Professor at the three levels of study, in the degree of Sociology, Master in Sociology, master in Social Intervention, Innovation and entrepreneurship and PhD in Sociology. She is co-coordenator of the PhD program in sociology and of the  post-graduation in Social Economy - cooperativism, mutualism and solidarity, of FEUC.

She holds a PhD in sociology from Lancaster’s University (UK). Her research has focused on the third sector and social politics, social entrepreneurship and social innovation in the social and solitary economy, social companies, volunteering and governance  through local partnerships State/Third Sector. Her scientific interests are focused on Nature Evolution and welfare state and the “welfare system” set on sociological approaches of complex social systems. She currently coordinates the TIMES project - Trajetórias Institucionais e Modelos da Empresa Social em Portugal, she’s Vice President of COST Action EMPOWER-SE- Empowering the Next Generation of Social Enterprise Scholars and participates as a researcher in other projects about social innovation and social politics. She’s a board member of EMES- International Research Network.