Susana Pedras holds a PhD in Applied Psychology (2017) and a Master’s degree in Health Psychology (2007), both from the School of Psychology at the University of Minho, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Clinical and Health Psychology (2001) from the same institution, Maia University, Porto, Portugal. Susana is an Assistant Professor and Researcher at the Center for Research in Psychology for Development (CIPD), Institute of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Lusíada University, Porto, Portugal, and since March 2026, she is also Research at the Research Center in Education and Psychology of the University of Évora (CIEP-UE). Since January 2022, she has served as a Health Consultant at the Digital Innovation Unit within the Shared Services of the Portuguese Ministry of Health. In this role, she is part of the team responsible for the design, creation, and implementation of a digital health platform aimed at improving healthcare behaviors in individuals with chronic illnesses requiring behavior change interventions. Susana has been practicing as a psychotherapist since 2001, with a specialization in health psychology, adaptation processes to chronic illness/disability, behavioral change interventions, psychological coaching, and narrative therapy. Her work has been recognized by the prestigious Portuguese Society of Health Psychology with a Research Merit Award. Additionally, she, along with the WalkingPad project team, received the Sustainability in Health Award and the Excellence in Health Award (2022) from various public and private entities. Susana currently has an h-index of 12 in SCOPUS and an h-index of 11 in Web of Science. Her research encompasses studies of both clinical and non-clinical populations across the life cycle (adolescents, young adults, adults, and the elderly). Among adolescents and students, her research has explored lifestyle, social skills, Internet addiction, attachment, and self-regulation to inform health promotion programs. With adults and the elderly, her focus has been on studying the impact of chronic illness/disability on patients, family members, and informal caregivers, aiming to understand and promote psychosocial adjustment to the disease, therapeutic adherence, and quality of life (including conditions such as diabetes, peripheral arterial disease, Alzheimer’s disease, urinary incontinence, hemophilia, etc.). The overarching goal of Susana’s research is to enhance health and well-being in individuals with chronic illnesses through the development of informed and empirically-based psychological interventions. Concurrently, she aims to expand knowledge and interventions that promote a healthy lifestyle, health, and well-being throughout the life cycle.