Teresa Heitor was born in LIsbon, Portugal in 1959. She is Full Professor of Architecture at University of Lisbon, Instituto Superior Técnico (IST). She obtained a first degree in Architecture (1982, Escola Superior de Belas Artes de Lisboa, PT), a Master degree in Urban Design (1984, Joint Centre for Urban Design, Oxford Brooks University, UK); a PhD in Territorial Engineering (1997, Technical University of Lisbon, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Lisbon, PT) and habilitation in Architecture (2007, University of Lisbon, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Lisbon, PT). Currently she is the chair of Architecture at IST and Director of CiTUA (Center for innovation in Territory, Urbanism and Architecture) a new multidisciplinary R&D Unit housed at IST. She has been teaching post- and undergraduate students in Architecture at IST for the past 20 years. In that time she has been responsible for both the IST 5-year Master Program in Architecture (1999-2003; 2005-08; 2010-16) and the Doctoral Program in Architecture (2008-13) and has also supervised a large number of PhD students as well as dissertation projects from Master programs. She has been appointed to examine a large number of PhD thesis and to take part in Habilitation Committees both internally and externally. She has research expertise in the area of spatial analysis within the theoretical and analytical framework known as ‘space syntax’ for studying the relationship between people and their built environments. Her research interests are focused on the relationship between space, form and function and the development of models capable to simulate the implications of new social demands as well as on self-assessment tools to be applied along the occupancy stage. Her current research activity aimes at the understanding of contemporary socio-spatial aspects of learning in urban settings, i.e., the places where structured and unstructured modes of learning, social interactions and re-presentation of knowledge can take place. Particular attention is given to technology-enabled active learning and research environments. She has also an interest on innovative learning practices applied to real-world design problems for which she has published a range of articles. At the IST Doctoral Program in Architecture she runs the Space-use Analysis module, which examines the interface between built form and social outcomes and the impact of spatial design on people and social behaviors inside a range of complex buildings such as schools, universities and workplaces. She has been involved with the OECD Directory of Education through the Centre for Effective Learning Environments (CELE) in different research and consultancy activities in the field of educational buildings performance and quality. Since 2005 she integrates the Group of National Experts on Evaluation of Education Facilities (GNEEEF) and coordinated the International Pilot Study on the Evaluation of Quality in Educational Spaces (EQES) (2007-2010). Between 2010 and 2012 she served as the Portuguese Delegate to OECD-CELE. She integrates the steering committee of the International Space Syntax Symposia network and chaired the organizing committee of the 11th International Space Syntax Symposium held in Lisbon, 3rd to 7th july, 2017 (http://www.11ssslisbon.pt). In addition to her teaching and research activity she is regularly invited to disseminate knowledge to policy-makers and the general public. She regularly undertakes higher education strategic evaluations and peer review assessments for European and national research/scientific councils.