Maria João Feio is a Principal Researcher (CEEC) at University of Coimbra (UC), Department of Life Sciences and Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE). She holds a PhD in Biology, specialization in Ecology (2005) by UC (with Environment Canada, Atlantic Region) and post-docs at the Universities of Canberra, Australia (2006-2009), and University of Lyon, France (2009). Her research is presently focused on the ecology and conservation of urban aquatic ecosystems and their ecosystem services; in investigating the link between ecosystems health and human health in the context of OneHealth; and establishing global patterns related to river ecology and bioassessment of rivers. She is also an expert in environmental policy on freshwaters, dedicated to participatory science and environmental education as a way to promote the preservation of nature and freshwater ecosystems, and involved in international research on gender bias in science. She has coordinated 18 national and international projects. She is presently the coordinator of the Horizon Europe project OneAquaHealth (2023-2026) and the responsible investigator for the UC team in the H2020 project PHArA-ON (2019-2024) and the national project RIVEAL (FCT), among others. She has been contributing to the implementation of the Water Framework Directive in Portugal and Mediterranean region through collaboration with the National Environmental Agency (APA), from 2003. She coordinates the project CresceRio since 2018 , an environmental education and participatory science project that involves school communities and aims to promote the knowledge and preservation of urban streams of Coimbra city (https://www.facebook.com/cresceriocoimbra/). She has 93 publications in international journals and 12 book chapters, is the editor of the book "Rios de Portugal. Comunidades, Processos e Alterações (Eds: Feio MJ, Ferreira V), and did 85 oral communications in international congresses. She is currently Associate Editor of the scientific journal Aquatic Ecology (Springer). She supervised 14 PhD theses (8 ongoing), and 12 Master theses (3 ongoing), 15 professional practicums and internships, and 11 postdoc and 5 master grants holders. She is a member of the board of the Iberian Society of Ecology (SIBECOL), member of the Scientific Commission of the Department of Life Sciences, and president of the association for the promotion of the knowledge in Aquatic Ecology (PROAQUA). She has been teaching in advanced courses, pos-graduations and graduations at the University of Coimbra and in other universities in Portugal, Spain and Brazil.