Helena Freitas

Helena Freitas received her PhD in Ecology from the University of Coimbra, in collaboration with the University of Bielefeld, Germany, in 1993, and did postdoctoral studies at Stanford University, USA, between 1994 and 1996. She is Full Professor of Biodiversity and Ecology at the Department of Life Sciences of the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra since 2003 and holds the UNESCO Chair in Biodiversity and Conservation for Sustainable Development since 2014. She was Vice-Dean of the University of Coimbra between 2011 and 2015, with Institutional Relations, Museums and Sports. In 2015 she was independent candidate to the Assembly of the Republic, leading the list of the Socialist Party by the constituency of Coimbra. Between 23 October 2015 and 10 March 2016, she was deputy and vice-president of the Parliamentary Group of the Socialist Party. Between 10 March 2016 and 18 July 2017, she was Coordinator of the Mission Unit of the Interior, coordinating the National Program for Territorial Cohesion (http://www.pnct.gov.pt, Diário da República No. 226/2016, Series I, 2016-11-24). Helena Freitas joined the General Council of the University of Coimbra (2009-2011), was Director of the Botanical Garden of the University of Coimbra from 2004 to 2012, having prepared and coordinated her rehabilitation program, President of the League for the Protection of Nature (1999 (2002-2005), founder and President of the Portuguese Society of Ecology (2004-2013) and Vice- President of the European Society of Ecology (2009-2012). She is currently Coordinator of the Center for Functional Ecology – science for people and the planet (cfe.uc.pt), Scientific Coordinator of FitoLab – Phytosanitary Laboratory of the Pedro Nunes Institute (https://www.ipn.pt/ laboratory / FITOLAB) and Board member of the Directors of the Associated Laboratory TERRA – Laboratory for the Sustainability of Land Use and Ecosystem Services, approved in 2021. In July 2019 she was selected to join the Mission Board for Climate Change Adaptation, including Societal Transformation from the European Commission and in August 2019 she was nominated Focal Point for Portugal in IPBES ¿ Intergovernmental Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. She is a member of the advisory board of the European Climate Risk Assessment ¿ EUCRA and member of the Scientific Council of FCT/Ministry of Science and Technology and Higher Education. She is Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Business Council for Sustainable Development. She is the Director of Serralves Park, in Porto. The scientific areas of specialty are related to: Ecology; Mediterranean Ecosystems; Forest and Agriculture; Ecology and Management of exotic and invasive species; Conservation of Nature, Biodiversity; Physiology of the tree; Diversity of Plants and Fungi; Tolerance to Stress and Bioremediation; Environmental policy; Bioenergy; Conservation of Nature; Microbial ecology; Ecology and Society. She coordinated or participated in several national and international projects and consortia, including the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Supervised or co-supervised 40 doctoral dissertations. She is the author of more than 300 international scientific publications and several publications promoting and disseminating science. She publishes regularly in the national and regional press, in particular on environment, territories and society, planning and development policies based on knowledge (https://www.publico.pt/autor/helena-freitas; http: //www.industriaeambiente.pt / authors / helena-freitas /;https://www.jornaldofundao.pt/opiniao/entre- olhares/). In March 2000 she was awarded the Comenda of the Order of Infante D. Henrique. In November 2022 she received the “Inspiring Portugal” Award – Personality of the Year in the Sustainability category (Santander). In 2024, she awarded the EEF Ernst Haeckel Award for her contributions to the European ecological science.