Contributors

Helena Freitas received her PhD in Ecology from the University of Coimbra, in collaboration with the University of Bielefeld, Germany, in 1993, and did post-doctoral work at Stanford University, USA, between 1994 and 1996. She has been a Full Professor in the area of Biodiversity and Ecology at the Department of Life Sciences of the Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Coimbra since 2003, and has held the Unesco Chair in Biodiversity and Conservation for Sustainable Development since 2014 (http://unescobiodiversitychair.uc.pt/?lang=en).

She was Vice-Rector of the University of Coimbra between 2011 and 2015, in charge of Institutional Relations, Museums and Sport. Between 23 October 2015 and 10 March 2016 she was a member of parliament and vice-president of the Socialist Party Parliamentary Group. Between 10 March 2016 and 18 July 2017 she was Coordinator of the Mission Unit for the Enhancement of the Interior, having coordinated the National Programme for Territorial Cohesion (www.pnct.gov.pt, Diário da República no. 226/2016, Series I, of 2016-11-24).

Helena Freitas was a member of the General Council of the University of Coimbra (2009-2011), Director of the Botanical Garden of the University of Coimbra from 2004-2012, having designed and coordinated its requalification programme, President of the League for the Protection of Nature (1999 – 2002), first Ombudsman for the Environment and Quality of Life in the city of Coimbra (2002 – 2005), founder and President of the Portuguese Ecological Society (2004 – 2013) and Vice-President of the European Ecological Society (2009 – 2012).

She is currently Coordinator of the research unit Centre for Functional Ecology – science for people and the planet (cfe.uc.pt), Scientific Coordinator of FitoLab – Plant Health Laboratory of the Pedro Nunes Institute (www.ipn.pt/laboratorio/fitolab), and a member of the Scientific Council of the Department of Life Sciences of the University of Coimbra. In July 2019, she joined the European committee for adaptation to climate change, including societal transformation. Since August 2019, she has represented Portugal at IPBES.

The scientific areas of specialisation relate to: Ecology; Mediterranean Ecosystems; Forestry and Agriculture; Ecology and Management of Exotic and Invasive Species; Nature Conservation, Biodiversity; Tree Physiology; Plant and Fungal Diversity; Stress Tolerance and Bioremediation; Environmental Policy; Bioenergy; Nature Conservation; Microbial Ecology; Ecology and Society. She has coordinated or participated in several national and international projects and consortia, including the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. She has supervised or co-supervised 20 master’s dissertations and 34 doctoral theses.

She is the author of more than 300 indexed international scientific publications and several works promoting and disseminating science. She publishes regularly in the national and regional press, particularly on the environment, territories and society, planning and knowledge-based development policies. In March 2000 she was awarded the Commendation of the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator by the President of the Portuguese Republic Jorge Sampaio.