MARIA DE FÁTIMA DUARTE completed the PhD in Health Sciences, in 2006 by School of Medicine, University of Minho in collaboration with Maine Medical Center Research Institute, United States, under supervision of Thomas Maciag. She developed her research work in the fields of hereditary breast cancer (IPATIMUP 1999-2002) as a trainee; angiogenesis and vascular medicine (Maine Medical Center Research Institute https://mmcri.org/ 2001-2006) as PhD student; and vascular oncology (ICVS http://icvs.uminho.pt 2006-2007) as postdoctoral fellow. In 2008 Maria de Fátima Duarte started a new research area, working as an independent researcher at CEBAL, Beja, Portugal, where currently, coordinates the Bioactive Research Group (http://www.cebal.pt/index.php/pt/investigacao/compostos-bioativos), being since 2020 an integrated member at MED - Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development research unit, and since 2021 the Associated Laboratory CHANGE the Global Change and Sustainability Institute. Presently is also the Executive Director and the Vice-President of CEBAL Direction Board. Overall Career Achievements: (i) 68 publications in peer-reviewed journals with h-index of 28; 9 book chapters and 3 edition of a book; (ii) 41 R&D and technology transfer projects, being coordinator of 8 within different agro- and forestry-based-industry raw materials and residues; (iii) 3 international patents and 2 provisional application for patent; (iv) 14 national and international research and project awards, including a business accelerator program competition JumpStarter 2021. Main Academic Activities: (i) Supervision of students: 9 PhD students, 5 Post-Doc, and several BSc and MSc students; (ii) Participation in 8 PhD and various MSc juries; (iii) Lectures at Sciences Faculty Doctoral Plants for Life PhD Program; (iv) Participation in several International and National Conferences with multiple oral and poster presentations, organizing committee of 5 national/international conferences/workshops/national roadshows; (v)Part of FCT evaluation panel of Agricultural and Food Technologies Calls for PhD research scholarships (2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023); (vi) Referee in several journal including Journal of agricultural and food chemistry; Industrial crops and products; Journal of wood chemistry and technology; RSC Advances; Nutrients, Molecules; Processes; Journal of food science; Journal of food processing and preservation; Journal of analytical methods in chemistry; Separation and purification technology, among others; (vii) Guest editor of a special issue of Foods journal within the topic of biotechnological use of food phytochemicals; Applied Sciences within the special issue entitled "Biaoctive compounds: from extraction to application", and associated editor, of Frontiers in Nutrition, section nutrition and food sciences technology . Her scientific area of interest is the development of separation and extraction processes, environmentally more sustainable, and further exploitation of bioactivities to potentiate extracts bio-based applications within two major areas: i) human health promotion (cancer and inflammatory responses); and ii) plants protection (biocide formulations for new bioherbicides, and new polymeric matrices) under the concept of circular bioeconomy. Particularly interested in natural resources, has focused her research interest within terpenic fractions (namely sesquiterpene lactones and triterpenic acids). Also carries a research line within the topic of chemical profile of olive oils, as a source of phenolic compounds with impact of human health (chemical profiles from different olive varieties, ripening stages and pragues susceptibilities), as well the development of sustainable processes and methodologies (lab- and pilot scale) with the topic of olive oil research.