I am a freshwater ecologist particularly fond of aquatic fungi. I want to understand how global change can affect the biodiversity and activity of microbial communities and the potential consequences for freshwater ecosystem functioning. My interests include the impacts of temperature, eutrophication, drought, biodiversity loss, invasive species, pollution and multiple stressors (among others). I have also been working on the development and use of molecular techniques to assess microbial diversity. More recently, I am also devoting my energy to aquatic fungal conservation. ---- I am currently a Junior Researcher at the Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), University of Minho (Portugal). Before this, I did a Graduation in Applied Biology (2006), a Master in Molecular Genetics (2008) and a PhD in Sciences-Biology (2013), where I studied the impacts of biodiversity loss on ecosystem functioning using plant litter decomposition in streams as a model system. I conducted a postdoctoral project at CBMA and Imperial College London (United Kingdom), where I was particularly interested on the impact of warming on microbial communities’ diversity, activity and stoichiometry. More recently, I was a visiting researcher at SUPSI (Switzerland), where we have been studying the biodiversity of aquatic fungi in alpine freshwaters, which are particularly vulnerable and understudied ecosystems. ---- My collaborators network includes researchers from Europe, America, Asia and Oceania. I was team member of several national and international projects and I am currently the Portuguese PI of the pioneer project FUNACTION (https://funaction.eu/), a Biodiversa+ project (>1.4 million Euros) that aims at developing the knowledge and strategies to inform conservation priorities and measures for aquatic fungi. From the strong will to include aquatic fungi in the conservation agenda worldwide, the new IUCN SSC Aquatic Fungi Specialist Group was born in 2023, of which I am found member and co-chair. ---- My work so far has resulted in the publication of 1 book chapter and 23 papers in international journals of the specialty. My work has been presented in >60 communications at national and international conferences and invited seminars. I co-won a prize for most inspiring talk at the SIBECOL-AIL-SPECO conference 2022. I am committed at training the next cohort of researchers, and so I have trained students (undergraduate, Masters and PhDs) in several laboratory techniques and since 2017, supervised 3 Masters and 1 PhD students. I taught on Biodiversity and Functional Ecology, Microbial Ecology, Molecular Ecology and Scientific Writting in Portugal and Switzerland. ---- I am an active member of several Scientific Associations, where I played different roles at the direction boards. I am strongly committed to work towards diversity and inclusion in Academia and beyond, and I develop that work as a member of the Gender and Science Commission of AIL (which aims at acting as an observer of the gender bias within freshwater sciences) and the Diversity & Inclusion Commission of SIBECOL (which aims to celebrate, protect, and raise awareness about diversity within SIBECOL members). ---- I firmly believe that Science and knowledge can change the world. Connecting the general public with science and research is the first step to achieving a better informed society that can fight for a more sustainable world. So, I actively participate in outreach activities at local, national and international level, that work being recognized by 2 awards. I believe linking Art&Science is a beautiful way to connect with the general public and I have done this through the projects Small World, which aims to awaken a new understanding of the little things that sustain us as human beings, and the project MUAC, which invites a reflection on the effects of climate change on freshwater ecosystems and their interaction with women.