Joana Palha is full professor of biochemistry at the School of Medicine, University of Minho (Braga, Portugal). PhD in Biomedical Sciences in 1995 (University of Porto, Portugal, research project at Columbia University, New York, USA), MSc in Public Health in 2016 (Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden), BSc in Biochemistry (University of Porto, Portugal). Published over 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals (Scopus h index 45 and 5113 citations). Principal investigator of several research projects (raising over 2M euros from national and international agencies), has supervised 15 PhD students (14 completed). Co-coordinated the task force for COVID-19 diagnosis at the Life and Health Science Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Minho in the first wave of the pandemics. She serves/has served in several national and international organizations (National Council for Science, Technology and Innovation, Organisation for PhD Education in Biomedicine and Health Sciences in the European System, International Brain Research Organization, COST, Society for Neurosciences USA, Portuguese Society for Neurosciences, Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, BIAL Foundation), evaluates for several journals and funding agencies (European Commission, Disease Foundations, European Agencies), and is regularly member of scientific committees/chair of conferences/congresses. She started her career in 1992 on thyroid hormones, studying one of the first knock-out mouse models. She led pioneer studies that revealed an endocrine function of the blood brain barriers, particularly the choroid plexus, in brain homeostasis. She has been coordinating translational and clinical research, with focus on the endocrine axis. Her studies in humans have recently contributed to the change in the national policy on iodine supplementation to the Portuguese population, with specific guidelines for women in reproductive age and pregnant women.