I, Maria D. Bordalo, completed my PhD in Biology in 2013 (financially supported by a FCT grant (SFRH/BD/42320/2007), a Master in Ecology in 2007 (including an internship at the Aarhus University, Denmark), and a Biology degree in 2005, all conferred by the University of Coimbra (UC). Within the Biology degree I received a merit award (best student in 2005). My main research interests have been: aquatic ecology and ecotoxicology, community and evolutionary ecotoxicology, biotic interactions (parasitism, predation, invasive species), effects of natural and anthropogenic stressors at different levels of biological organization. During the PhD, I developed expertise in aquatic ecology by studying the effect of multiple stressors on estuarine organisms and at the population and community level, as proven by the several papers published during my research at UC. Later in 2013, I was awarded a research grant at University of Aveiro (UA) and CESAM (Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies) within the IDEAL project (PTDC/AAC-AMB/119433/2010). At that time, I had the opportunity to acquire experience in freshwater ecotoxicology, dealing with the effects of synthetic insecticides and invasive species in freshwater ecosystems, from individual to ecosystem level. In 2014, I won a postdoctoral grant (SFRH/BPD/94494/2013) which enable me to focus on the ecological effects of bioinsecticides in non-target species from freshwater ecosystems. From January 2019, I ensured a position as a Contracted Researcher under the Decree-Law 57/2016 Art.23rd - Transitional Rule at the Department of Biology & CESAM, UA. Since 2020, I am an accredited Researcher by the PortugueseGovernment Veterinary Agency (DGAV - Direção Geral de Alimentação e Veterinária), as a competent researcher for the practice of animal experimentation (FELASA Category B). Since 2024, I am also accredited as a trainer in continuing teacher education (by Conselho Científico-Pedagógico de Formação Contínua). During my scientific career I participated in 8 financed projects (2 ongoing). From 2018 to 2022 I was the PI of the INSIDER project (PTDC/CTA-AMB/30495/2017), focusing on the impact of invasive species in coastal trophic chains under environmentally relevant scenarios. From January 2022 I am also the co-PI of the FCT financed LED project (PTDC/CTA-AMB/2179/2021) focusing on the effects of light pollution in urban freshwater ecosystems under pollution by antineoplastic drugs, in collaboration with the University of South Bohemia, Ceské Budejovice, Czech Republic and IDAEA/CSIC, Barcelona, Spain. In the last 5 years I supervise(d) 1 PhD research fellow, 2 PhD Researchers, 1 international PhD student enrolled at postgraduate internship at UA, 9 MSc students (including 1 MSc Erasmus student) and 14 undergraduate students. I am also involved in a multidisciplinary team including national and international researchers from several areas of expertise. I published 29 ISI scientific papers (57% resulted from international collaborations), 4 of them as senior author, and have 33 participations in scientific meetings. In 2015, I organised a scientific congress (IV Encontro Nacional de Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas - IV ENPGCB). In 2022, I was also part of the Organising Committee of the joint conference of SIBECOL, AIL,and SPECO held in Aveiro, Portugal in July 2022. I have been also actively involved in science outreach actions for several publics (hands-on activities in schools and at the laboratory, organization of scientific activities at UA e.g. Xperimenta, Summer Academy). I have been reviewer of several scientific journals (17), and a guest editor of 3 Special Issues, dedicated to the impact of environmental contaminants in a changing world and to the metal pollution in the marine environment. In the last 8 years my research was interrupted twice (2016/17; 2022/23) due to pregnancy risk and maternity leaves, having resumed activity in March 2023.