence with a strong contribution to health policy and the promotion of respiratory medicine at national and international level.

She currently serves as Head of Health at NTT DATA Portugal, leading innovation and digital transformation projects in the healthcare sector.

She is responsible for developing management strategies, promoting operational efficiency and implementing value-based care delivery models (Value-Based Healthcare), contributing to the modernisation and sustainability of healthcare organisations.

She has solid experience in hospital management, having held administration and management positions in several leading public and private institutions in Portugal. Throughout her professional career, she has consolidated expertise in strategic management, healthcare service organisation and the implementation of continuous improvement processes.

She is a board member of the Portuguese Association of Hospital Administrators (APAH), actively contributing to the discussion and development of healthcare management policies.

She holds a degree from Universidade Nova de Lisboa, complemented by specialised training in hospital management and health policy.

Catarina Castro began her career in 2002 in London, where she specialised and completed a master’s degree in Business Studies and Economics, focusing on investment banking and financial markets, and has over 15 years of professional experience.

She initially worked as an analyst of listed small and medium-sized companies, focusing her expertise on Portugal and Spain and contributing to these companies’ access to capital markets, whether through debt issuance or through their admission to regulated markets (BVL 30, PSI 20, IBEX 35).

Between 2005 and 2011, she held senior management and board positions at Banco Santander in Portugal and Brazil, managing over €8 billion and €100 billion in funds, respectively.

In 2013, Catarina Castro also specialised in advising on and executing mergers and acquisitions, completing transactions in the banking and insurance sector in Portugal.

Since 2020, Catarina Castro has also been an economic and financial commentator for SIC.

Catarina Durão is a nurse with a postgraduate degree in Digital Health from ISCTE, and currently serves as Telehealth Sales Program Coordinator at Linde Saúde. She is dedicated to developing new models of care delivery supported by telemonitoring, clinical intelligence, and remote monitoring of people with chronic conditions. With experience implementing digital health programs at hospitals, insurance companies, and public agencies, she has contributed to the transformation of healthcare by integrating technology into care pathways, promoting a more preventive, personalized, and sustainable approach. Her work focuses on creating solutions that bring care closer to people, improving patients’ quality of life and supporting the sustainability of healthcare systems.

Catarina Mascarenhas has been a consultant at Abreu Advogados since 2025. She specializes in digital law, technology, and intellectual property, having worked across various sectors and participated in numerous projects for key clients in the fields of electronic communications, technology, banking, energy, healthcare, media and entertainment, and infrastructure.

She has particular expertise in matters related to technology, consumer law, digital markets, media & entertainment, cybersecurity, privacy, personal data, and advertising, both in Portugal and international markets. She coordinates her work with multidisciplinary teams, whether in the context of transactions or ongoing client support, which ranges from providing ongoing legal
advice and project support to conducting legal audits.

She has extensive experience advising on transactional IP matters, as well as supporting the development and implementation of compliance programs related to the DORA, NIS2, AI, and DSA in coordination with companies’ internal teams across various sectors and in alignment with internal strategies and procedures, in accordance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements and best governance practices. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Pension Fund for Lawyers, Notaries, and Enforcement Agents.

She is the current Executive Member of the Board of Directors of the Tagus Estuary Local Health Unit (ULSET), where she has direct responsibility for the finance portfolio. Appointed in November 2025, she has a proven track record of more than 20 years of experience in hospital management, with extensive involvement in both the public and private healthcare sectors.

Before joining ULSET’s administration, she spent much of her career at ULS Amadora/Sintra between 2011 and 2025. At that institution, she served as Director of the Planning and Management Control Service, Manager of the Integrated Ophthalmology Responsibility Center, and Internal Auditor. In addition to her executive management duties, she is also dedicated to teaching at the higher education level.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and communication from the University of Coimbra. It was there that she discovered her passion for journalism while working at the Coimbra Academic Association’s television station and at Coimbra University Radio. She also studied in Poland and Austria as part of the Erasmus program. She is currently completing her master’s degree in journalism at Nova University of Lisbon. Her career as a journalist began at SIC, where she worked as a correspondent for the Middle Tagus region, and she is currently interning at TVI/CNN Portugal.

Cintia Mano is the Chief Investment Officer of the European Longevity Hub (ELH), an angel investor, and the author of Angel Investing Explained. With more than 25 years of experience in management, performance, and consulting, she has built a career that evolved into entrepreneurship and startup investment, focusing on ecosystem development and supporting entrepreneurs.

Cláudia Fraga holds a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and a master’s degree in Exercise and Health. She is a retired teacher (due to a disability resulting from her illness). She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer (bilateral fallopian tube cancer) in 2015, at age 49. In 2019, she suffered a recurrence and, that same year, decided to found the MOG Association to represent and support Portuguese women with gynecological cancers. The MOG Association aims to raise awareness about the impact of gynecological cancers on the lives of patients and their families, working not only to ensure proper diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care for this community but also to improve their quality of life and well-being. At the same time, it is committed to promoting health literacy, educating the public about the progress made and the efforts still needed, and engaging various organizations and experts in this field, as well as civil society and the media. Among the various causes and initiatives developed during MOG’s five years of existence, one of the most notable is the public petition (“No Portuguese woman with ovarian cancer left behind”), organized in 2023 to urge Infarmed to approve funding for innovative maintenance therapy drugs following first-line treatment (a measure already approved at the European level and available in many EU countries). At the time, in Portugal, these drugs were only accessible to patients with a BRCA genetic mutation (10–15% of all cases). The petition gathered more than twice the required number of signatures (nearly 16,000).

Cláudia Furtado is a Visiting Assistant Professor at ENSP NOVA. Her experience and research focus on the field of pharmaceuticals, specifically on issues related to pharmaceutical policy, health technology assessment, and pharmaceutical financing, as well as monitoring the use and effectiveness of pharmaceuticals. She also conducts research in the field of equity analysis in health care delivery and health care financing, with a particular focus on pharmaceuticals.

Cláudia Furtado serves as Director of the Information and Strategic Planning Directorate and the Health Technology Assessment Directorate at INFARMED—the National Authority for Medicines and Health Products, I.P. She represents INFARMED in various European networks, including the HTA Coordination Group, the National Competent Authorities for Pricing and Reimbursement, the WHO Collaborating Center for Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Policies, and the International Horizon Scanning Initiative. She serves on the advisory board of the DARWIN EU project and on the Steering Board of the RWE4Decisions consortium.

She holds a Ph.D. in Public Health from ENSP NOVA, a Master’s degree in Public Health from ENSP NOVA, and a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Lisbon.

Full Professor at NOVA Medical School, where she coordinates the Degree in Nutrition Sciences, the Academic Area of Nutrition and Lifestyles, and the Lifestyle Medicine CUF by NOVA Medical School University Unit.

She is a senior researcher at CINTESIS, where she coordinates the Thematic Line on Preventive Medicine and Societal Challenges, and is part of the RISE Associate Laboratory in the area of Community Health and Societal Challenges.

Her research focuses on disease prevention and health promotion, with particular emphasis on the role of bioactive food compounds, such as polyphenols and omega-3 fatty acids, as well as the effects of endocrine disruptors and the microbiota on metabolic dysfunction.

Throughout her career, she has led and participated in numerous national and international research projects, funded by public institutions and developed in partnership with the pharmaceutical and agri-food industries.

She is the author of more than 120 scientific articles published in indexed international journals. She holds a PhD in Human Biology (2002) and a habilitation in Clinical Metabolism and Experimentation (2010) from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto.

She has developed a distinguished career in the fields of nutrition, metabolism, preventive medicine and healthy lifestyles, combining research, teaching and innovation in healthcare.

PhD in Communication Sciences – Health Literacy, President of the Portuguese Society for Health Literacy (SPLS), Director of the Postgraduate Programme in Health Literacy at ISPA, Chief Editor of the Journal of Medical Research (JIM), researcher at ISCSP – CAPP, BUMPER Advisory Board Member, member of NCH – National Cancer Hub Portugal, and author of numerous books, book chapters and articles in the fields of health literacy, health communication and behaviour change.

He holds a degree in Biology from the University of Nottingham. He has 15 years of international experience in the healthcare sector — Pharma, Medical Devices and Biotech — in Marketing and Business Development roles, having worked for companies such as ITF-Farma, Genetrix, Carestream and SonoSite FUJIFILM. Over the past eight years, he has worked as a strategy consultant across several industries.

At the end of 2017, he launched LabToMarket, a one-stop shop for researchers and start-ups looking to bring their products and services to market, providing market know-how and building the strategic bridge between innovators and decision-makers.

He also works with government entities, hospitals and multinational companies as a consultant in agile methodologies and open innovation. Since 2022, he has been Head of Growth & Acceleration at Startup Portugal, the organisation responsible for the National Strategy for Entrepreneurship.

Full Professor at the School of Medicine of the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ). Superintendent of the Institute for Studies in Supplementary Health (IESS).
Researcher at the D’Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR). Vice Rector for Health at UERJ (2021–2022). Secretary of Science, Technology, Innovation, and Strategic Supplies at the Ministry of Health (2019–2020). Consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank (2013–2017). Coordinator of the Center of Excellence of the Pan American Health Organization (2010–2012).

Diogo Henriques is a Partner at Deloitte Portugal and leads Smart Cities and Urban Intelligence initiatives. He helps governments, infrastructure operators, transport authorities, and major venues evolve from traditional digital transformation programs to AI-enabled operating models that improve how complex systems are managed and operated in real time.

His work focuses on applying artificial intelligence, urban intelligence, digital twins, command centers, and data-driven operations to enhance the performance, resilience, and sustainability of critical infrastructure and large-scale ecosystems. Diogo has led initiatives spanning city operations, metropolitan-scale platforms, smart mobility, infrastructure management, and major event operations, including programs supporting urban management and Olympic-scale operational environments.

At the core of his work is helping organizations translate emerging technologies into measurable operational and societal outcomes, creating safer, more efficient, and more responsive environments for citizens, operators, and stakeholders. He works with organizations across Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and North America to design and implement next-generation operating models for cities and infrastructure.

Family Physician | Occupational Physician
Resident in General and Family Medicine – 2018
Family Physician at the Rio Dão Family Health Unit since September 1, 2018 – Coordinator September 12, 2019 – November 4, 2020
Coordinator of the Trace COVID-19 and ERPI Management and Outreach Team at ACeS Dão Lafões 2020–2022
Member of the Clinical and Health Council of ACeS Dão Lafões from November 26, 2020 – August 11, 2022
Chair of the Clinical and Health Council of ACeS Dão Lafões from August 11, 2022 – December 31, 2023
Family Physician at the São Teotónio Family Health Unit (USF) from November 28, 2022, to July 11, 2025
Chair of the Clinical and Health Council of the Viseu Dão-Lafões Local Health Unit (ULS) from May 31, 2024, to July 11, 2025
Specialist in Occupational Medicine – 2019

Duarte Tude Graça is an Assistant Lecturer and Consultant at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon. He currently collaborates with the Ministry of Health, after having interned with the first team of the Executive Board of the Portuguese National Health Service.

He has a strong background in student and community engagement, having held leadership roles as President of the Students’ Association of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon (AEFML). He was also a member of the Senate of the University of Lisbon, Local Representative, Senator and President of the General Assembly Board of the National Association of Medical Students (ANEM).

Currently a resident in training at ULS Santa Maria, he is also completing a study programme in Management at ISCTE Executive Education and leads several initiatives. These include being responsible for the Health portfolio in the Jovens por Lisboa initiative, founding the Gala Solidária social project at the Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon, founding the Futuro da Saúde Platform, and being a founding member of the Youth Council of Fórum Saúde XXI.

Motivated by the desire to make a positive impact on the community, he was also internationally nominated as a Next Generation Bold Leader.

Eduardo Costa is a member of INFARMED, I.P. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Nova SBE and is an assistant professor at the Instituto Superior Técnico, where his research focuses on health economics. He is the author of more than 40 scientific publications.

Eduardo Costa holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Nova School of Business and Economics (Nova SBE), a degree he completed in 2021, after completing doctoral courses in Economics and Health Policy at the Swiss Society of Health Economics in 2018. He holds a master’s degree in Economics from Nova SBE (2016) and a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the same institution (2014).

Since 2024, he has been an assistant professor at the Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) of the University of Lisbon, where he teaches courses in the areas of Economics and Health Systems at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels, as well as in executive education programs, with a special focus on Health Economics and Health Policy. That same year, he joined CEGIST—the Center for Management Studies at the Instituto Superior Técnico—as a staff researcher, conducting research focused on regulation and competition in the pharmaceutical market and the financial sustainability of public health spending.

He is the author or co-author of more than 40 publications, including scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals, reports, and book chapters, and has coordinated or participated in various studies and projects for public and private institutions in the field of health economics. Since 2024, he has served as a consultant to the Ministry of Health on economic affairs. He has also been a member of the National Commission for Reference Centers since 2023 and has served as an expert on the Health Technology Assessment Commission of INFARMED, I.P., since 2022.

Throughout his professional and academic career, he served as president of the Portuguese Association of Health Economics from 2023 to 2025, as a visiting professor and researcher at Nova SBE from 2017 to 2024, as a research fellow at Lancaster University in the United Kingdom in 2021, and a visiting researcher at Boston University and the Harvard School of Public Health in the United States in 2019. He also gained experience in the private sector as a strategic management consultant at Kearney in 2014 and between 2016 and 2017.

Over the years, at the Ministry of Health in Portugal, he held various positions, including: President (2002–2005) and Vice President of Infarmed (1994–2000; 2016–2019) and President (2014–2016) and Vice President (2011–2014) of the Central Administration of the Health System (ACSS, I.P.), and he has also held other executive and advisory roles in various health-related bodies, committees, and working groups.

Eduardo is a Public Health specialist, CEO, and co-founder of UpHill. He has a Master’s degree in medicine from NOVA University of Lisbon and a postgraduate degree in clinical research from Harvard University. He is also a visiting assistant in Digital Health at ISCTE and NOVA Medical School. Early on, he learned how to code at the age of 14 and has been passionate about it since then.

Ema de Passos Felgueiras is 24 years old and is a general medicine resident at the IPO in Coimbra. She holds a master’s degree in medicine from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Coimbra and simultaneously earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy with a minor in European studies from the Faculty of Arts at the same university. She served as a student councilor at the Faculty of Medicine and played an active role in Coimbra’s student organizations. She is vice president of the Socialist Youth of Viana do Castelo and a representative on the Chafé Parish Assembly. She is a member of the Health Working Group of the Socialist Youth’s national secretariat and served as health ambassador for the youth movement supporting António José Seguro’s presidential campaign. She currently represents Portugal on the executive committee of Women in Global Health— Lusophone Community and also serves on the executive committee of Women in Global Health Portugal, organizations dedicated to promoting women’s leadership in global health.

Ema Paulino is a community pharmacist and the owner of a pharmacy in Almada, Portugal. She is currently Managing Director and Professional and Scientific Coordinator at Ezfy. Since June 2021, she has served as President of the Portuguese National Association of Pharmacies.

She previously served on the National Board of the Portuguese Pharmaceutical Society until June 2021, as President of its Lisbon and Southern Region Branch from 2012 to March 2019, and as a Board Member of the Portuguese National Association of Pharmacies from 2003 to 2012.

Until September 2021, she was a member of the Executive Committee of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), where she served as Professional Secretary. She had previously held several positions within the organisation, including Interim CEO, Vice-President and Secretary of the Community Pharmacy Section, as well as President and Project Coordinator of the Young Pharmacists Group.

While studying Pharmaceutical Sciences, she served as President of the Portuguese Association of Pharmacy Students (APEF) and as Coordinator of the Health Information, Promotion and Education Office at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Lisbon (GIPES).

Ema is also a Board Member of the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe (PCNE) and the International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG).

As a judge, he served successively at the Cascais District Court, the Criminal Investigation Court of the Faro Judicial District, the Labor Court, and the Criminal Investigation Court of the Funchal Judicial District; then again at the Cascais District Court, the Lisbon Courthouse, the Évora Court of Appeals, and, finally, at the Lisbon Court of Appeal, from which he retired in March 2022. He served as chair of the Professional Journalist License Commission, a Working Group on Justice Statistics of the Higher Council of Statistics (INE), and the National Council for Medically Assisted Reproduction (CNPMA), and presided over two arbitration commissions regarding medical malpractice incidents: one at Santa Maria Hospital and the other at Garcia de Orta Hospital. Between February 8, 2008, and February 3, 2012, he participated in the Informal Advisory Group of Experts that advised, at the time, the Directorate-General for Knowledge- Based Economy, within the European Commission’s Directorate-General for the Internal Market and Services, on matters related to the creation of a European Union Patent Court and the drafting of the Directive establishing unitary patent protection for European patents. She has participated and continues to participate in conferences, forums, lectures, and debates on intellectual property law, competition law, medically assisted death, and reproductive rights, and has promoted and contributed to the drafting of legislation in these areas. Regarding the latter, she has addressed issues of voluntary termination of pregnancy, medically assisted reproduction (and expanding access to these techniques for lesbian couples and women without a partner), surrogacy, and postmortem insemination.

Fausto Lopo de Carvalho has a BA in Civil Engineering and an MBA in management. Fausto joined the GIMM Lisbon site in June 2017 from IQVIA, a multinational corporation serving the combined industries of health information technology and clinical research. At IQVIA he first served as an offering manager in business development and later as a finance and operations controller for the local branch.

In the GIMM Lisbon site, Fausto was the Finance and Operations Director, responsible for the management reshape that followed a 360º overview of the entire science management process. He also developed a dedicated study focused on the impact of VAT in research projects resulting in VAT exemption through reimbursement.

Fausto also serves as non-executive board member of Quinta da Alorna, a family owned wine making and agriculture company.

Fausto Pinto is President of the Cardiovascular Center of the University of Lisbon (CCUL) and Full Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon, of which he was director between 2015 and 2022. He is also the director of the Cardiology Service and the Heart and Vessel Department at the University Hospital Center Lisboa Norte (CHULN).

He completed his cardiology training at the University Hospital Center Lisboa Norte – CHULN (Santa Maria Hospital) and Stanford University Medical School, USA, where he was a Clinical Fellow and Clinical Assistant in the Echocardiography Laboratory, as well as a Fellow in Interventional Cardiology. In 1993, he completed his Doctorate in Medicine and, in 1997, his Aggregation at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon.

Between 2021 and 2022, he was President of the World Heart Federation and President of the European Society of Cardiology between 2014 and 2016, also leading the European Heart Agency between 2016 and 2018.

He is now an honorary member of several international organizations, including the National Academy of Medicine of Brazil and the Japanese Circulation Society.

As a researcher, he has published more than 600 scientific articles and participated in more than 2000 national and, mainly, international conferences. Cardiovascular imaging, an area in which he pioneered the use of intravascular ultrasound in the study of the transplanted heart, ischemic heart disease, interventional cardiology, heart failure, anticoagulation, digital cardiology, and global cardiovascular health, are all part of his research interests.

Fernando de Almeida holds a degree in Medicine from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Coimbra and has been a specialist in Public Health since 1994, having held various roles and administrative positions at healthcare institutions. Before becoming president of INSA, he served as vice president of the Board of Directors of the Central Regional Health Administration, president of the Board of Directors of the Coimbra Psychiatric Hospital Center, and coordinator of the Coimbra Health Subregion, among other positions.

Fernando Bozza, MD, PhD, is a physician, researcher, and professor at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Brazil, and NOVA Medical School, Lisbon. He is Co-Chair of the UNESCO Chair on Futures of Education for Health and Living Well, where he works on anticipatory governance, futures literacy, and innovation in health and well-being.
His research spans epidemic and health emergency preparedness, digital health, implementation science, and community-based interventions. He leads interdisciplinary initiatives that combine clinical research, data science, participatory methods, and public policy to improve health outcomes, particularly in vulnerable settings.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, his team developed large-scale community interventions in Rio de Janeiro, including the Dados do Bem digital platform and the CoLab Maré initiative, integrating digital technologies, participatory approaches, and public health practice. These experiences have shaped his current work on collective intelligence, community engagement, and anticipatory approaches to health systems and public policy.
Bozza serves as Chair of the Executive Board of the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) and advises WHO and GLoPID-R on global health research preparedness. His research has been supported by the Wellcome Trust, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Fiocruz. He has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications.

He is a member of the Management Council of the Executive Board of the National Health Service (DE-SNS), a position he has held since June 2024. As part of his duties, he leads the DE-SNS’s Department of People Management, Well-Being Promotion, Diversity, and Sustainability.

He has a proven track record in the health sector and public administration. Previously, he served on the board of directors of the Braga Local Health Unit (ULS) as an executive member and was a member of the management team at its Academic Clinical Center. She holds a master’s degree in Economics from the University of Warwick (United Kingdom) and a specialization in Hospital Administration from the National School of Public Health at Universidade Nova de Lisboa (ENSP-NOVA). She currently also represents the DE-SNS on strategic committees focused on the planning and financing of the Portuguese healthcare system.

Filipa Mota e Costa is the General Manager of Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine Portugal. She holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Porto and began her career at Sonae Indústria, where she worked for seven years. She later earned an MBA from INSEAD in France, a pivotal step in her professional journey. Throughout her career, she has prioritized continuous learning, seeking new challenges, and the development of people and organizations, and she currently leads Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine in Portugal.

Chairman of Multicare’s Executive Committee, he has been part of the Fidelidade Group since 2015, having held positions in the areas of Business Development and Strategic Planning. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Católica and an MBA from London Business School.

He leads a European initiative dedicated to innovation, health and development within the longevity ecosystem.

In this role, he leads projects focused on advancing technologies for healthy ageing.

His professional career stands out for the development of strategic partnerships and entrepreneurship. He represents the partners of the global acceleration network Startupbootcamp, promoting innovation and social impact events.

President of APES since 2025, Francisca Vargas Lopes holds a Ph.D. from Erasmus University Rotterdam—Public Health EMC and the Erasmus School of Economics—a master’s degree in International Health Policy and Health Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Lisbon. She currently works as a Health Policy Researcher in the Health Division of the OECD, a role she combines with a position as Assistant Professor at the Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management.

She began her professional career at the Center for Evidence-Based Medicine at the University of Lisbon’s Faculty of Medicine in 2013, and has also held positions at the Nuffield Trust think tank and the National Audit Office in London, as well as at the multinational pharmaceutical companies Pfizer UK and Merck Sharp & Dohme Portugal.

At APES, she served as Vice President (2023–2024), Member of the Executive Board (2021–2022), and Secretary of the General Assembly (2019–2021). She was also a member of the Association’s Early-Career Researchers Committee (CIIC).

Her research focuses on mental health, health and healthcare inequalities, and the development of evidence to inform public policy. Most of her academic work uses quasi-experimental methodologies and administrative data to evaluate interventions and programs in an observational context. At the OECD, she contributes to the development of the mental health portfolio, including supporting member countries in designing reforms and programs on the topic, developing new indicators, and fostering a cross-sectoral approach to public mental health policies. She also works on developing methods for the economic evaluation of preventive health measures.

Francisco Ramires currently leads the expansion of Promptly’s global Sales & Data Network, forging strategic partnerships with leading hospitals and life sciences companies across Europe. Alongside this role, he supports the board on strategic initiatives, ranging from funding rounds to market analysis.

He holds a degree in Business Organisation and Management from ISEG, a master’s degree in Multimedia Educational Communication, and attended the PhD programme in European Studies at UCP/IEP in Lisbon.

He has experience in the management and administration of companies across several business areas, including information technologies and services, payment and credit financial institutions, healthcare organisation management, among others. He also has experience in teaching and training at undergraduate, master’s and executive education levels.

He complemented his university education with a postgraduate qualification in Industrial Engineering from AliRati, Sweden, and the ITP – International Teachers Program, delivered by HEC, London Business School and Harvard Business School, reflecting his ongoing commitment to the development of knowledge and expertise.

He has attended several executive courses in Strategy, Marketing and Services at various business schools, including HEC in France, INSEAD in France, IMEDE in Switzerland, Columbia University in the USA and Harvard Business School in the USA.

Clinical Pathologist certified by the Portuguese Medical Association. He holds recognised competence in Management from the same Association and is a European Clinical Chemist certified by the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine.

He is a former Director of the Clinical Pathology Department at Hospital do Desterro, Hospital dos Capuchos and Hospital Fernando Fonseca. He was Associate Professor of Medical Biochemistry at NOVA Medical School from 1989 to 2007. During this period, he chaired the Master’s Degree in Chemical Pathology and directed its Postgraduate Education Office.

He is a former President of several scientific societies, including the Portuguese Society of Clinical Pathology and the Portuguese Society of Osteoporosis and Metabolic Diseases. In 2005, he was accepted as a Member of the New York Academy of Sciences.

He served as President of the Portuguese Medical Association for two three-year terms, from 1999 to 2001 and from 2002 to 2004. He was also a member of the National Council of Ethics for the Life Sciences for two terms, from 1999 to 2005 and from 2009 to 2015.

He was awarded the Gold Medal for Distinguished Services by the Ministry of Health. He has delivered numerous lectures, communications and posters at national and international scientific meetings, and has published scientific articles in Portuguese and international journals on topics including medicine in general, clinical pathology in particular, the history of medicine, ethics, deontology, medical law, health policy and health management.

Ph.D. in Law.

Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation since 2022 and Associate Professor at the School of Law of the Portuguese Catholic University.

Between 2008 and 2014, he served as advisor on Legal and Constitutional Affairs to the Office of the President of the Republic and has been a consultant to that same office since 2014.

He was Director of the Migration Observatory.

Deputy Secretary of State for Administrative Modernization in the 20th Constitutional Government.

He was a member of the National Council for Migration and Asylum and of the Management Board of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights.

Gonçalo Palma is chief of staff to the head of Sword Health’s business in Portugal. He led the implementation of the company’s telerehabilitation program within the National Health Service— the first agreement of its kind in the country—which provided patients with free access to remote physical therapy powered by artificial intelligence at public hospitals and health centers. He joined Sword in January 2026, coming from McKinsey & Company, where he spent nearly five years in the Private Equity practice. Prior to that, he worked in mergers and acquisitions at BNP Paribas CIB, with a focus on technology, and completed internships at Caixa Geral de Depósitos and KPMG. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and a master’s degree in Finance from ISEG. He also studied at Bocconi University in Milan and at Radboud University in the Netherlands.

Gonçalo Regalado has been an Executive Director of Banco Português de Fomento (BPF) and a member of its Board of Directors since January 2025.

From 2017 to 2024, Gonçalo Regalado served as Director of Corporate, Business, and Institutional Marketing at Millennium BCP. Between 2015 and 2017, he led the European Funds and Economic Sectors division at the same bank, where he also served as a Senior Consultant from 2009 to 2012.

In the public sector, he served as Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Internal Administration (2012–2014), coordinating strategic projects and public policies. He led the European Commission’s Erasmus+ Youth in Action Program (2012–2013), promoting mobility, exchanges, and European volunteer projects.

He began his career in 2006 at Portugal Telecom Inovação, where he was responsible for financial analysis and the strategic development of the Group’s Innovation Plan.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Coimbra, a postgraduate degree in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from the Portuguese Catholic University, and a master’s degree in Finance and Investments from the Rotterdam School of Management. He also attended the Advanced Business Management Program (PADE) at AESE Business School.

Bachelor of Medicine from the School of Medicine at the University of Santiago de Compostela
Specialist in Internal Medicine
Internal Medicine Resident at CHEDV
Internal Medicine Resident at Hospital da Luz (Santa Maria da Feira)
Resident in a Specialized Training Program at the Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho Hospital Center
Coordinator of the CHEDV COVID-19 Team
Member of the Cardiovascular Risk Clinic in the Department of Internal Medicine at CHEDV

Hélder Pinheiro is an infectious disease specialist, Director of the Infectious Diseases Service at Cascais Hospital, and a professor at NOVA Medical School. He is also the coordinator of the Antibiotic Prescribing Support Program at Cascais Hospital.

He holds degrees in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Medicine from the University of Porto, as well as a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacology. Throughout his career, he has combined clinical practice with teaching and research, conducting work in the areas of infectious diseases, gut microbiota, nutrition, pharmacology, and innovation in healthcare.

The author of numerous scientific publications and recipient of several awards, he has contributed to the advancement of medical knowledge, the optimization of antibiotic use, and the training of new healthcare professionals.

Helena Real / Portuguese Nutrition Association | CESPU University
Nutritionist, Specialist in Community Nutrition and Public Health.
Ph.D. in Food Consumption Sciences and Nutrition. Master’s degree in Public Health.
Secretary-General of the Portuguese Nutrition Association.
Editorial Coordinator of the Portuguese Journal of Nutrition.
Member of the Executive Board of the Northern Delegation of the United Nations Association in Portugal.
Member of the General Council of the Order of Nutritionists, representing the Northern electoral district.
Assistant Professor at CESPU University.
Academic Coordinator of graduate programs in the field of food science at the same institution.
Extensive experience in coordinating and managing programs and projects in the field of food sustainability and the promotion of the Mediterranean diet.

Rector of Universidade Europeia, of which IADE is part, and Chief Academic Officer at Ensilis, the entity that also owns the IPAM brand. She has worked in Higher Education for over 20 years and is an Associate Professor at ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon.

She has extensive teaching experience, having directed several programmes, from the undergraduate degree in Marketing Management to various master’s degrees and postgraduate programmes, including executive education and international programmes.

She was Deputy Director of the Department of Marketing, Operations and General Management at ISCTE Business School, and Director of the Marketing FutureCast Lab, the first European laboratory for applied research into new marketing trends.

Her background is interdisciplinary, combining an undergraduate degree in Economics, a postgraduate qualification in European Studies, an MBA, a master’s degree in Management and a PhD in Marketing. For several years, she was also a senior consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

As a researcher, her main interests are consumer behaviour, digital marketing and social media, as well as marketing applied to tourism.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in medicine, master’s degrees in Management, HIV/AIDS, and Administrative Law, as well as a Ph.D. in Management. His dissertation in Administrative Law focused on the state’s liability regarding the use of artificial intelligence in National Health Service hospitals.

He was one of the first Chief Medical Information Officers (CMIO) in Portugal and chaired the Ministry of Health’s Shared Services (SPMS) for about seven years. He also served as co-chair of the eHealth Network, representing the Member States, the leading European body for coordinating digital health policies.

In July 2020, he was elected a member of the International Academy of Health Sciences Informatics and serves as a National Defense Auditor. Since August 2020, he has been a member of the Board of Directors of the HL7 Europe Foundation.

A physician specializing in Internal Medicine and a consultant on Digital Health for the World Health Organization and other organizations, he also conducts academic work at ISCTE-IUL, the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Beira Interior, and Korea University Medicine, as a visiting professor.

His teaching and research focus on the areas of Digital Health, Health Systems and Transformation, and Leadership and Management, targeting both students and healthcare professionals. He is the author of numerous scientific and technical articles, several of which address the evolution and new trends in digital health in international, national, and hospital contexts.

Bachelor of Medicine from the Faculty of Medicine of the Classical University of Lisbon (FML) in July 1990;

Postgraduate Degree in Health Facility Management (PGOM, 2nd edition) from the Faculty of Economic and Business Sciences at the Portuguese Catholic University – Lisbon (2003–2005);

Certification in Health Facility Management from the Portuguese Medical Association (2005);

CAGEP Course—Advanced Course in Public Management—INA (2018);

PADIS Course—Senior Management Program for Healthcare Institutions, AESE Business School (2022);

Specialist in Digital Health (European University, 2023);

Specialist in Epidemiology (Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon–University of Lisbon, 2021–2023).

Member of the National Health Council (2022–2026).

Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Health Service of the Autonomous Region of Madeira – SESARAM (2016);

Chair of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Health Administration (2017–2020);

Regional Health Director – Regional Health Authority during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (2020–2023);

Chair of the Board of Directors of the Health Service of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (2023–2025);

Deputy to the Office of the Regional Secretary for Health and Civil Protection of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (2025–2029).

Hugo Ramalheira Lopes holds a Ph.D. in Public Health, with a specialization in Health Economics, from the National School of Public Health at NOVA University Lisbon, where he also earned a pre-Bologna master’s degree in Health Management. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from the Instituto Superior de Gestão. Throughout his academic and professional career, he has worked in the areas of health performance evaluation, health services management, health economics, clinical benchmarking, risk adjustment, disease management, and value-based care models.

Since 2008, he has been with IQVIA Portugal, where he serves as Engagement Manager. His professional experience focuses on coordinating strategic projects in the healthcare sector, involving public and private entities, hospital administrations, professional associations, scientific societies, and institutions within the Portuguese healthcare system. His main areas of expertise include hospital benchmarking, analysis of care efficiency and quality, clinical coding, and population risk stratification.

In addition to his consulting work, he has been active in scientific and academic pursuits, serving as an author and co-author of publications in national and international journals. He is a member of NOVA’s National School of Public Health, Public Health Research Center and a member of the Comprehensive Health Research Center (CHRC), both at NOVA University Lisbon.

Academic and Professional Background

GLOS – Management and Leadership of Healthcare Organizations, AESE Business School, 2026.

Leading and Energizing Teams for Performance – Leading High-Performance Teams (15th

Edition), Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics, 2026.

Master’s Degree in Medical-Surgical Nursing in the area of Nursing Care for Patients with

Chronic Conditions, Lisbon School of Nursing (ESEL), 2023–2025.

Postgraduate Certificate in Health Management from Universidade Moderna, 2005.

Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from the Lisbon School of Nursing (ESEL), 2000.

Professional Experience

25 years of experience in various healthcare settings and types of care.

Member of the Care Integration Unit at the Alentejo Coast Local Health Unit

(ULSLA), EPE, since 2016.

Case Manager for the Case Management Program for Patients with Complex Chronic Diseases

.

Internal Telehealth Coordinator at the Alentejo Coast Local Health Unit (ULSLA),

EPE, since 2025

Coordinating Team for the Case Management Program at the Alentejo Coast Local Health Unit

(ULSLA), EPE, since 2024

Inês Sequeira is a driving force in Portugal’s impact and social innovation movement. With a career that bridges law, public policy, entrepreneurship, and systemic change, she has consistently worked at the intersection of vision and execution to reshape how innovation serves society.

After beginning her professional journey as a lawyer, Inês moved into public service at the Lisbon City Council, where she played a pivotal role in building the city’s innovation ecosystem. During this period, she contributed to positioning Lisbon as a global tech and entrepreneurial hub — including the strategic efforts that helped bring Web Summit to Lisbon, a landmark achievement that transformed the city’s international visibility and investment landscape.

She later joined the Portuguese Government at the Ministry of Economy, where she supported the development of national entrepreneurship initiatives at Turismo de Portugal and co-founded NEST – the Innovation Center for Tourism — accelerating innovation in one of the country’s most strategic sectors.

As the Founder and former Executive Director of Casa do Impacto, Portugal’s largest impact entrepreneurship hub, Inês helped place the country firmly on the global impact map. Under her leadership, Casa do Impacto supported more than 470 startups addressing critical social and environmental challenges and was recognized by the Financial Times as one of Europe’s Leading Startup Hubs — the only one exclusively dedicated to impact.

A respected thought leader, Inês regularly writes opinion columns for several national newspapers, contributing to the public debate on social innovation, entrepreneurship, and the future of capital. She also serves on multiple boards, including that of Portugal’s only women-led impact investment fund, reinforcing her commitment to advancing inclusive and gender-conscious capital.

Inês is also an entrepreneurship and innovation consultant at the London School of Economics and was part of the team that founded the Long Life Venture Builder.

Driven by the belief that capital must be intentional to create lasting change, Inês founded and now leads Rede Capital Social. Through this pioneering initiative, she is mobilizing companies and High Net Worth Individuals to rethink philanthropy — shifting from traditional giving to strategic investment in systemic solutions. Rede Capital Social is building Portugal’s first coordinated network of impact-driven capital, with the ambition of transforming the country’s social investment ecosystem and accelerating meaningful, measurable change.

Irene Manuela Ferreira da Costa was born on March 8, 1972, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work. She is a social worker. She was elected to the Assembly of the Republic for the 15th, 16th, and 17th Legislatures representing the Braga district. She served as Technical Director at ERPI and, since 2004, has been a Senior Social Work Specialist at ACES do Alto Ave, working in various areas of social services and health care. She is a member of the Vizela Municipal Assembly and the AVE Intermunicipal Community, positions to which she had already been elected during the 2017–2021 term. She also serves as Local Councilor for Equality in the Municipality of Vizela.

Psychologist Specialty in Clinical and Health Psychology, Advanced Specialty in Justice Psychology, and Community Psychology. Specialist in Gender Equality; Violence against Women and Domestic Violence; Human Trafficking; and Female Genital Mutilation – Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality (CIG), Portugal. Ph.D. in Psychology in the field of femicide risk assessment. Associate Professor and Coordinator of Master in Forensic and Criminal Psychology at Egas Moniz School of Health & Science. Director of Forensic Psychology Office (GPF) [Laboratory of Forensic and Psychological Sciences Egas Moniz]. Coordinator and Scientific Supervisor at the Victims Information and Assistance Office (GIAV), located at Lisbon Public Prosecutor’s Office and in the Technical Advisory Office (GAT) integrated into the West Lisbon Public Prosecutor’s Office. Head of the Forensic and Criminal Psychology Research Laboratory at CiiEM (Egas Moniz Center for Interdisciplinary Research). Member of the Regional Assembly of Representatives – Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses (Portuguese Psychologists Association). Member of the Portuguese Society for Health Literacy.

Political Activity:

Member of the Assembly of the Republic

Member of the Viseu Municipal Assembly

Professional Experience:  Emergency/Urgent Care, Operating Room, Hemodialysis, Long-Term Care, Internal Medicine, and Primary Health Care

Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing

Master’s Degree and Specialization in Medical-Surgical Nursing

Postgraduate Degree in Trauma

Postgraduate Degree in Health Services Management and Administration

She is the Chair of the Board of Pulmonale—the Portuguese Association for the Fight Against Lung Cancer—a position she has held since April 2017. With a bachelor’s degree in economics
from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Porto, she has dedicated her professional and personal life to the social sector and to active citizenship in the field of health.

She began her journey at Pulmonale as a volunteer, where she worked closely with the association’s founder, Professor António Araújo, Ph.D. Under her leadership, the association has intensified its fight against lung cancer in Portugal. Isabel Magalhães stands out today as one of the country’s most active advocates for a national screening program.

She strongly believes that early diagnosis and prevention are the most effective tools for reducing mortality from the disease. She has also been the face of major national awareness campaigns, such as the #AgirAntesdeSentir initiative.

Internationally, she represents the association in the Global Lung Cancer Coalition (GLCC). She is also one of the founders of Lung Cancer Europe (LuCE), a European platform working to mitigate the impact of lung cancer and ensure equitable access to healthcare throughout Europe.

Fueled by a passion for tackling challenging projects, I bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to stimulate growth and development for people, systems, and organizations. With 20 years of experience in Project Management & Consulting and 8 years dedicated to Public Healthcare Systems, I have successfully contributed to over 80 organizations across various sectors in Portugal, Mozambique, and the USA. My portfolio includes 20 years in Project Management & Consulting, 8 years in Public Healthcare Systems, work with 80+ organizations across diverse sectors, and experience in Portugal, Mozambique, and the USA. My specialties include Project & Program Management, eHealth & Public Healthcare Systems, ISO Management Systems, Business Development & Continuous Improvement, Leadership in Multicultural Teams, and Change Agent.

Isilda Maria Duarte Ferreira is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Health Sciences at the Polytechnic University of Santarém, in the field of Medical-Surgical Nursing. She has a professional career spanning more than three decades of clinical practice in both hospital and pre-hospital settings, as well as teaching experience in higher education.

She holds a master’s degree in Medical-Surgical Nursing and is a specialist nurse, recognized by the Portuguese Nurses’ Association for her expertise in Medical-Surgical Nursing, Critical Care Nursing, and Perioperative Nursing, as well as Advanced Additional Competencies in Management, Specialized Competencies in Out-of-Hospital Emergencies, and Advanced Competencies in Clinical Supervision.

She teaches in the undergraduate nursing program as well as in graduate and master’s programs, with a strong focus on the integration of theory and practice.

She participated in the working group that created the postgraduate program in Home Hospitalization, which has been in operation at that school since 2022, and has been responsible for it since 2023.

As a collaborating researcher, she is part of the project “Decision-Making in Complex Health Situations—Resources and Competencies” (UMIS). She also collaborates with the Center for Research on Quality of Life and with RISE-Health—the Health Research Network.

She is actively involved in research, scientific publication, and the organization of scientific and educational events.

Electrical engineer with a degree from IST. He is known for his advocacy on behalf of healthcare users in Portugal and Europe.

Joana Cardoso da Costa holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology and is a researcher and professor in the Department of Life Sciences at the Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Coimbra. She is a member of the Center for Functional Ecology – Science for People & the Planet, where she co-coordinates the One Health group.

She serves on the Coordinating Council of the TERRA Associated Laboratory—Laboratory for the Sustainability of Land Use and Ecosystem Services. She is the Director and Technical Manager of FitoLab—the Plant Health Laboratory at the Pedro Nunes Institute, an official laboratory for the detection of harmful organisms accredited under NP EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018.

Her scientific work focuses on plant health, soil and plant microbiomes, the sustainability of agroecosystems, and One Health approaches that link biodiversity, the environment, food systems, and health.

Throughout her career, she has participated in and coordinated national and international projects in the areas of plant health, microbiomes, sustainability, and applied innovation, while also being part of international research networks, including COST Actions and CYTED. She has also served as a reviewer for national and international projects, as well as for Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships.

Joana Cordeiro, 40, is a Member of Parliament and a member of the Executive Committee of the Liberal Initiative party. During the previous parliamentary term, she held responsibilities in areas including Health, Employment, Social Security and Inclusion, Environment and Energy, and Mobility. She was a member of the Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry established to assess the legality and conduct of political office-holders allegedly involved in the provision of healthcare to two children — twins — treated with the medicine Zolgensma. Joana Cordeiro holds a degree in Marketing and a postgraduate qualification in Marketing with a specialisation in Management. She is currently attending the Specialisation Course in Hospital Administration at the National School of Public Health of NOVA University Lisbon. She stood as an independent candidate for the party in the 2019 legislative elections. She founded the Setúbal Territorial Branch — the first on the south bank of the Tagus — and later founded the Seixal Territorial Branch, which she also coordinated. She was elected to the party’s National Council for the 2020–2022 term. From 2006 until 2022, when she was elected to Parliament, she worked in the field of marketing.

Co-founder, Clinical Director, and Head of Longevity Medicine at B-Life Clinic in Cascais, where she leads an integrated, evidence-based approach to longevity medicine, prevention, and lifelong health optimization.

A physician specializing in General and Family Medicine, she holds degrees in Biomedical Sciences from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in the United States and from Kingston University in the United Kingdom, as well as a medical degree from Charles University in Prague. She supplemented her training with certification in Lifestyle Medicine from Harvard Medical School.

She is President of the Portuguese Society of Longevity Medicine and Science, a scientific society she helped found alongside physicians and researchers affiliated with international institutions, and she also serves on the Advisory Board of the European Longevity Hub. His work lies at the intersection of General and Family Medicine, Longevity Medicine, advanced diagnostics, and behavioral change, with a particular focus on early risk identification and the extension of healthspan.

Associate Professor of Nutrition at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon, with a Ph.D. in Public Health and expertise in Community Nutrition and Public Health. She has been engaged in academic, scientific, and professional work in the fields of Nutrition and Public Health for more than two decades. She has participated in and led research and intervention projects and has held key roles in advanced training, scientific guidance, and academic evaluation.

He holds a master’s degree in Business Management from ISCTE, an MBA from INDEG-ISCTE, and completed the Intensive Luxury Management Programme at HEC Paris. He also holds a degree in Animal Science and Technology from the University of Évora.

He served as a member of the Lisbon Municipal Assembly between 2017 and 2021 and as Chief of Staff to the Minister of Solidarity, Employment and Social Security in the 20th Government. In the 19th Government, he was Political Advisor to the Minister of Solidarity, Employment and Social Security.

Since 2015, he has returned to the private sector and is currently Director of External Affairs and Board Member at Johnson & Johnson. During 2020, he also served as Government Affairs & Policy Manager for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.

Pharmacist with a postgraduate degree in Economic Evaluation of Health Technologies and Interventions from ISEG and in Health Services Management from INDEG-ISCTE.

Professional experience in the areas of health policy, management, public affairs, and market access, having held positions in the consulting sector, the pharmaceutical industry, and academia.

He currently serves as Communications & Government Affairs Manager at GSKPortugal.

President of the Portuguese Association of Young Pharmacists and member of the Platform for Young Health Professionals.

He holds a degree in Communication from Universidade Católica, a postgraduate degree in Strategic Marketing from ISCTE, and specialisations in Digital Marketing and Health Economics & Outcomes Research.

With more than 20 years of experience in Communication and Public Affairs, mostly related to the healthcare sector, he worked in consultancy for several years, supporting public and private organisations in managing their reputation and achieving business results through integrated corporate positioning strategies.

His main areas of expertise are stakeholder management, reputation and crisis management, corporate communications and media relations.

João Eurico Cabral da Fonseca earned his bachelor’s degree in medicine (1992), his Ph.D. (2004), and his postdoctoral qualification (2010) at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon (FMUL). He completed his residency in rheumatology in 2000. In 2010, he completed a postgraduate program in health management at AESE – Lisbon School of Management and Business. He is a Full Professor, Director of FMUL, and Director of the Rheumatology Service at the Santa Maria Local Health Unit (ULS), Lisbon Academic Medical Center. He is also Director of the Institute of Clinical Semiotics at FMUL and of the Rheumatology Research Unit at FMUL. He coordinates Modules III.IV, III.V, and 5th-year Internal Medicine and Surgery. Head of Rheumatology. His research has focused on diagnostic, prognostic, and treatment markers for inflammatory joint diseases, with a special interest in the synovial membrane. He is the author of more than 400 scientific articles indexed in PubMed and a member of the editorial board of several scientific journals.

Economist and healthcare manager. Holding a PhD in Economics, he has a strong academic and executive background, complemented by specialised training at leading international institutions, including Harvard Medical School. He combines significant management experience in the healthcare sector with academic activity, serving as a professor at NOVA Medical School.

Upper GI and Bariatric Surgeon CRI de Obesidade – ULS São João Porto
Coordinator of the General Surgery Dep. – Hospital CUF Porto
President of the Portuguese Society of Obesity and Metabolic Surgery

Jordi de la Osa is an expert in digital transformation, with nearly 20 years of experience contributing to strategic initiatives that drive improvements in health outcomes, equity, and the experience of both patients and healthcare professionals, right at the intersection of technology and healthcare.

He specializes in clinical and management decision support, and patient safety. He works at IQVIA, a global leader in advancing innovation across all levels of healthcare by combining specialized technologies, artificial intelligence, and predictive analytics for the management of healthcare data and systems.

A strong believer in and advocate for the use of technology to alleviate the operationaland efficiency demand and quality pressures currently faced by healthcare systems. Throughout his career, developed within leading organizations in the sector, he has gained extensive expertise in both public and private healthcare management, while driving and supporting complex healthcare transformation programs at an international level.

“Together, we can connect science, technology, data, and the needs of patients and healthcare professionals to achieve better outcomes faster, operating at the speed that modern healthcare demands.”

A physician with extensive experience in medicine and health care management, he is currently best known for his role as Clinical Director at Multicare. His career began with a bachelor’s degree in medicine from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Lisbon; he later expanded his expertise with an Executive Management program at the Portuguese Catholic University. Professionally, his career reflects a strong connection both to clinical practice—notably at Cascais Hospital and the Lisbon Civil Hospitals—and to healthcare management and regulation. He held prominent positions in the pharmaceutical industry as Medical Director and General Manager, served as a Medical Member of the INFARMED Board of Directors, and provided consulting services to the Central Administration of the Health System. In the field of education, he also shared his experience as a professor at Atlântica University. Currently, in addition to his executive responsibilities at Multicare, he maintains strong ties to the global medical community, serving as a member of the Portuguese Medical Association, the Association of Portuguese Physicians in the Pharmaceutical Industry, and a Fellow of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine at the Royal College of Physicians in the United Kingdom.

Economist with postgraduate training at Stanford, with more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare sector, consulting and auditing, and leadership positions in several healthcare groups.

He is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hospital de Cascais and CEO of the Ribera Portugal group.

José Camolas is a registered nutritionist (Professional Licence No. 0068N) and a specialist in Clinical Nutrition accredited by the Portuguese Order of Nutritionists. He holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Nutrition and a PhD in Metabolic Diseases and Eating Behaviour.

He currently practises at the Santa Maria Local Health Unit and the Social Services Department of Lisbon City Council. He also collaborates with several academic institutions, including as an Invited Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon and at the Egas Moniz School of Health and Science.

He has participated in several funded research projects, has published a range of scientific papers, and regularly takes part in national and international scientific events.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Faculty of Economics at the University of the Algarve, with graduate degrees in Regional Economics and Local Development, Management of Public and Municipal Entities, and Health Management, as well as advanced training in Health Quality and Patient Safety. He has an established career in health management and administration, having served as an economist, hospital administrator, advisor, and executive at ARS Algarve, notably as head of the Contracting Department, ACES Algarve Central, and Hospital S. Gonçalo de Lagos. He currently works in the Audit and Internal Control Office at ARS Algarve. He is a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of the Algarve, a trainer in healthcare management and organization, and a member of the Scientific Committee for the Award for Best Practices in Health. He has participated in various regional and national working groups in the areas of contracting, planning, and organization of healthcare services, complementing his experience with specialized training in leadership, negotiation, communication, management, and performance evaluation.

José Fragata, Retired Full Professor at NOVA Medical School, President of the National Council of Clinical Academic Centers

Professor José Fragata received his medical education in Portugal and the United Kingdom. He earned his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1991 and his qualification in surgery in 1993 from Universidade Nova de Lisboa. He is a retired full professor of surgery at NOVA Medical School, having served on the General Council and chaired the Ethics Council at NOVA University, where he served for five years as Vice Rector for Health.

He retired from public service after 50 years at the University and 46 years in the National Health Service.

He coordinates the graduate program in Health Management at INDEG-ISCTE at IUL, having been the founder and chair of the Academic Council of AHED (the Graduate School of Health at NOVA University). A full member of the Academy of Medicine and a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences, he is a cardiothoracic surgeon with extensive experience in cardiac surgery for both adults and children, as well as in thoracic transplantation, and has had a long national and international career in this specialty, alongside a highly diverse academic career.

He has been awarded the Gold Medal for Distinguished Service by the Ministry of Health and the Portuguese Medical Association. He currently serves as president of the National Council of Academic Clinical Centers.

A physician with over 20 years of experience in the field of laboratory medicine, he is currently the Director of Germano de Sousa – Center for Laboratory Medicine, one of Portugal’s leading
institutions in clinical diagnosis, research, and innovation in healthcare.

Throughout his career, he has combined medical practice with management roles, promoting the development of high-quality laboratory services and contributing to the modernization of
laboratory medicine in Portugal. His work focuses on technical and scientific excellence, organizational efficiency, innovation, and empowering teams, recognizing the increasingly critical role of laboratory diagnostics in prevention, personalized medicine, and clinical decision-making.

An advocate for an integrated approach to health, he guides his work by principles of rigor, ethics, collaboration, and social responsibility, seeking to drive solutions that contribute to better
health outcomes and the sustainability of health care systems.

As President of the Egas Moniz – Cooperativa de Ensino Superior, CRL, since 2017, I have been leading this prominent University Institution to better national and international achievements in the Education, Research and Social Care domains.

Regarding my Education and Research backgrounds, I have a Dental Medicine Degree from the Instituto Superior de Ciências da Saúde Egas Moniz (current Instituto Universitário Egas Moniz) (1995), a Post- Graduation in Implantology from the Universität Bern (Swtzerland. 1997), an MBA in Health Unit Management from Universidade Católica Portuguesa (2002) and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar da Universidade do Porto (2010). Since January 2017 I was elected President of the Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar Egas Moniz and Section Editor of the European Journal of Dentistry. Until very recent, I’m author and co-author of more than 70 scientific works (articles and posters) and thesis advisor/co-advisor of 33 MSc thesis. Currently I’m advising 5 PhD Projects.

Furthermore, I was designated Assistant Professor of Conservative Dentistry (in the MSc in Dentistry of the ISCSEM/IUEM) in 1996, Assistant Professor of Physiology (MSc in Dentistry of the ISCSEM/IUEM) in 1999, and Head of the Integrated Dental Clinic Curricular Unit (MSc in Dentistry of the ISCSEM/IUEM) in 2008. Since 2010, I was held the position of Clinical Director of the Egas Moniz Dental Clinic.

Concerning my professional background, in addition to my clinical experience since 1995 in oral rehabilitation and oral surgery, from 2000 to 2013 I was Head of Dentistry Department at Hospital Militar Principal (Lisboa). And in October 2005 (to December 2013) I was nominated Head of the Technical Studies Office.

In January of 2010 I was elected Member of the Scientific Council of the Portuguese Dental Association (PDA) and, in May 2017, Member of General Board – Council of the Portuguese Dental Association (PDA).

Physician with a Master’s degree and PhD in Medicine, specialising in Internal Medicine and Sports Medicine. He is a consultant with expertise in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, weight management, and the relationship between exercise and health. He is a retired Associate Professor with habilitation from the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Beira Interior.

Economist with extensive experience in the management and organisation of the healthcare sector. He played a key role in launching the process of corporatisation of Portuguese public hospitals between 2002 and 2004.

He teaches in several master’s and postgraduate programmes in the areas of Healthcare Management, Health Communication and Public-Private Partnerships. He is currently a member of the Strategic Council of the Coimbra Academic Clinical Centre and of the Advisory Board of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of Beira Interior.

Throughout his career, he has held management positions at the Portuguese Red Cross Hospital, Grupo Português de Saúde, the National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge and in the Healthcare area of Accenture Portugal. He was also a member of the Scientific Council of the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation.

He is the author of several books and articles dedicated to health system policies, management and organisation, and is recognised as a reference in the fields of health economics and healthcare management in Portugal.

He holds a master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Minho and KU Leuven, a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Management from ISEP, and is PMP- certified. With over a decade of experience managing transformation programs in healthcare, he has worked with various public institutions and hospitals. He currently leads Promptly Health’s global PMO, with a team spanning six countries and a portfolio of more than 60 clients and partners. His main areas of expertise include the implementation of the European Health Data Space, federated data governance, Health Data Access Bodies, and program and portfolio management.

Leandro Luís is a Hospital Administrator and Director of Services for the Department of Primary Health Care at the São José Local Health Unit, with a career marked by strategic management and innovation in the health sector. A graduate of the 43rd Specialization Course in Hospital Administration at ENSP-NOVA, he holds a master’s degree in Health Technology Management and Evaluation and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Public Health. He has held leadership positions at the Central Lisbon University Hospital, notably in logistics management, clinical informatization, and the surgical treatment of obesity.

As part of his current role, he serves as the focal point for the decentralization of responsibilities with the municipalities of Loures and Lisbon, is a member of the Local Social Action Commission of the Loures Social Network, and represents the São José Local Health Unit (ULS São José) for Civil Protection in that municipality. He is also a member of the ULS São José Risk Stratification Group. He was involved in the creation of the Office of Innovation and Organizational Development at ULS São José, where he is currently working on the first Collaborative and Experimental Health Laboratory, in partnership with the Agency for Administrative Modernization.

In the associative sphere, he is a member of the board of the Portuguese Association of Hospital Administrators and the ENSP Alumni Association. He serves on the Scientific Subcommittee of the European Association of Hospital Managers and was a Young Executive Leader for the International Hospital Federation, where he also served as an Alumni Adviser.

His career reflects a commitment to digital transformation, organizational development, and improving coordination between healthcare and local governments, promoting innovative solutions for a more efficient and citizen-centered healthcare system.

President of the Portuguese Association of Nutritionists, a position she assumed on November 1, 2023, with a commitment to promoting the professional career and strengthening the role of
nutrition in public health.

With a long career in the National Health Service, she has worked as a nutritionist at the Matosinhos Local Health Unit (Pedro Hispano Hospital) since 1999, where she serves as a Senior Assistant and Specialist in Clinical Nutrition, working on the Intensive Care and Artificial Nutrition teams. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Sciences from the Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences at the University of Porto (FCNAUP) and a master’s degree in Health Services Administration from the Faculty of Economics at the same institution (FEP), and has also gained experience in teaching.

Professor in the Department of Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Sport of the European University of Madrid, where she also serves as Vice-Dean for the Health Sciences area.

Her professional activity combines university management, teaching, and scientific research, with a career marked by the integration of academic leadership, pedagogical innovation, and research in health sciences.

In the scientific field, she conducts research in Medicine, collaborating with national and international teams on health research projects. Her scientific output includes work in pharmacology and cardiology, with a particular focus on assessing the clinical effects of therapies and researching cardiovascular diseases.

In parallel, she holds academic leadership and strategic management roles, coordinating executive training initiatives, scientific conferences, and innovation projects, particularly in the application of Big Data technologies and advanced data analysis to support decision-making in healthcare.

Her work also extends to the European University in Portugal, where she participates in the development of academic and scientific projects focused on digital transformation and innovation in the healthcare sector.

Lúcia Carvalho Andersen is a Portuguese journalist with over 30 years of professional experience. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Civilizations from Paul Valéry University in Montpellier, France. She worked as a journalist for RTP in Lisbon and for the BBC World Service in London. She has lived in Strasbourg, Madrid, and Copenhagen, where she served as a correspondent for Expresso, Diário de Notícias, O Independente, and Antena 1, among others. She currently works as a freelancer in the multimedia field, producing videos and cultural content and moderating conferences.

Ambassador Luís de Almeida Sampaio
· Born in Porto, Portugal, on December 16, 1957.
· Bachelor of Laws from the University of Coimbra, 1981–82.
· Diplomatic career, 1983.
· Portuguese Delegation to NATO, 1987–90.
· Deputy Director of the Private Office of the NATO Secretary General (Manfred Wörner), 1990–92.
· Director of Multilateral Cooperation, Institute for Development Cooperation, 1992–95.
· Chief of Staff to European Commissioner João de Deus Pinheiro, 1995–98.
· Political-Diplomatic Advisor to NATO (POLAD), International Stabilization and Peace Force (SFOR), Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1998–99.
· Minister-Counselor at the Portuguese Embassy in Luanda, 1999–2002.
· President of the Institute for Development Cooperation (IPAD), 2003–04.
· Ambassador to Algiers, 2004–08. · Coordinator of the Middle East Peace Process (MEPP), Portuguese Presidency of the European Union, 2007.
· Ambassador to Belgrade (and non-resident Ambassador to North Macedonia and Montenegro), 2008–12.
· Ambassador to Berlin, 2012–15.
· Ambassador and Permanent Representative to NATO, 2015–19.
· Ambassador to Prague, 2019–present.
· Chairman of the Coimbra Saúde Strategic Council, 2015–present.

As Portugal’s Ambassador to Germany, he played a key role in promoting the internationalization of Portuguese healthcare and the excellence of its healthcare institutions—a vital effort for Portugal, especially during the particularly difficult period the country was experiencing due to the financial crisis. He was the principal architect of the integration of the University and Hospital of Coimbra into the M8 Alliance. In recognition of this, he joined the Strategic Council of the Coimbra Saúde consortium (which brings together the University of Coimbra, its Hospital, and the Biocant business cluster). Throughout his nearly 40 years of diplomatic service, Ambassador Luís de Almeida Sampaio participated in hundreds of international meetings and conferences. He published dozens of articles in journals of political science and international relations, including articles on health diplomacy. During his posting in Berlin, he wrote a book titled “Diplomacy in the Time of the Troika,” published in September 2022 by Leya Editions. He is married and has two daughters.

He served as Minister of Health in the 15th and 16th Constitutional Governments, Secretary of State for Energy in the 12th Constitutional Government, and Secretary of State for Social Security in the 10th and 11th Constitutional Governments. He was president of the Portuguese Association of Industrialists Who Are Major Consumers of Electricity (1996–2001 and, again, since 2005).

Bachelor of Laws and postgraduate degree in Economic and European Criminal Law from the Faculty of Law at the University of Coimbra (2001).

General Coordinator of the Task Force for the Resolution of Pending Cases at AIMA, 2024–2026.

Chair of the Board of Directors of the Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum (2023–2024), the public entity responsible in Portugal for handling immigration, migrant integration, and asylum applications;

Chair of the Board of Directors of Shared Services of the Ministry of Health, E.P.E., (2020–2023), the entity responsible, among other duties, for the central health information systems during the COVID-19 pandemic;

Deputy Secretary of State for Administrative Modernization in the 21st Constitutional Government (2018–2019), responsible for the Simplex Program and with delegated powers regarding the Agency for Administrative Modernization, I.P.;

Deputy Secretary-General for Internal Administration, responsible for electoral administration (2018);

Secretary-General and Legal Advisor at the Order of Solicitors and Enforcement Agents (2011–2015, 2016–2018, 2019–2020).

Bachelor’s degree in Social Education, master’s degree in Human Resources, and Ph.D. in Educational Sciences. Founding President of RUTIS (Network of Senior Universities), President of RIPE55+ (Global Network of Educational Projects for People Over 50), researcher, adjunct professor in higher education, and social entrepreneur. Member of the Economic and Social Council. Manager of Socialgest, a social consulting firm.

Luís João has been Head of Public Sector and Healthcare at Google Cloud in Portugal since 2021. Previously, he served as the head of Enterprise Security and Modern Workplace at Microsoft
Portugal, with more than 11 years of experience in security, mobility, and productivity. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Computer Engineering from the Instituto Superior
Técnico.

He currently serves as President of ULS Gaia-Espinho. He was Executive Director of the Prelada Hospital of Santa Casa da Misericórdia do Porto. Previously, he served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Vila Real and Trás-os-Montes Hospital Center, the Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho Hospital Center, and the Executive Board of ACSS. He managed the public-private partnership for the Braga Hospital within the Northern Regional Health Administration. He holds a bachelor’s degree in management from the Catholic University of Porto, a postgraduate degree in hospital administration from the National School of Public Health at the New University of Lisbon, and a master’s degree in information systems from the University of Minho.
He is a visiting professor at the School of Biotechnology at the Catholic University of Porto and at the School of Health at the Polytechnic Institute of Viseu.

A legal scholar with an extensive career at the European, governmental, parliamentary, academic, and business levels. He served in the Legal Service of the European Commission and as a legal secretary at the Court of Justice of the European Union. He served as Director-General for Competition and Prices, advisor to the Economic and Social Council (CES), Secretary of State, member of the Assembly of the Republic, President of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and member of the National Board of the Portuguese Red Cross and the Executive Board of the Forum for Competitiveness.
He served as Presiding Arbitrator of the CES Arbitration Panel and as Chairman of the Board of Directors of PLMJ Advogados, a law firm where he was a partner for 25 years. He has also taught as a visiting professor at several Portuguese universities. He is President of the Economic and Social Council.

Luís Vales’ professional career combines a solid background in healthcare management with experience in hospital administration, consultancy and political roles.

He has gained experience in public healthcare management as a hospital administrator and area manager for clinical production and pharmaceutical services at the Alto Ave Local Health Unit and at Hospital Senhora da Oliveira, in Guimarães.

Outside the public healthcare sector, he has also worked in the private sector as a senior consultant at Altice Portugal.

In the political and parliamentary sphere, he has held relevant public positions, having served as a Member of the Portuguese Parliament for the Social Democratic Party, where he also held the role of Deputy Secretary-General. He also participated in local politics as a member of the Municipal Assembly of Marco de Canaveses.

Academically, he began his path with a degree in Clinical Psychology from the Instituto Superior de Ciências da Saúde do Norte. He later focused his specialisation on the healthcare sector by completing the Specialisation Course in Hospital Administration at the National School of Public Health of NOVA University Lisbon.

For his performance in this programme, he was awarded the Coriolano Ferreira Prize, granted by the Portuguese Association of Hospital Administrators to the best student of the course.

President of the National Secretariat of the Portuguese Union of Misericórdias, a position he has held since 2007. He previously held several positions in the health sector, including Chief of Staff to the Minister of Health (1987–90), President of the Porto Regional Health Administration (1986–92), and President of the General Council of Hospital de S. João.

He holds a degree in Law from the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra. He was Northern Regional Commissioner for the National Programme to Combat Poverty (1990–95), Portugal’s representative on the Advisory Committee of the Poverty 3 Programme and on the European Union’s Committee for Social Affairs, Vice-President of the United Nations “Poverty Alleviation” Committee, and an expert appointed by the Committee of the Regions to evaluate the Socrates Programme in the European Union.

He has held various roles in social-sector institutions, including Vice-Ombudsman of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia do Porto (1992–95) and of Lisbon (2002–05), as well as President of the Health Committee of the Portuguese Union of Misericórdias.

President of EMER 2030 — the Mission Structure for the Licensing of Renewable Energy Projects 2030.

He holds an Integrated Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), with specialisation and skills in negotiation.

As President of EMER 2030, he is responsible for leading the structure aimed at accelerating the licensing of clean energy projects in Portugal.

He previously served as a technical specialist in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of State for Energy. He has also held leadership, coordination and project management roles focused on innovation, sustainability and sustainable finance.

In the field of entrepreneurship, he is co-founder of GoParity, a crowdlending platform dedicated to investment in sustainable and renewable energy projects.

Physician, researcher and Emeritus Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, he is one of the leading international references in the field of Pathological Anatomy and oncological research.

He graduated in Medicine from the University of Porto in 1971, completed his specialty in Pathological Anatomy in 1976 and obtained his PhD in Pathology in 1979, the same year in which he also completed postdoctoral research at the Norwegian Cancer Institute.

He became a Full Professor in 1988 and was also Adjunct Professor at Thomas Jefferson University in the United States. Since 1989, he has founded and directed IPATIMUP – the Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto. He was also co-founder of the Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S), where he served on the Board of Directors.

His scientific work focuses on cancer diagnosis and research, particularly oncobiology and thyroid cancer. He is the author of more than 400 scientific articles published in international journals, with over 19,000 citations, reflecting the global impact of his research.

In 2015, he was named by the British magazine The Pathologist as the most influential pathologist in the world. Among the numerous distinctions he has received are the Pessoa Prize (2002), the Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry (2004), the Commandery of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit (2009) and the Grand Prize Ciência Viva (2016).

Mar Mateus da Costa works as a public health resident at the Santa Maria Local Health Unit (ULS). Convinced that improving the health of populations depends on resilient health systems and effective public policies, her career has been marked by her involvement in various student and youth organizations. Since 2023, she has been a member of the National Council of Resident Physicians of the Portuguese Medical Association, where she coordinates the international affairs group, and since 2024, she has been a member of the Youth Council of the Health XXI Forum. In June 2026, he co-founded SDSN Youth Portugal, an organization that promotes sustainable development and effective youth participation in shaping public policy at various levels of decision-making.

She holds a degree in Business Management from Universidade Livre de Lisboa and has developed a distinguished career in financial supervision, social security, pensions and economic regulation.

She was President of the Insurance and Pension Funds Supervisory Authority (ASF), and also served on the National Council of Financial Supervisors, the Board of Supervisors of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA), and the General Board of the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB).

Throughout her career, she has held senior positions in public and private institutions. She was a consultant to the Board of Directors of Banco de Portugal, a board member of the Energy Services Regulatory Authority (ERSE), Secretary of State for Social Security, chief executive officer of the Pension Fund Management Company of Banco de Portugal, and held management positions in banking and the financial sector.

She has participated in several national committees dedicated to the reform of Social Security, pensions and ADSE, as well as in advisory bodies of CMVM, the Portuguese Association of Insurers and the Confederation of Commerce and Services of Portugal.

She has also developed extensive academic, associative and civic activity, collaborating with universities, professional bodies and social sector institutions, while also carrying out volunteer work in solidarity organisations.

With advanced training in financial risk management, corporate finance, asset management and senior business management, she is the author of the book Pensions – Restoring the Social Contract to Restore Generations and of numerous technical publications on social security, pension systems, the social economy and public policies.

Clinical and Health Psychologist. Full Professor at the University of Lisbon (UL) with Aggregation in International Health. Guest Professor at the Catholic University. Coordinator of several national and international projects within the scope of promoting children’s and young people’s health. Member of the coordination team of the international network of the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children / World Health Organization Study (HBSC / WHO), and coordinator of the Planetary Health Group. member of the Observatory on Sleep Across Lifespan.

Politician, former Member of the Assembly of the Republic, and lawyer. She served as Chair of the Parliamentary Health Committee and as a Member of the Assembly of the Republic during the 14th Legislature, elected from the Setúbal Electoral District, Member of the National Secretariat of the Socialist Party, Member of the Standing Committee of the Socialist Party, Member of the National Political Committee of the Socialist Party, Member of the Secretariat of the Lisbon District Federation of the Socialist Party, and Alternate Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Portuguese Communities. She served as Legal Advisor to the Office of the President of the Republic (1986–1995), Chair of the Lisbon Commission for the Prevention of Drug Addiction (2001–2005), and Legal Advisor to the Office of the President of the Assembly of the Republic (1995–2001). She was awarded the Commendation of the Order of Merit (1996) and a Commendation from the Presidency of the Republic (1996). She has published the following works: “Contributions to an Analysis of the Experience of Decriminalizing Drug Use” (2004), “Revista Toxicodependências,” volume 10, no. 1 (2003), “Decriminalization of Narcotic Substance Use – Interpretation and Application of Law 30/2000 of November 29,” Journal of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

A physical therapist by training and profession, with extensive experience in the management of RD, combining clinical practice with management and strategic vision. In addition to this professional background, she brings a unique personal perspective, having personally experienced a rare form of atopic dermatitis as a patient—a background that gives her a special sensitivity, deep empathy, and a keen insight into the challenges and realities of healthcare.

Maria de Belém Roseira holds a degree in Law from the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra. She is a lawyer and jurist, with a career spanning more than four decades dedicated to social affairs, health and public life.

She served as Minister of Health, Minister for Equality and Member of Parliament across several legislatures. She also chaired the Parliamentary Health Committee and was a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Throughout her political career, she was responsible for promoting important legislative initiatives, including the Parity Law, the Medically Assisted Procreation Law, the Living Will Law and the law allowing Portuguese nationality to be granted to descendants of Sephardic Jews. She also chaired the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee into the BPN case and served as President of the World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization.

She was President of the Socialist Party and a candidate for the Presidency of the Republic. In parallel, she has developed extensive work in the fields of the social economy and volunteering, having served on the governing bodies of several national and international institutions, including the Steering Committee of the International Association of Mutual Benefit Societies.

She maintains a strong connection to academia, serving on the General Council of the University of Coimbra, chairing the Advisory Board of the Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and participating in national and international scientific juries. She is a speaker, guest lecturer and author of books, articles and essays on health, public policies and social affairs.

A Councillor of the Ancient Military Orders, she has received numerous awards and decorations, including the Grand Cross of the Order of Christ, awarded by the President of the Republic in recognition of her outstanding service to the country.

Maria João Magalhães is a gastroenterologist whose practice focuses on digestive endoscopy and functional pathology, using a multidisciplinary approach. She is the author and co-author of publications in recognized scientific journals and has presented papers and research at national and international conferences and meetings.

She is a member of the leading national scientific societies in her specialty.

She has extensive experience in establishing and organizing gastroenterology units, with an integrated approach to patient care. She also holds clinical management positions, most notably currently serving as coordinator of the Gastroenterology-Clinical Medicine department at Médis.

Ph.D. in Sociology (specializing in Demography), awarded in 1993 by the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences at Universidade Nova de Lisboa (FCSH-UNL)

Assistant Professor at FCSH-UNL since 1993 and a full-time researcher at the “Portuguese Institute of International Relations” at UNL. Scientific coordinator (2024–2026) for studies to be conducted as part of the “New Long-Lived Societies” project of the Economic and Social Council (CES).

She served (2012–2022) on the Higher Council of Statistics (CSE) as a member recognized for her scientific merit and independence, and has been a member (since 2014) of the European Statistical Advisory Committee (ESAC). She has been a member of the ESAC Executive Board (since 2015), serving as coordinator of the network of European statistics users.

She held various public offices between 2000 and 2009 in the Ministries of Education and Science.

From 2009 to February 2019, she directed Pordata—the Database on Contemporary Portugal, a project of the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation.

She is the author and co-author of numerous studies on contemporary Portuguese society, demographic aging, and statistical literacy.

Maria Manuel Dias da Mota is a Portuguese biologist and scientist of recognized international prestige who specializes in the study of malaria; she is one of the leading authorities on research into the interactions between the Plasmodium parasite and the human body. She is currently the director of GIMM—the Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine, an institution formed through the merger of the Institute of Molecular Medicine (iMM) and the Gulbenkian Institute of Science (IGC).

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Porto, where she also earned a master’s degree in Immunology. She continued her scientific training in the United Kingdom, completing her Ph.D. in Parasitology at University College London (UCL) and the National Institute for Medical Research. She subsequently conducted postdoctoral research at New York University School of Medicine in the United States.

Upon her return to Portugal, she initially led a research group at the Gulbenkian Institute of Science in Oeiras, before moving to the Institute of Molecular Medicine in Lisbon, where she assumed increasing responsibilities in research and scientific management, including heading the Malaria Unit and, later, serving as the institution’s executive director. Currently, in addition to leading GIMM, she heads a laboratory dedicated to the biology and physiology of malaria and is a visiting professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon.

Her research focuses on the biological mechanisms that govern the relationship between the host and Plasmodium, seeking to understand the different stages of infection—particularly the hepatic and blood stages—and to identify new avenues for the prevention and treatment of the disease.

The international significance of her work has been recognized through numerous honors. She was the first Portuguese scientist to be named an International Research Scholar by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, is a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), and received the Sanofi–Institut Pasteur International Mid-Career Award. In Portugal, she was awarded the title of Commander of the Order of Infante D. Henrique.

Her career combines scientific excellence, international engagement, institutional leadership, and the training of new generations of researchers, making her one of the most prominent figures in contemporary Portuguese biomedical science.

Maria-Raquel Silva is Associate Professor with Habilitation at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University Fernando Pessoa (FCS-UFP), in Porto, Portugal. She is Senior Researcher at the Research Centre of the Portuguese Institute of Oncology of Porto (IPO-PORTO) and Invited Senior Researcher in the NOVA Medical School of Lisbon (CHRC-Comprehensive Health Research Centre), the University of Coimbra (CIAS-Research Centre for Anthropology and Health), and the RISE-Health/FFP in Porto. member of the Observatory on Sleep Across Lifespan.

A physician specialising in Oncology, she is also a PhD candidate, with her research focused on brain metastases resulting from breast cancer. She is a faculty member at the Faculty of Health Sciences and Nursing of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa.

As medical spokesperson for Lilly Portugal, she has played a very active role in raising awareness of obesity as a chronic and complex disease.

Among her main public initiatives is the “Stories Can’t Wait” project, launched at MAAT in Lisbon, which focuses on humanising and giving visibility to the stories of people living with the condition, promoting the fight against stigma and publicly advocating for social judgement to be replaced by empathy and appropriate medical treatment.

Head of Strategic Orchestration for the Médis Health Ecosystem, Ageas Group. A native of Alentejo, yet hyperactive, and mother of three. She holds a degree in Communication Sciences from Nova FCSH and a master’s degree in Strategy, Marketing and Innovation from Nova SBE.

Researcher on the European Engaged Youth/ASA project, Consultant at Deloitte Portugal and PhD student at the Portuguese Catholic University

After almost 30 years in business, being a successful entrepreneur mainly in the field of aviation, Marianela Mirpuri decides to dedicate her time to philanthropy, in the spirit of giving back to society what society gave to her. In 2018 she takes forward her project HERA THE LIGHT OF WOMEN, started in early 2000 as an informal movement for the empowerment of women and the Future of Humanity, and focus in the target of building a City with women leading the Mission- HERA CITY. Her work as the Founder and President of Hera the light of women, is recognized worldwide, and Hera counts with a powerful team of Ambassadors and Advisors in all Continents, working for the education of women and for a better Future for Humanity. She is the President in Portugal of Wicci and now invited as Advisor to the President’s Council of G100. In 2022, she was awarded Doctor of Philosophy “Honoris Causa” by Rai University in India. She is a Civil Diplomat by Jethro International. She is also an Advisor to the Mirpuri Foundation, her family foundation and leads the “Game Changer” project The Good Bottle, with the aim to replace the plastic around the world for a biodegradable/compostable solution. Marianela Mirpuri is invited regularly as speaker in international conferences globally.

Graduated in Clinical Psychology with a Master Degree in Health Psychology from ISPA. PhD in Clinical Psychology (University of Minho) and with Habilitation in Health Education (University of Lisbon). Certified by the OPP (Portuguese Psychologists’ Order) in Clinical and Health Psychology and in Psychotherapy, Certified as a psychotherapist and supervisor by the APTC. Formerly a Health Assistant at the Psychiatry Department (Unit 2) of the Algarve Local Health Unit and Full Professor at ISMAT – Lusófona Group, where she managed, until 2023, the Graduation Program in Psychology, the Master’s Program in Work and Occupational Health Psychology, and the Department of Psychology and Physical Education. Integrated researcher at the Institute of Environmental Health (Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon), within the “Supportive Environments” group. Member of the DGEEC’s Observatory on Psychological Health and Well-being, the Portuguese team for the HBSC (a WHO collaborative study), and the “Aventura Social” (Social Adventure) Project. member of the Observatory on Sleep Across Lifespan.

Mário Amorim Lopes is a member of the Assembly of the Republic. He is also a university professor and researcher and has a long academic career, with a master’s degree in Computer Engineering, another in Economics, and a Ph.D. in Health Management, Economics, and Policy. Throughout his career, he has worked with various organizations in the health sector, including public hospitals and professional associations, contributing to the improvement of policies and practices in this field.

For over a decade, he has been writing about liberalism in various media outlets, advocating for ideas of freedom, responsibility, and prosperity.

Economist, university professor and one of the most prominent figures in Portuguese and European economic and financial policy.

He served as Governor of Banco de Portugal, Minister of State and Finance, and President of the Eurogroup, having also chaired the Board of Governors of the European Stability Mechanism.

Academically, he holds a PhD in Economics from Harvard University, specialising in Labour Economics, and has advanced training in Economics and Applied Mathematics. He is an Invited Full Professor at NOVA IMS and was a lecturer at ISEG, combining academic activity with a distinguished career in national and international institutions.

Throughout his career, he has conducted research in the fields of labour economics, employment and economic policy, and is the author of several scientific articles published in leading international journals.

His career is distinguished by the combination of academic rigour, government experience and leadership in national and European financial institutions, playing a central role in the definition and implementation of economic and financial policies in Portugal and the European Union.

Mário Rui André holds a postdoctoral degree in Sociology and a master’s degree in Health Education. He has served as

coordinator of various projects and programs in the social and health sectors. Between 2012 and 2016

he served as Director of Development and Community-Based Intervention at SCML. Between 2016 and

2019, he served as Santa Casa’s representative on the Refugee Support Platform. Since

2013, he has coordinated the Working Group on Longevity and Aging of the Forum for

Integrated Governance. He is currently the director of the Santa Casa Mission Unit for the

“Lisbon, City for All Ages” program.

He holds a degree in Economics from UTAD and also studied at Arizona State University. He specialised in Finance and Accounting and is currently completing the Specialisation Course in Hospital Administration at ENSP NOVA. He served as a PSD municipal councillor on Bragança City Council, was a member of the executive board of a Mission Structure, and worked in the areas of financial management and strategic planning.

Miguel Caeiro spent a decade in Unilever’s Marketing Division; he served as CEO of Grupo Abril in Portugal, VP of Internet Marketing at Portugal Telecom, Country Manager at CESCE (the Spanish government’s credit risk agency), and Head of Latin America at Lookout (mobile cybersecurity); and most recently, he served as Head of Latin America at Vidmob, a creative intelligence company, for five years.

He serves on several advisory boards, is an investor in startups, and is a volunteer Vice President at the NGO Instituto Heleninha (an organization with over 20 years of experience supporting underprivileged children in their fight against cancer in São Paulo), among other roles.

He holds a degree in Business Administration from the Portuguese Catholic University, an MBA from Four Acres (Unilever/UK), and a post-MBA degree from Inova Business School. He teaches Digital Marketing in post-MBA and MBA programs in São Paulo, Campinas, and Curitiba at Inova Business School.

Miguel Caeiro has been a member of the Portuguese Diaspora Council since December 2023.

He holds a degree in Sociology, specialising in Sociology of Medicine and Health, from Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa, completed in 1995. He also holds a postgraduate degree in Healthcare Unit Management from the Postgraduate School in Economics and Business Sciences of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, completed in 2000.

He is a Hospital Manager for the areas of Complementary Diagnostic and Therapeutic Services and Psychosocial Oncology at the Portuguese Oncology Institute of Lisbon Francisco Gentil, EPE (IPOLFG, EPE).

He is a member of the OECI — Organisation of European Cancer Institutes — Working Group, within the scope of the IPOLFG, EPE certification process.

At Hospital Amadora-Sintra Sociedade Gestora SA, where he worked from 1996 to 2005, he held several roles, including Coordinator of the Community Intervention Office, Coordinator of the Home Support Project, Local Coordinator of the HOPE Programme, Internal Auditor for the King’s Fund Accreditation Programme, Health, Hygiene and Safety Coordinator, Coordinator of the Training Centre, and Coordinator of the Healthcare Integration Programme.

He has participated in several working groups, including the Municipal Working Group that prepared the Health Equipment Charter for the Municipality of Amadora; the Directorate-General of Health Working Group that developed the document “Health in the Community: Guidance for the Development of Indicators”; and the Directorate-General of Health Working Group on Health & Migrants, where he was responsible for providing technical support and participating in research projects related to immigrant health.

He also participated in the Research Group of the Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine project “Attitudes towards health and illness and access to healthcare services in immigrant communities”.

He is Vice-President of the Board of AJPAS — Association for Community Intervention, Social Development and Health.

He currently serves as president of the Alto Alentejo Local Health Unit, leading a project focused on integrated care, the professional development of healthcare workers, and the continuous improvement of the population’s health indicators. His academic background reflects a solid foundation in management and health; he is a Ph.D. candidate in Public Health, holds a master’s degree in Health Management, has completed a postgraduate program in Hospital Administration at the National School of Public Health of NOVA University Lisbon, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Throughout his career, he has gained extensive experience in various settings within the healthcare sector, having served as a hospital administrator at several institutions, notably in Portalegre, Elvas, and Setúbal. He has also held management positions in the pharmaceutical industry, served as secretary-general of the Portuguese Association of Hospital Administrators (APAH), and acted as an advisor to the administration of the National School of Public Health, contributing to the development and modernization of healthcare organizations.

Miguel Relvas is a Portuguese manager, consultant, and prominent political figure. A longstanding member of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), he has held several senior positions in public administration and government. He became one of the central figures in Portuguese national politics, particularly during his time as Minister for Parliamentary Affairs.

Miguel Ribeiro Henriques is an attorney and the current Executive Coordinator of EMER 2030 — Mission Structure for Renewable Energy Licensing 2030, where he is responsible for coordinating and managing a public entity dedicated to simplifying and modernizing energy licensing processes.

A former municipal official in Lisbon, he holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Lisbon’s School of Law and a Master’s degree in Labor and Business Law from ISCTE. He has furthered his education in the areas of corporate governance, public procurement, and artificial intelligence applied to the legal sector.

He holds a Ph.D. in Psychology and serves as Director of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Services and as a university professor. He coordinated national health literacy plans and served on DGS task forces during the COVID-19 pandemic. He represents Portugal in WHO and OECD groups focused on public and behavioral health. He is active as a researcher with numerous publications and was awarded the Dr. Francisco George Public Health Prize (2018).

Mónica Oliveira is a full professor in the field of Decision Sciences in the Department of Engineering and Management at the Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) of the University of Lisbon, and a member of the research team at the Center for Management Studies at the Instituto Superior Técnico (CEG-IST) and the IST Institute of Biomedical Science. She is the coordinator of the SAÚDE network at the University of Lisbon. Her research interests focus on the development of models and techniques to support clinical decision-making, health services management, and health policy. She has applied these models in public and private organizations across a wide range of real-world contexts and has actively participated in international health projects. She is an editorial board member for several scientific journals in the field, has served on advisory councils for the Ministry of Health, and is an active member of the Portuguese Association of Health Economics. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Porto, as well as a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Operations Research from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Since November 1, 2024, Mourad Aboubakr has been Country President of Novartis Portugal. Having been with Novartis for 15 years, Mourad Aboubakr has extensive experience in the pharmaceutical market, having held several commercial and market access roles at European and international level, where he led teams with highly diverse cultures.

He is a German-Moroccan citizen, but identifies as a global citizen, having lived and worked in nine countries. Academically, Mourad Aboubakr holds an MBA from INSEAD and completed the Global Healthcare Leaders Program at Harvard Medical School.

His priority is to unlock people’s potential, with a particular enthusiasm for the power of genuine collaboration and teamwork. He sees Portugal as a country of possibilities and aims to strengthen the company’s role as an agent of positive change, delivering innovation and co-creating healthcare solutions in partnership with the ecosystem. These solutions can make a meaningful contribution not only to improving the quality of life of people living with chronic disease, but also to addressing the challenges faced by the healthcare system and society.

Chair of the Senior Board of the Portuguese Public Finance Council (CFP) since March 2019. A jurist and economist, she has an academic and professional background marked by interdisciplinarity between Law and Economics, with a particular focus on Public Finance, budgetary policies, and the sustainability of State finances. She holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in Law from the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon, and later completed a degree in Economics at Nova School of Business and Economics, strengthening her expertise in the economic analysis of public policies. She is an Associate Professor with Habilitation at the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon and Principal Researcher at the Research Centre for Economic, Financial and Tax Law (CIDEEFF). Throughout her academic career, she has published several books and scientific articles in the fields of Public Finance, Fiscal Federalism, Financial Law, and European Integration, and is recognised for her contribution to the study of budgetary governance. Institutionally, in addition to chairing the CFP since 2019, she was a member of the European Commission’s High-Level Group of Experts on Pensions in 2018 and has collaborated as an expert in several European projects, namely MoveS, related to social policies and mobility. She is also a full member of the Lisbon Academy of Sciences, reflecting the recognition of her scientific and academic merit.

Diplomatic Representative of the Ismaili Imamat to the Portuguese Republic. Senior Official of the Ismaili Imamat – Head of the Department for Portugal and other Lusophone countries.

Throughout his career as an entrepreneur and managing director of several companies, he has held various positions within the institutions of the Ismaili Imamat, including President of the National Ismaili Council for Portugal from 1990 to 1997.

He is currently President of the Matosinhos Local Health Unit (ULS). He was Director of the Department of Emergency and Intensive Care Medicine at the São João University Hospital Center.

Physician specializing in Internal Medicine.

He has held positions at the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM) and the International Red Cross.

Among many other positions, he served as national coordinator for Euro 2004, a member of the Strategic Council of Linha Saúde 24, a team leader for NATO (during the international exercises Dacia 2003 and Joint Assistance 2005), and in humanitarian operations in Mozambique, Iran, and Morocco.

I have been a doctor since 2004, a general surgeon with training in the treatment of breast cancer. As a sports enthusiast, I completed a postgraduate degree in sports medicine. In 2021, an accident left me quadriplegic, so I have been reinventing myself professionally. This accident showed me that there is much to be done for the community of patients with spinal cord injuries and people with serious illnesses who need medical advice and guidance. I intend to establish a practice focused on patient advocacy, which aims to provide the best possible guidance to people as they navigate their treatment journeys and the complexities of living with a serious illness. I participated in a clinical trial with the University of Lausanne and the city’s university hospitals, (CHUV), and I maintain a scientific collaboration with the team responsible for research in this area, led by Drs. Grégoire Courtine and Jocelyne Bloch. I am committed to providing the best possible support to those who seek my help.

Academic Background: He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Lisbon, where he began his involvement in student organizations as President of the Student Association. He also holds a postgraduate degree in Management and an Executive MBA from the Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics. [

Industry Experience: He served as Secretary-General (since 2017) and later as President of ADIFA (Association of Pharmaceutical Distributors) for the 2020–2022 term. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Southern and Autonomous Regions Regional Section of the Portuguese Pharmaceutical Society.

Role at ANF: He is responsible for the strategic and operational coordination of member pharmacies, publicly advocating for the evolution of community pharmacies toward a clinical care model focused on proximity to patients.

Integrated Master’s Degree in Medicine from the Lisbon School of Medicine in 2011.

Specialist Degree in Pediatric Medicine in 2020.

Visiting Assistant Professor for Module X in Pediatrics in the Integrated Master’s in Medicine program at the Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon.

Master’s in Sleep Medicine from the University of Bern, Switzerland, in 2026.

Postgraduate Certificate in Sports Medicine from the Portuguese Society of Sports Medicine in 2023.

Ph.D. in Veterinary Sciences from the Lisbon Faculty of Medicine in 2017.

Master’s Degree in Neuroscience from the Lisbon Faculty of Medicine in 2004.

Bachelor’s Degree in Veterinary Medicine from the Lisbon Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Technical University of Lisbon (now the University of Lisbon) in 1999.

Currently a pediatrician in charge of the Pediatrics section at the Center for Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology in Lisbon, where he provides consultations in pediatric sleep medicine.

Pediatrician at Lusíadas Hospital in Lisbon, where he works in the Intermediate Care Unit, the Emergency Department, and the Pediatric Outpatient Clinic.

Consultant in Health Regulation and Policy;
President of the National Association of Liberal Professionals (ANPL);
Southern Europe Section Regent of the Academy of Dentistry International;
Member of the SEDES Observatory for Health and Social Action and of the Board of SEDES Porto.

Professional and Academic Experience

2001–2020 – President of the Portuguese Dental Association (OMD);
2011–2020 – President of the National Council of Professional Associations (CNOP);
2011–2013 – President of the FDI World Dental Federation;
2006–2009 – President of the Council of European Dentists (CED);
2019–2020 – President of the Federation of European Dental Competent Authorities and Regulators (FEDCAR);
2011–2020 – Member of the Portuguese Economic and Social Council (CES);
2017–2020 – Member of the Portuguese National Health Council (CNS);
2015–2019 – Member of the Advisory Board of the Portuguese Health Regulatory Authority (ERS);
1991–1995 – Assistant Professor of Health Policy in Europe at Universidade Moderna do Porto;
1988–1990 – Second Lieutenant Dental Officer in the Portuguese Air Force;
1987–2017 – Dentist in private practice.

Conferences and Publications

Speaker at numerous national and international scientific and professional congresses, courses and seminars. Author of a wide range of opinion articles and a regular contributor to Portuguese and international general and specialist media.

Academic Qualifications

1987 – Degree in Dental Medicine from the Faculty of Medicine and the School of Dental Medicine of the University of Porto.

Postgraduate Education

November 2022–July 2023 – Strategic Thinking and Development for Health and Care Regulators, Erasmus University Rotterdam – Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management, the Netherlands;
October–November 2022 – 21st Postgraduate Course in Public Regulation and Competition, Centre for Public Law and Regulation Studies (CEDIPRE), Faculty of Law, University of Coimbra;
February–July 2022 – 7th Postgraduate Course in Bioethics, Private Law Research Centre, Faculty of Law, University of Lisbon, Portugal;
October 2020–July 2021 – Healthcare Management, Nova School of Business & Economics, Carcavelos, Portugal, first edition;
September 2008 – Mastering Health Care Finance, a partnership between the Institute of Health Economics and Management – Harvard Medical International and Centro Hospitalar do Porto, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal;
February 2009 – Upgrading NGO Lobbying Practices, European Training Institute (ETI), Brussels, Belgium.

Honours and Distinctions

2014 – Honorary Doctorate from the University of Porto, Portugal;
2015 – Municipal Gold Medal of Merit awarded by Porto City Council, Portugal;
2014 – Honorary Member of the American Dental Association (ADA), United States;
2014 – Honorary Member of the General Council of Dentists of Spain;
2011 – Honorary Citizen of the City of Montevideo, Uruguay;
2017 – Macao Conference Ambassador for the Macao Special Administrative Region, China.

A scientist by training, she has built extensive experience in science management, biomedical innovation funding, and the connection between academia and industry.

In her current role, she works directly with hospitals, clinical research centres and the pharmaceutical industry to implement new healthcare delivery models, and is also responsible for relevant initiatives such as the Clinical Innovation Barometer.

Her career within the healthcare and research ecosystem in Portugal includes her time at NOVA Medical School, where she held roles focused on knowledge transfer, funding management and the promotion of clinical research, as well as at AICIB.

Previously, she served as a delegate and national contact point for the health area of the European Horizon programme at the National Innovation Agency.

In the private sector, she held the position of Research and Development Director in the biotechnology field at Bioalvo, and also pursued an academic career as an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon.

In terms of academic qualifications, she holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon and a degree in Biology from the University of Coimbra.

Graduated in Business Management from the Lisbon School of Economics and Management (ISEG), he began his career in the banking sector, serving as Chairman of the Executive Committee of Banco Comercial e de Investimentos, S.A., and as Head of the Real Estate Financing Division at Caixa Geral de Depósitos (CGD).

He also gained significant international experience between 2013 and 2019, representing CGD’s interests in Mozambique. During this period, he additionally served as Portugal’s representative on the European Mortgage Federation’s Committee on Economic Affairs.

He is the founder and CEO of Vivid Foods and Vivid Farms, one of the most award-winning and dynamic regenerative agriculture projects in Portugal. After establishing himself in the conventional agri-food sector, the entrepreneur redirected his career toward ecological sustainability after questioning the environmental and social impact of traditional production models.

Together with co-founder Ana Carvalho, he established Vivid Farms in the Santarém region. The project began with the rehabilitation of 20 hectares of severely degraded clay soils. Through rigorous soil conservation practices and the promotion of biodiversity, the property recently expanded by an additional 100 hectares and currently cultivates more than 70 species of vegetables and 23 varieties of fruit trees.

Under his leadership, Vivid Farms has gained significant national and international recognition:

Producer of the Year 2025: An award presented at the prestigious Mesa Marcada Awards.

Top 50 Farmers: International recognition from the European agricultural sustainability platform.

Educational Initiative: Creation of a technical training center on the farm, promoting workshops and partnerships with institutions such as the Santarém School of Agriculture to bring chefs, students, and farmers closer together.

Paulo Carvalho stands out today as an active voice in the global ecological transition, demonstrating that regenerative agriculture is a viable, productive, and essential model for the future of the food system.

Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 16 years ago, Paulo Gonçalves is Vice-President of the Portuguese Multiple Sclerosis Society (SPEM), President of  RD-Portugal which comprises 49 associations representing more than 260 rare diseases Patient Ombudsman for the Portuguese Pharmaceutical Society, a fervent believer in the National Health Service (SNS), a down-to-earth dreamer, and a staunch advocate for its sustainability.

Geographer and geographic information scientist, associate professor at the Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning (IGOT) at the University of Lisbon; researcher at the Center for
Geographic Studies and member of the TERRA Associated Laboratory, and co-coordinator of GEOMODLAB.

Ph.D. in Regional and Urban Planning from the University of Lisbon, with a dissertation that involved the development of a GIS plug-in for network analysis based on graph theory and complex networks, enabling the calculation of advanced accessibility and connectivity metrics. He coordinated an H2020 project and led work packages and tasks in several Horizon Europe projects.

Former visiting researcher at the Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis (UCL) and visiting fellow in the Department of Land Economy at the University of Cambridge. His research areas focus on analyzing the complex interactions between people and their environment, whether physical, digital, or hybrid. More specifically, his research aims to generate robust scientific evidence to support more informed decision-making regarding sustainable urban development and the promotion of healthy spaces and population well-being.

Paulo’s professional and academic interests center on the development and application of advanced methodologies and technologies, such as neurocomputing, neurourbanism, smart and cognitive cities, digital twins, wearable sensors, citizen science, remote sensing, virtual reality, and the Metaverse.

He has worked on various transactions and projects, particularly in the healthcare, telecommunications, energy and natural gas, transportation, and water and waste sectors, and has also advised on regulatory matters and public procurement procedures in these sectors, as well as on the formation of public-private partnerships.

He graduated in Medicine from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto in 1995 and obtained a PhD in Clinical and Health Services Research from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto in 2014.

He has been a specialist in General and Family Medicine since 2002, having worked at Arcozelo Health Centre, Oliveira do Douro Health Centre, São João Health Centre and the São João Family Health Unit in Porto. He has held competence in Geriatrics since 2015.

He has been a training supervisor for the Complementary Internship in General and Family Medicine since 2008. He was Clinical Director of R12 – Centre for Recovery from Addiction Disorders from 1998 to 2004.

He has practised private medicine at his office in Vila Nova de Gaia since 2000. Since 2014, he has been an Assistant Professor in the curricular units of the Department of Social Sciences and Health at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, where he teaches Preventive Medicine, General and Family Medicine, and Community Medicine.

He is a member of the Portuguese Medical Association, the Portuguese Association of General and Family Medicine, and the National Association of Teachers and Supervisors of General and Family Medicine.

He was an appointed member of the Health Ethics Committee of ARS Norte for the 2012–2014 term and was reappointed for the 2015–2017 term.

He is the author and co-author of more than 35 articles published in national and international journals, and a reviewer for national and international medical journals.

He is also the author and co-author of more than 50 presentations at national and international congresses and conferences, and has been a trainer in eight postgraduate courses in the field of Primary Healthcare.

Chairman of the Board of Directors of ULS Almada-Seixal.
Hospital Resident in Internal Medicine.
Member of the Pioneering Team for Home Hospitalization in Portugal at Garcia de Orta Hospital.
Former Clinical Director of CUF Home Care Services (Home Hospitalization and Home Care Unit).
Former Coordinator of Internal Medicine and the Adult Emergency Care Service at CUF-Almada.
Member of the Secretariat of the SPMI’s Center for Studies in Obstetric Medicine.
Member of the Secretariat of the SPMI’s Center for Studies in Home Hospitalization.
Visiting Assistant at the University Clinic of Medicine I, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon.

Pedro Gomes is CEO of HMR, the leading Portuguese healthcare data and intelligence company. Having joined HMR as Commercial Director in February 2025 and becoming CEO in February 2026, he leads initiatives focused on healthcare analytics, real-world data and population health insights. Previously, Pedro held leadership roles at Hovione and IQVIA, gaining extensive experience across pharmaceutical innovation, healthcare data and evidence generation. His work centres on helping healthcare organisations transform fragmented data into actionable intelligence that improves healthcare decision-making, patient outcomes and the sustainability of healthcare systems.

Pedro Gouveia is a certified breast surgeon, researcher in extended reality for the medical field, and futurist at the Breast Unit of the Champalimaud Foundation.

He is Principal Investigator of the Digital Surgery Laboratory at the Champalimaud Foundation.

He is also an Invited Assistant Professor and coordinator of the optional course Practical Introduction to Artificial Intelligence in Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon.

He is a member of the Education and Training Committee — Breast Working Group — of the European Society of Surgical Oncology.

He holds degrees in International Relations and Law, both completed at Universidade Lusíada de Lisboa.

His political career includes extensive experience in local and central government, having served as a Member of the Portuguese Parliament for the CDS-PP Parliamentary Group in different legislatures and as a member of the governing boards of the National Association of Municipalities and the National Association of Parishes.

He is also recognised for his long-standing leadership in local administration as President of the Parish Council of Cascais and, later, of the Union of Parishes of Cascais and Estoril, alongside a long-standing connection to local and sports associations in the region.

In the current Cascais municipal executive, he holds political responsibility for the areas of International Relations, Social Development and Social Innovation, Health Promotion, Education, Youth and Employment.

He also represents the municipality in several external partner organisations, such as the Social Network, the Cascais Commission for the Protection of Children and Young People, and the Western Lisbon Local Health Unit.

Portuguese lawyer and politician. He is best known for having served as Minister of Solidarity, Employment and Social Security between 2011 and 2015. He currently serves as Secretary-General of APRITEL and President of the Cascais Municipal Assembly.

Executive Director of Fórum Saúde XXI, manager and lawyer, he worked as publisher for several health publications of the Cofina Group. He held marketing and sales roles in multinational pharmaceutical companies. He is co-author of the book “Choices in Health”.

Ph.D. in Chemistry and is a principal investigator at the Champalimaud Foundation, focusing on the early detection of cancer through the analysis of volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath. He also serves as chief scientist and head of regulatory affairs at Preemie Health, a scale-up dedicated to neonatal intensive care. He is a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon and teaches the elective course “Introduction to Clinical and Laboratory Research in Oncology.” He is a co-founder of AuroraTrials.org, a start-up dedicated to simplifying and streamlining recruitment for clinical trials. He is an elected fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in the United Kingdom.

Peter van der Voort has been Academic Director of the MHA programme and Professor of Healthcare at TIAS since 2013. He graduated in Medicine from VU University Amsterdam and specialised in Internal Medicine and Intensive Care Medicine at the Academic Medical Centre (AMC) and OLVG Hospital.

In 2006, he completed a master’s degree in Epidemiology. Since 2019, he has been Professor of Intensive Care Medicine at the University of Groningen (RUG) and served as Director of the Adult Intensive Care Unit at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) until September 2023.

Previously, he led the intensive care units at Medical Center Leeuwarden and OLVG, where he also trained intensivists for ten years. In these roles, he gained extensive experience in hospital healthcare management.

He was Chair of the Venticare Foundation and was deeply involved in the development of telemedicine. He also chaired numerous committees dedicated to quality policy and the organisation of healthcare.

Between 2020 and 2023, he served as a senator for the D66 party, with responsibility for healthcare, finance, and education. Since 2024, he has chaired the board of the Dutch Association for Palliative Care.

Through the various roles he has held, he has developed a broad view of the healthcare system and the conviction that the organisation and governance of a department or healthcare institution have an impact on the quality of care that is at least as relevant as its clinical content.

This perspective, combined with his medical, organisational, and political-institutional experience, guides his teaching activity, through which he seeks to provide TIAS programme participants with knowledge and a diversity of perspectives. He supervises participants in the MHA and other TIAS healthcare programmes and conducts research in the areas of healthcare organisation and governance. In 2025, he also served as interim Vice-Dean of TIAS.

Rafael Pires Miranda is an assistant professor in the field of Decision Sciences in the Department of Engineering and Management at the Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) of the University of Lisbon, and an integrated member of the Center for Management Studies of Instituto Superior Técnico (CEGIST). He is the scientific coordinator of “Mais Dados, Melhor Saúde”, an academic initiative aiming to contribute to the development of a national model for secondary access to health data in Portugal. His research interests encompass decision analysis under uncertainty and risk, value-based BI, and group work facilitation, with applications to health policymaking and health technology assessment. He is a PhD in Engineering and Management and holds an MSc degree in Biomedical Engineering, both from IST. Rafael also gained professional experience as a Business Intelligence (BI) Developer at CUF Hospital Group (2018-2020) and at the Enterprise Services department of Siemens Healthineers Portugal (2021-2025). He won the ULisboa – redeSAÚDE 2024 Prize for Best Doctoral Work in the field of Health Systems / Entrepreneurship / Digital Transition.

Rafael Ventura Franco. He holds a master’s degree in Health Services Management from ISCTE – Lisbon University Institute. He currently serves as Coordinator of the Digital Innovation Unit at SPMS—Shared Services of the Ministry of Health—where he coordinates initiatives in digital transformation, health innovation, telemonitoring, telehealth, secondary use of health data, and the implementation of digital solutions to support healthcare delivery.

Throughout his professional career, he has participated in the design, implementation, and evaluation of national digital innovation projects in healthcare, collaborating with entities of the National Health Service (SNS), public agencies, academic institutions, and research centers, with a special focus on the digital transformation of healthcare, capacity building for citizens and professionals, interoperability, the use of data for research, and the application of emerging technologies in healthcare.

He holds a degree in Engineering from the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP) and has a Master of Business Administration (MBA), combining a solid technical background with advanced skills in management, innovation, and business strategy. He leads operational execution, the implementation of the growth strategy, and the development of programs dedicated to preventive health, longevity, and healthcare innovation. In this role, he promotes collaboration between the European innovation ecosystem, research institutions, technology companies, investors, and healthcare-sector organizations, driving strategic partnerships and the internationalization of initiatives in the field of longevity.

With a well-established career in international management and strategy, he has accumulated more than three decades of professional experience across various markets on five continents. Throughout his career, he has held strategic consulting roles, advising governments, large companies, small and medium-sized enterprises, and investment funds on international expansion projects, organizational transformation, business development, and strategic assessment. Recognized as one of the driving forces behind the European longevity ecosystem, he regularly participates as a speaker and moderator at international conferences dedicated to healthcare innovation, preventive medicine, digital transformation, and the longevity economy. His work has helped bring together science, technology, entrepreneurship, and public policy, promoting innovative models that address the challenges of population aging and the creation of healthier, more sustainable societies that are better prepared for increased longevity.

Ricardo Assunção is a Research Scientist and Head of the Research and Development Unit at the Department of Food and Nutrition of the National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA), and also an Associate Professor at the Egas Moniz School of Health & Science. Trained as a veterinarian, he holds a PhD in Veterinary Sciences and is a Registered European Toxicologist. His scientific work centres on food safety, food toxicology, and the risk and risk-benefit assessment of foods, with a particular focus on how diet shapes public health and healthy ageing, and on the sustainability of food systems, from a One Health perspective. He has participated in and coordinated national and international projects generating scientific evidence to support food and health policy, including work on dietary transition and disease prevention. He is author and co-author of numerous scientific publications and has been actively involved in teaching and advanced training on food safety, public health, and the role of diet in promoting healthier, longer lives.

Currently Partner & Head of Health & Public Sector at NTT DATA Portugal, Ricardo Constantino has more than 20 years of experience in business consulting, management and technology.

Throughout his career, he has led multiple digital transformation projects in the healthcare and public sector areas, contributing to the reinvention of public services and to the improvement of healthcare delivery.

He has extensive experience in managing multidisciplinary teams and coordinating projects in strategy, processes, digital transformation, information systems design and development, digital platform integration and application maintenance programmes.

In the healthcare sector, he was responsible, among other projects, for the design, creation and operation of the SNS Invoice Validation Centre (CCF), the creation and operation of the SNS Information Exploitation Unit (UEI), and the implementation of the largest medical imaging solution in Portugal.

He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico and attended the Senior Management Programme for Healthcare Institutions at AESE.

He is a Visiting Professor at the Higher Schools of Health of the Portuguese Red Cross in Northern Portugal and Viseu, where he teaches subjects related to public policy, health economics, accounting and healthcare management.

His experience in public and strategic management also includes his participation as a member of the Task Force and the Evaluation Committee of the Emergency and Transformation Plan for Health in Portugal, as well as the role of pharmacovigilance delegate at the Association for Research and Innovation in Light and Imaging, in Coimbra.

He also takes on community and humanitarian leadership as President of the Águeda Delegation of the Portuguese Red Cross.

His previous professional career in professional representation and regulation includes serving as National Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the Portuguese Nurses Association and completing two terms as Regional President of the Central Regional Section of the same institution.

In addition, he led the Neurointervention Complex of the Portuguese Red Cross and served as a Doping Control Officer for the Portuguese Anti-Doping Authority.

His consultancy and advisory work has extended to the Health Forum for the 21st Century, the Coimbra Municipal Health Council and the Regional Mental Health Council of ARS Centro.

His strong academic background underpins all of his professional activity. He is a PhD candidate in Public Policy at ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon, where he also completed a postgraduate degree in Healthcare Management.

His technical versatility is supported by a degree in Accounting from the Institute of Accounting and Administration of the University of Aveiro. In his original area of specialisation, he holds a specialisation in Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing, focused on specialised and community care, having begun his higher education path with a degree in Nursing from the Dr. Ângelo da Fonseca Nursing School, in Coimbra.

As a researcher, manager and speaker in public interventions with the media, he frequently focuses on the practical challenges faced by healthcare teams.

He publicly advocates for the transition from paper-based clinical records to integrated digital systems, with the aim of ensuring patient safety, data protection and the efficiency of healthcare services during periods of high pressure on care delivery.

Ricardo Fernandes is an activist and currently serves as Deputy Director-General at GAT, an organization that supports communities vulnerable to HIV, viral hepatitis, tuberculosis, and other STIs through peer-led sexual health and harm reduction services, as well as through national and international advocacy. He has been working in this field since 2000 and has extensive experience in project coordination, organizational management, and leadership. Ricardo is a member and former President of the European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG) and a co-author of studies on stigma, late diagnosis, and health literacy.

Ricardo Fernandes is the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) at Wavecom, with a solid track record incommercial leadership and strategic business development in the Information Technology and Telecommunications sector. With extensive experience leading sales and pre-sales teams, he is responsible for the organization’s overall strategy for revenue growth, market expansion, and the optimization of its commercial operations. An expert in creating innovative technology solutions, he combines a rigorous financial focus with a holistic view of the market’s technological transformation, including the challenges and opportunities for innovation in the healthcare sector

Graduated in Medicine in 2002 from the Faculty of Medical Sciences of NOVA University Lisbon, Ricardo Mexia completed a Master’s degree in Public Health in 2013 and is a graduate of EPIET – the European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training of the ECDC, completed in 2011.

He is currently part of the Department of Epidemiology at the National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge. His work focuses mainly on communicable diseases, and he has been involved in the investigation and control of several outbreaks, including the 2016 measles outbreak and the 2017 Legionnaires’ disease outbreak at HSFX.

He has been responsible for the epidemiological surveillance of several mass gatherings, including BOOM Festival, Andanças Festival, the Centenary of the Pilgrimage to Fátima, the Eurovision Song Contest and the Torres Vedras Carnival, among others, developing a range of technological solutions for this purpose.

He is Coordinator of Gripenet, a participatory surveillance platform that contributes to the monitoring of the seasonal flu epidemic. He also collaborates in the evaluation process of the National Health Plan as part of the INSA team.

He has published and presented more than 30 papers at national and international scientific meetings in the fields of epidemiological surveillance, public health emergency and mass gatherings. He regularly appears as an interviewee on health-related topics across various media outlets, including television, radio, online media and the written press.

He has been an Invited Assistant Professor on the Integrated Master’s Degree in Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon since 2014, and on the Integrated Master’s Degree in Medicine and the Bachelor’s Degree in Biomedical Sciences at the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Medicine of the University of Algarve since 2015.

He is a National Defence Auditor, having attended the National Defence Course in 2018/19. He is currently President of the National Association of Public Health Doctors, a position he has held since 2016, and Vice-President of the Communicable Disease Control Section of the European Public Health Association, since 2019.

Rita Machado de Oliveira earned her Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences, beginning her scientific career in the field of aging at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and later at Stanford University.

After returning to Portugal, she worked on neurodegenerative diseases, exploring aging as the primary risk factor for these conditions. Later, she shifted her research focus to metabolism, obesity, and diabetes, conducting translational research centered on interorgan communication and the need to understand the body as an integrated system rather than as isolated organs. Her research focuses particularly on the role of extracellular vesicles as mediators of interorgan communication and as potential biomarkers and therapeutic tools in metabolic diseases.

She is currently an assistant professor at NOVA Medical School, where she conducts research in the areas of obesity and diabetes, while maintaining a strong interest in promoting healthy aging, precision medicine, and innovation in healthcare.

Rita Sá Machado is a physician specializing in public health and currently serves as Director-General of Health in Portugal. Passionate about policy and development, Dr. Rita Sá Machado previously worked at the World Health Organization, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and at the local, regional, and national levels of the National Health Service. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in London, United Kingdom, and a postgraduate degree in Health Management from Católica Porto Business School in Porto, Portugal. She is also an invited lecturer at the Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto (ISPUP).

He holds a degree in Marketing and has extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry.

He is a PhD student in Health Policy at IHMT, focusing on the application of Lean to optimise the referral process from Primary Healthcare to hospitals in chronic diseases.

He completed Lean Six Sigma in Healthcare at Villanova University and later the Advanced Lean Training programme at the Virginia Mason Institute in Seattle, with a practical project on the optimisation of the operating theatre at Figueira da Foz District Hospital.

He also participated in a Rapid Improvement Workshop training module at Virginia Mason Medical Center, associated with the preoperative process for complex spine surgery.

He is currently, among other roles, a consultant at Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Central.

Rui Leão Martinho is a renowned Portuguese economist with extensive experience in the financial, insurance, and institutional sectors. He was particularly notable as President of the Order of Economists from 2011 to 2021 and has been an active participant in the debate on Portugal’s economy and regional development.

Rui Santos Ivo has been Chairman of the Board of Directors of INFARMED—the National Authority for Medicines and Health Products, I.P.—since 2019, and a Visiting Associate Professor in the Department of Drug Regulation at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Lisbon (FFUL) since 2009.

At the European level, he has served as Chair of the Management Board of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) since March 2025. Between 2021 and 2025, he served as Chair of the Group of Heads of Health Technology Assessment Agencies (HAG).

Naturopath and herbalist (professional licenses issued by ACSS), pharmacist (pharmacotherapy specialist, professional license issued by OF), and doula (member no. ADP 000001 of the Portuguese Association of Doulas)

Hypnobirthing instructor for “Parto sem medos”

Perinatal Educator using the Gentlebirth method

Menstrual Educator (HerSelf Training—Menstrual Educators Around the World)

Trainer and Speaker for various courses, training programs, and graduate programs, as well as at congresses and conferences in the fields of natural medicine, herbal medicine, homeopathy, mycotherapy, pregnancy, and childbirth.

Master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from IUCS.

Master’s Degree in Orthomolecular Medicine from SENMO.

Postgraduate Certificate in Natural and Complementary Therapies from ESVA.

Postgraduate Certificate in Integrative Pediatrics from the Regenera Faculty of Integrative Medicine and Western Europe University

Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Gene- and Cell-Based Therapies – FMUP

Postgraduate Program in Homeopathic Medicines from the UL School of Pharmacy.

Postgraduate Program in Advances in Nutraceuticals: Clinical Application and Current Practices – FMUP

Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Indications for the Skin from the PharmCare Institute.

Salim S. Virani, MD, PhD, serves as the Vice Provost Research and the Nizar E. Noor Mohammed Mewawalla Endowed Professor at the Aga Khan University (AKU). Effective September 2024, Dr Virani took on additional responsibilities for Bilateral and Multilateral Relations at AKU.

Working with a dedicated team, he leads and facilitates AKU’s global research and international collaborations across South Asia, Europe, and East Africa in the areas of medicine, nursing, education, culture, media, climate change, and environmental sciences. Apart from making research admin processes fully electronic and global, his research admin team has initiated several innovative programmes to improve research capacity for early career researchers [e.g. Research Initiative for Scholars Excellence (RISE) Programme] and to improve research administration [e.g., Skills & Training for Research Innovation, Development & Excellence (STRIDE) Virtual Learning Environment, and Community of Practice].

Before joining AKU, Dr Virani was a tenured Professor in the Sections of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Research at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and an investigator in the Health Policy, Quality, and Informatics Programme at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Centre Health Services Research and Development Centre of Innovation in Houston, Texas. At BCM, he also served as the Director for the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Training Programme. His clinical practice includes being a Preventive Cardiologist with a special emphasis on managing complex dyslipidemia.

Sandra Silva Guedes is the Digitalization Manager at Linde Saúde, with over 15 years of experience in the healthcare sector, focusing on digital transformation, telemonitoring, and innovation in home care. Throughout her career, she has led strategic digital health projects, including the development and implementation of telemedicine and telerehabilitation solutions, the automation of clinical processes, and the use of artificial intelligence in therapeutic protocols, working closely with clinical and technology teams as well as external stakeholders. With a strong scientific background in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) and solid experience in project management and leading clinical teams, she has played a central role in the evolution of Linde’s homecare services, both nationally and across Europe, contributing to improvements in operational efficiency, quality of care, and the patient experience. She is currently furthering her career with advanced training in digital transformation management in healthcare.

PhD in Human Kinetics, specialising in Health and Physical Fitness, Principal Investigator at the Research Centre in Sports Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Development (CIDESD), and Associate Professor of Sports at Universidade Europeia, where she is also part of the management board of Europeia ID.

Her research focuses on clinical exercise physiology, ageing, lifestyles and chronic diseases, with particular emphasis on obesity, bariatric surgery, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, cancer, digital health and artificial intelligence, promoting the transfer of knowledge to the community.

She is the author and co-author of numerous scientific articles, books and book chapters published in indexed international journals. She has participated in several funded research projects, supervised and co-supervised master’s and PhD dissertations, and regularly serves on academic juries.

She also works as a clinical exercise physiologist at the Endocrinology and Nutrition Centre of Hospital CUF Tejo, and is a trainer in the field of physical exercise and cancer, as well as a member of the ONCOMOVE team.

Throughout her career, she has held several academic coordination roles in undergraduate degrees, master’s programmes, postgraduate programmes and advanced courses in the fields of exercise physiology, nutrition and chronic disease.

She is Vice-President of the Portuguese Association of Exercise Physiologists, President of the Supervisory Board of the Portuguese Society for the Study of Obesity, and Secretary of the Study Group on Endocrinology of Sport and Physical Exercise of the Portuguese Society of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism.

She was a Member of the European Parliament.

In the private sector, she leads the public affairs area, focusing on the creation of strategic partnerships and the promotion of health policies based on scientific evidence.

As an elected representative in the European Parliament during the ninth legislature, she was a full member of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety and served as Vice-Chair of the Special Committee on Beating Cancer.

She also served as co-chair of the Health Working Group, negotiator for the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats for the EU4Health Programme, co-rapporteur for the regulation on serious cross-border threats to health, and substitute member of the Committee on Transport and Tourism.

Her academic and medical background includes an Integrated Master’s Degree in Medicine from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon, a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Umeå University in Sweden, and a postgraduate degree in Travel Medicine from NOVA University Lisbon, as well as attendance and research within the PhD programme in Public Health Sciences.

At institutional level, she is an invited external member of the School Council of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon.

For her legislative impact in the areas of health and the environment, she was recognised as a Rising MEP by the prestigious The Parliament Magazine.

A professional in the pharmaceutical industry in Portugal, with a career focused on strategic market management and healthcare sustainability.

He leads critical areas of market access and is responsible for negotiating prices and reimbursement for new medicines in the country, assessing health outcomes and managing the company’s institutional relations.

Before joining Eli Lilly, he developed his career at the biopharmaceutical company AbbVie, where he consolidated solid experience in these same areas of access.

His profile stands out for his expertise in Health Economics, Pharmacoeconomics, Pharmaceutical Legislation and Medical Devices.

In terms of academic background, he holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias, complemented by advanced training at NOVA IMS Information Management School of NOVA University Lisbon.

Sérgio Laranjo is a consultant pediatric cardiologist and assistant professor at NOVA Medical School, dedicated to transforming cardiovascular medicine through artificial intelligence, computational methods, and innovation in digital health. His clinical and academic work focuses on improving diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic outcomes in various patient populations, with expertise in cardiac arrhythmias, autonomic dysfunction, and pediatric cardiology.

At Santa Marta Hospital, São José Local Health Unit, he leads specialized clinical services, including the Pediatric Clinical Arrhythmology Section, the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program, and the Syncope Unit.

At NOVA Medical School, he is also the academic director of the Center for Knowledge in AI, Real-World Evidence, and Digital Health and the deputy director of the Institute for Digital Data Design (D³@NOVA). His research program integrates artificial intelligence for cardiovascular diagnosis, computational cardiology and advanced modeling, electrocardiographic imaging (ECGi), digital twins for personalized medicine, and signal processing methodologies for autonomic assessment. He is committed to the ethical and responsible implementation of AI, addressing algorithmic bias, ensuring transparency, and prioritizing clinical utility through rigorous validation and human-computer interface design.

His work translates technological innovations from research concepts into clinical reality, with a measurable impact on patient outcomes. He is the author of more than 60 peer-reviewed publications and has received several national and international awards. In addition, he is a member of the European Society of Cardiology (FESC) and the American College of Cardiology (FACC), serves on the board of the AEPC Working Group on Genetics, Basic Science, and Myocardial Diseases, and represents the National Reference Center for Congenital Heart Disease in the ERN GUARD-Heart network.

Ph.D. in Clinical Medicine from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Master’s degree in Community Health from Nova Medical School. Bachelor’s degree in Dietetics and Nutrition from the Lisbon School of Health Technologies.

Specializations in the areas of public health and nutrition, with a focus on obesity, ranging from the molecular level (e.g., appetite markers) to socioeconomic and environmental dietary contexts, examining the interaction between food systems and healthy, sustainable dietary practices.

Nurse with a postgraduate degree in Neonatology from the Portuguese Catholic University. Master’s student in Child and Pediatric Nursing at the Lisbon School of Nursing. General Care Nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at ULS Santa Maria. Vice President of the Young Nurses Council of the Portuguese Nurses’ Association. Member of the Platform for Young Health Professionals.

Full Professor, PhD and Habilitated in International Health by NOVA University Lisbon, and graduate in Psychology from the University of Lisbon. She is Coordinator of the Public Health Research Centre.

Previously, she was Coordinator of the PhD Programme in International Health at IHMT/NOVA University Lisbon, Director of the International Public Health Unit and Coordinator of the thematic line “Health Challenges of Travellers and Migrants” at the Global Health and Tropical Medicine research centre/NOVA University Lisbon.

She works as a consultant for several international organisations, including the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the World Health Organization and the International Organization for Migration, among others.

Her academic work focuses on topics related to community health, the health of vulnerable populations, including migrant populations, health promotion, disease prevention, sexual health, and access to and use of health services.

Clinical Nutrition Specialist

Works as a professor in higher education and in the development of public health policies.

Works at the intersection of nutrition science, teaching, and the management of municipal programs promoting well-being and community health.

Professional Experience

Health Advisor | Lisbon City Council

Development, planning, and monitoring of public health strategies and policies.

Implementation of municipal programs aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles and disease prevention in the community.

Professor | Higher Education

Teaching academic courses in nutrition and public health.

Providing guidance to students and facilitating training and applied research activities.

Key Competencies

Public Health & Municipal Policies

Clinical Nutrition & Nutritional Intervention

Teaching, Communication & Training

Planning & Management of Health Projects

Stephen Watson builds places where longevity is designed into the building rather than added to it. He co-founded The Miami Institute at the Four Seasons Miami, and led the 220,000 sq ft Blue Zones Center at the Legacy Hotel, Miami Worldcenter, a $90MM longevity-integrated hospitality campus. Most recently Interim CEO of Founders Health in London, he is now based in Portugal developing European longevity and wellness real-estate projects, and is Ambassador and Chair of the Lifestyle Medicine Initiative at the Global Wellness Institute.

Tamara Hussong Milagre is a distinguished leader in identifying, advocating for, and supporting individuals with pathogenic variants associated with a high risk of hereditary cancer, dedicated to improving the quality of life for families affected by hereditary cancer syndromes. As the founder of the “EVITA Association – Hereditary Cancer” in 2011, she was a global pioneer in efforts to support and empower individuals and families affected by any of these syndromes. She is the driving force behind the EVITA Platform, a digital platform designed to better identify and support carriers and healthcare professionals, while also encouraging active citizen participation in research. At the European level, Tamara serves as a prominent representative of the European Patient Advocate Group within the prestigious GENTURIS European Reference Network, which focuses on Genetic Tumor Risk Syndromes. Her involvement extends to critical areas such as the thematic group on “Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC)” and focus groups on “Organization of Care” and “Education, Training, and Development.” She was recently invited by IARC/WHO to join the advisory board on digital tools for tumor classification. Currently, Tamara is a co-author of several scientific articles, such as the recently published guidelines on “Counseling on Reproductive Options for GENTURIS Patients,” aimed at informing healthcare professionals and providing patients with comprehensive support. Tamara’s experience is enriched by her participation in prestigious educational programs, including the European School of Oncology (ESO) Master Class and the rigorous EUPATI course. She graduated from the EURORDIS Leadership School on Healthcare and Research in 2019, acquiring leadership skills and in-depth knowledge of the dynamics of healthcare and research. In addition to her advocacy efforts, Tamara collaborates closely with Infarmed, the Portuguese national medicines authority, and participates in forums such as the European Multi-Stakeholder Sounding Board of the EFPIA Oncology Platform and, as an invited stakeholder, in the “Prevention and Early Detection” working group at the European Cancer Organization, thereby strengthening her global influence. At the national level, Tamara has driven progress as a founding member of the Portuguese Society of Oncology’s working group on Hereditary Cancer Syndromes. She actively contributes to initiatives focused on “Prevention and Early Detection” and genomic medicine through her involvement in various organizations and initiatives, including the DGS Working Group on Hereditary Cancer, as part of the National Strategy for the Fight Against Cancer, and the PT_MedGen initiative. Tamara’s exceptional contributions to the field of hereditary cancer were officially recognized in November 2020, when she received the prestigious Medal of Scientific Merit from the Portuguese Minister of Science. Her unwavering dedication and global impact set her apart as a true influencer in the field.

Associate Professor with Habilitation and Director of the Centre for Psychology, Innovation and Knowledge (CPIC) at Lusófona University. She holds PhDs in Psychology and Management, a master’s degree in Public Health and a specialisation in Health Promotion and Prevention. She also works as a clinical and health psychologist at CENC and Hospital CUF Cascais.

She is President of Aventura Social and Principal Investigator in Portugal for the international Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study of the World Health Organization, coordinating the Mediterranean countries and serving on the international coordination committee.

She also leads the Portuguese Laboratory for Healthy Work Environments and participates in international projects developed with the WHO, the OECD and AICIB in the areas of mental health, health promotion, quality of life and patient experience assessment.

She is a member of several national research centres, coordinates studies funded by the European Commission and is the author of numerous international scientific publications, with an h-index of 24 in Scopus.

A specialist in Clinical and Health Psychology certified by the Portuguese Psychologists Association, she is a member of the Advisory Board of the Southern Regional Delegation of the Association, Vice-President of the Portuguese Association of Psychogerontology and a board member of the Portuguese Association of Health and Behavioural Sciences. She is also a member of the International Society of Behavioral Medicine.

Her professional career is marked by strategic leadership and the management of multidisciplinary teams in the healthcare sector.

As part of GSK Portugal, she has progressed continuously in roles of high regulatory and commercial responsibility. In her role as Public Affairs Director, she is responsible for institutional relations, strategic partnerships and representing the company’s vision in public health panels.

Previously, she held the positions of Specialty Care & Oncology Director and Commercial Manager, where she led the pharmaceutical company’s hospital unit, covering the areas of Oncology, Haemato-Oncology, Autoimmune and Respiratory Diseases, and coordinated the launch of several innovative therapeutic solutions in the national market.

She began her career at the company as Brand Manager in the respiratory area, focused on product management and specific brands within that portfolio.

Academically, she holds a degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Lisbon, an Executive MBA from AESE Business School / IESE, and a postgraduate degree in Marketing from Universidade Católica Portuguesa.

Graduating in Medicine in 1969, Professor Teresa Paiva specialised in Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology. She holds a formal qualification in Sleep Medicine and has been certified as a
European Somnologist since 2012. She is currently Clinical Director of the CENC – Sleep Medicine Centre and a member of the Observatory on Sleep Across the Lifespan.

Throughout her career, she has combined clinical practice and research with university teaching, having served as an invited Associate Professor of Neurology at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon and of Biomedical Engineering at Instituto Superior Técnico.

She has played a pioneering role in the development of Sleep Medicine in Portugal, including the establishment of the country’s first sleep laboratory and the creation of the first Master’s programme in Sleep Sciences worldwide.

Clinical Psychologist, PhD in Health Psychology from ISPA – Instituto Universitário. Psychotherapist in Behavioural, Cognitive and Integrative Therapies.

Specialist in Clinical and Health Psychology, Psychotherapy, Educational Psychology and Community Psychology, awarded by the Portuguese Psychologists Association.

Coordinator of Psychology and Assistant Professor at Universidade Europeia. Invited Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the Portuguese Catholic University and researcher at CatólicaMed Platform – Interdisciplinary Health Research Centre (CIIS) of the Portuguese Catholic University.

Author of several national and international publications and researcher in national and international projects.

Tiago holds a master’s degree in Health Economics from SDA Bocconi, with a specialization in the pharmaceutical and medtech sectors, where he developed expertise in economic modeling, HEOR, marketing, and market access strategies, as well as in the regulatory and policy framework governing the industry in the European Union. Prior to that, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences and Public Health from Maastricht University, the scientific foundation upon which he built everything else.
At AbbVie Portugal, he worked in Market Access and Government Affairs, where he gained a practical understanding of how pricing, reimbursement, and policy positioning decisions are shaped within an organization at the national level. In Brussels, at Acumen Public Affairs, working directly with EU institutions, he monitored EU legislative and regulatory developments and their practical implications for his clients in the pharmaceutical and medtech sectors. He currently works in Global Market Access at Alira Health in Barcelona, in an international setting that involves navigating different markets, healthcare systems, and financing models through access strategies, opportunity assessment, and economic modeling for various therapeutic areas.

Tiago Botelho is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Algarve Local Health Unit. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics, with a specialization in Economic and Business Sciences. With extensive experience in the health sector, he served as a member of the Executive Board of ARS Algarve for six years, was Executive Director of the Algarve II – Barlavento Health Center Group, and also served on the Boards of Directors of the Barlavento Algarvio Hospital and the Barlavento Algarvio Hospital Center.
He also served as Deputy Secretary of State for Health in the 14th Constitutional Government, during which time he was part of the joint team with the Ministry of Finance that prepared the plan to corporatize the hospitals of the National Health Service (SNS).

Tiago Gonçalves holds a bachelor’s degree in law from the Faculty of Law at the University of Lisbon and a master’s degree in international relations from the University of the Azores. He has a proven track record in public administration, with particular expertise in governance, strategic planning, and management of the National Health Service. Before assuming the chairmanship of the Board of Directors of the Barcelos Esposende Local Health Unit (ULS), he served as a member of the Executive Board of the Central Administration of the Health System (ACSS), with responsibilities in the areas of human resources planning and management, organization of the service network, EU funds, and the Recovery and Resilience Plan. He participated in collective bargaining with labor unions in the health sector and coordinated or served on various national working groups on medical and nursing education, the organization of Family Health Units, strategic planning, and programs funded by European funds. He also served as Chief of Staff to the Secretaries of State for Health, Deputy Health, and Consumer Protection. He is a senior official at the Regional Secretariat for Education and Cultural Affairs of the Azores. As Chairman of the Board of Directors of ULS Barcelos Esposende, he has direct responsibility for human resources management, procurement, legal support, communications and marketing, data protection, access to information, spiritual and religious assistance, and coordination of the Working Group for the New Barcelos Hospital.

With a Master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Beira Interior and a Master’s degree in Communication Sciences from the Portuguese Catholic University, he has assumed the position of Executive Editor of Saúda Magazine, the most widely read health and wellness publication in Portugal. He is also the Communications Manager at ANF, where he leads strategic projects and events. He has been a soft skills trainer since 2016, with over 500 hours of experience and clients such as Altice (MEO) and various local governments and political parties. He also holds an Advanced Certificate in Audiovisual Production, a Specialization in Facial Microexpressions and Body Language Analysis, an Executive Program in Luxury Brand Management, and an Advanced Program in Transmedia and Digital Storytelling. He is a television host and radio announcer, currently hosting the program “Dois de Conversa” for the Portuguese League Against Cancer in partnership with Expresso / SIC Notícias. He contributes to various national and international magazines and hosts his own podcast—POD Acontecer—where he explores the essence of the person behind the success story. He has interviewed such prominent figures as Diogo Piçarra, António Raminhos, Fátima Lopes, Teresa Guilherme, and Isabel Silva.

Tiago Pereira is CEO of the Mendes Gonçalves Foundation, where he leads the strategy and development of initiatives based on three pillars—education, regeneration, and nutrition—with a focus on building more empowered, inclusive, and resilient communities. A psychologist specializing in Occupational, Social, and Organizational Psychology as well as Educational Psychology, he has served as an executive board member, COO, and coordinator of the COVID-19 Crisis Office and the “End Poverty” project at the Portuguese Order of Psychologists. He is a trainer, researcher, and consultant in the areas of behavior, change, communication, leadership, team management, trust, health, and public policy, and has served as a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Évora, where he coordinated social, community, and educational intervention projects. As a citizen and psychologist, he strives to live up to what led him to choose this profession: the conviction that social transformation, with the contribution of science, can promote health, well-being, and the possibility of self-determination for all people and, in this sense, contribute to everyone’s future.

Vítor Silva is responsible for the management and development of Vodafone Portugal’s Connectivity, IoT, and Unified Communications portfolio, leading initiatives that drive the adoption of digital solutions and connected technologies to address the challenges of transformation across different industries

With more than 20 years of experience in strategy, innovation, and product development, he works on creating solutions that bring healthcare closer to people, strengthening remote monitoring capabilities and supporting new models of care delivery that are more efficient, preventive, and citizen-centric.

Veterinary Doctor, Member of the Quadripartite Working Group on Youth Engagement on AMR (FAO, WHO, OMSA, UNEP), Founding Member of the Young Health Professionals Platform, President of the Portuguese Association of Young Veterinary Doctors

Postdoctoral Researcher in Communication Sciences at Lusófona University

PhD in Educational Sciences from the University of Málaga, recognized by NOVA University Lisbon

Special Education Teacher in Primary and Secondary Education

Guest Lecturer at the Faculty of Human Kinetics, teaching on the Postgraduate Programmes in Special Education

Member and Secretary of the Board of the General Assembly of the Association “O Companheiro”, a Private Institution of Social Solidarity (IPSS)

Member of the General Assembly of the Portuguese Centre for Typhlology Association – CPTEI

Member and President of the General Assembly of “Coração em Malaca,” a Non-Governmental Development Organization (NGDO)