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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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).

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).

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.

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).

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 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.

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.

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.

Full Professor of Biodiversity and Ecology at the University of Coimbra, where she coordinates the Centre for Functional Ecology (CFE) and holds the UNESCO Chair in Biodiversity and Conservation for Sustainable Development.

She holds a PhD from the University of Coimbra and the University of Bielefeld, Germany, and completed her postdoctoral research at Stanford University, in the United States, consolidating an internationally recognised scientific career.

She holds leadership roles in several research institutions, also coordinating FitoLab at Instituto Pedro Nunes and representing Portugal on the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).

She has developed leading research in the fields of biodiversity, functional ecology, nature conservation and sustainability. Throughout her career, she has played an active role in the scientific community, having chaired the Portuguese Society of Ecology (SPECO) and currently serving as Vice-President of the European Ecological Federation.

The international recognition of her work culminated in 2024 with the award of the prestigious Ernst Haeckel Prize, the highest distinction granted by the European Ecological Federation, recognising outstanding scientific contributions to ecology.

She is also a Commander of the Order of Prince Henry, a distinction that recognises her contribution to science, research and the international profile of Portugal.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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).

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.

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.

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.

Paediatrician with recognised competence in Management, Emeritus Full Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon (FMUL), Coordinator of the Working Group for Rare Diseases (2023–), President of the Society of Medical Sciences (2021–), President of the AstraZeneca Foundation (2022–) and of the Association of Friends of Hospital Santa Maria (2015–). She is a member of the FMUL Citizens’ Council (2022–), the General Council of IHMT (NOVA Medical School) (2023–) and the Technical Committee of the National Early Diagnosis Programme (2012–).

She was President of the Disciplinary Council of the Portuguese Medical Association (2020–2023), President of INFARMED (2017–2019), High Commissioner for Health (2006–2011), Director of the Department of Paediatrics at Hospital Santa Maria (2011–2017) and Hospital Fernando Fonseca (1996–2006), and Clinical Director of Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte (2013–2014) and Hospital Fernando Fonseca (2005–2006).

She was also President of the National Commission for Child and Adolescent Health (2004–2009), President of the General Council of the University of Évora (2011–2013), Vice-President of the Academy of Medicine of Portugal and of the Federation of European Academies of Medicine (2016–2020), and a member of the National Council of Ethics for the Life Sciences (2017–2020), as well as of the General and Scientific Council of FMUL.

She has received two Bial Awards in Clinical Medicine (2002, 2006), the Amélia de Mello Quality Award (2005), and has authored 12 books and 185 publications. Her distinctions include Grand Officer of the Order of Merit (2010), the Gold Medal of the Ministry of Health (2012), the Merit Award of the Portuguese Medical Association (2019) and the Career Award of the Portuguese Society of Paediatrics (2018).

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.

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.

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.

He holds a degree in Business Administration, a Master’s in Public Health from the Sérgio Arouca National School of Public Health at ENSP Fiocruz, a Master’s in Technology and Innovation Management from the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom, and a PhD in Public Policy from the Federal University of Paraná.

Mécia Fonseca’s professional career focuses on the healthcare sector and the pharmaceutical industry in Portugal, with a long-standing connection to and career progression within the multinational company Novartis, where she currently serves as Value & Access Head, after having held the position of Head of Public Affairs & Market Access in the Innovative Medicines area.

As a specialist in Market Access and Public Affairs, her work focuses on the introduction, regulation and accessibility of innovative medicines in the national healthcare market.

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.

José Miguel Ribeiro de Castro Guimarães is a Member of the Portuguese Parliament and Vice-President of the PSD Parliamentary Group.

He holds a degree in Medicine from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto and is a specialist in Urology at Centro Hospitalar São João. He has been part of the transplant team at Hospital de São João since 1994, having participated in more than 400 kidney transplant surgeries.

In 2005, he obtained the Competence in Healthcare Services Management from the Portuguese Medical Association.

He has organised more than 30 scientific and professional meetings and, as a researcher, has published more than one hundred research papers in national and international journals in the field of Urology.

He was President of the Northern Regional Council of the Portuguese Medical Association from 2011 to 2017 and President of the Portuguese Medical Association between 2017 and 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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”.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

Tamara Hussong Milagre is a distinguished leader in hereditary cancer advocacy, dedicated to improving the lives of families affected by Hereditary Cancer Syndromes.

As the founder of “Associação EVITA – Cancro Hereditário” in 2011, she pioneered efforts to support and empower patients within this community.

At European level, Tamara serves as a prominent representative of the European Patient Advocate Group within the prestigious European Reference Network GENTURIS, focused on Genetic Tumour Risk Syndromes. Her involvement extends to critical areas such as “Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC)” and key working groups on “Organisation of Care” and “Education, Training and Development”.

Tamara is currently actively involved in the core guideline group on “Counselling on Reproductive Options for GENTURIS Patients”, aiming to provide comprehensive support to patients within the GENTURIS network.

Tamara’s expertise has been enriched through her participation in prestigious educational programmes, including the European School of Oncology (ESO) Masterclass and the rigorous EUPATI course. She graduated from the EURORDIS Leadership School on Healthcare & Research in 2019, acquiring leadership skills and in-depth knowledge of healthcare and research dynamics.

In addition to her advocacy work, Tamara collaborates closely with Infarmed, the Portuguese medicines agency, and participates in key multi-stakeholder platforms, such as the European Multi-Stakeholder Sounding Board of the EFPIA Oncology Platform and the European Cancer Organisation, strengthening her global influence.

At national level, Tamara drives progress as a founding member of the working group dedicated to Hereditary Cancer Syndromes of the Portuguese Society of Oncology. She actively contributes to initiatives focused on “Early Detection” and genomic medicine through her involvement in several organisations and initiatives, including the Stakeholder Group of the Portuguese Centre for the Cancer Mission and the PT_MedGen initiative.

Tamara’s outstanding contributions to hereditary cancer advocacy were officially recognised in November 2020, when she received the prestigious Medal of Scientific Merit from the Portuguese Minister of Science. Her unwavering dedication and global impact distinguish her 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.

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 degree in Life Sciences and Public Health from Maastricht University, where he gained a strong scientific foundation in microbiology, biomedical research and population health. His exposure to research in these areas sparked a deep interest in the economic and policy dimensions of healthcare, particularly in how innovation translates into outcomes for patients.

Driven by this interest, Tiago pursued a master’s degree in International Healthcare Management, Economics and Policy at SDA Bocconi, specialising in the Pharmaceutical and Medical Technology sectors. During this period, he conducted research in Health Economics and developed a solid understanding of Health Economics, Modelling, HEOR, Market Access Strategies, Digital Health and Big Data, as well as the policy and regulatory frameworks of the Pharmaceutical Industry in the European Union, working directly with industry experts and regulatory bodies across Europe.

He later joined AbbVie Portugal, where he contributed to Market Access and Government Affairs initiatives, supporting the development of HTA dossiers, pricing and reimbursement strategies, and stakeholder engagement plans. This experience enabled him to deepen his practical expertise in Health Economics and Market Access, while exploring the impact of European and national pharmaceutical legislation on access environments.

Tiago is currently part of the Acumen Public Affairs team in Brussels, where he supports the Health Team in delivering strategic and evidence-based solutions to clients in the Life Sciences sector. His work focuses on EU health policy, HTA implementation and legislative analysis, combining his scientific background with a growing specialisation in Health Economics and Public Affairs.

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.

Dr. Vânia Assaly is a physician with training in Endocrinology and Metabolism, specialization in Clinical Nutrition (Nutrology) certified by the Brazilian Medical Association (AMB), and training in Integrative Medicine at Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein (HIAE).

With more than three decades of clinical experience, she is dedicated to personalized medicine, precision medicine, lifestyle medicine, and longevity science. Her work integrates the tools of post-genomic science to transform clinical and biological data into personalized strategies for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic diseases, preserving functional capacity, autonomy, and health throughout life.

She is the Founder and Scientific Director of Instituto Assaly, President of the Brazilian Society of Science and Longevity Medicine (SBMCL), Scientific Director of the Latin American Lifestyle Medicine Association (LALMA), where she served as President from 2022 to 2024, Scientific Advisor to B Life Clinic (Portugal), Scientific Advisor to the European Longevity Hub, and Ambassador of the European Lifestyle Medicine Organization (ELMO).