Joana Baptista is a developmental psychologist and an assistant professor at Iscte-University Institute of Lisbon, in Portugal. She is the coordinator of the CED (Community, Education, and Development) research group at CIS-Iscte. Her work focuses on the effects of early experiences, most notably out-of-home and deprived parental care, on young children's cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning. Joana Baptista also researches how the caregiver-child quality of interaction influences child executive functioning (EF) in typically developing young children and children at risk of developmental delays (e.g., children born preterm). She has published numerous articles and book chapters and has extensive experience in coordinating and collaborating on research projects, designing and implementing longitudinal studies, and assessing children and families. Among others, she is the PI of the following ongoing research projects: "All4Children - The Integrated Model of Family Foster Care (MIAF) to promote high-quality child welfare practices in Portugal" (2022.03592.PTDC); and "BabyExecutive - Parenting and the Emergence of Executive Function in the First Year" (UI/BD/152571/2022, 2023.02077.BD). She is a national delegate COST action Euro-CAN - Multi-Response Sectorals to Child Abuse and Neglect in Europe: Incidence and Trends (CA19106). She collaborates with various child protection agencies, providing oversight to caseworkers, and with the Ministry of Justice, regularly participating in the training of family judges and prosecutors on topics such as child development, attachment, and formal care.