Helena Valente is a researcher with extensive expertise in public health, harm reduction, and drug use research, and currently serves as President of the Portuguese NGO Kosmicare, which she co-founded. She completed her PhD in Psychology at the University of Porto in 2024, focusing on the evaluation of drug-checking services, using mixed methods to assess their effectiveness. Her academic journey also includes a post-graduate degree in Human Rights Law from the University of Minho and a five-year Psychology degree with a pre-specialization in Deviant Behavior from the University of Porto. As a harm reduction specialist, she has over two decades of experience in coordinating community-based projects addressing drug use, sexual health, LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and gender-based violence. At Kosmicare, she oversees several innovative projects, including QueerCare, funded by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, which supports LGBTQIA+ individuals who use drugs, and CrissCross, a European project co-funded by the EU to combat gender-based violence and LGBTIphobia in nightlife settings. She also manages Kosmicare's drug-checking service, contributing to the Portuguese National Focal Point and the EUDA Early Warning System for monitoring the informal drug market. She has led or collaborated on numerous competitive projects funded nationally and by the European Commission, such as SCANNER, which standardizes new psychoactive substance (NPS) monitoring, and CHECK!N LX, which won the European Drug Prevention Prize in 2014 (Pompidou Group). Other notable projects include B.A.O.N.P.S., NEWIP, and harm reduction initiatives targeting nightlife, like the creation of safer nightlife labels and interventions to prevent gender-based violence at festivals and other leisure settings. In addition to her leadership role at Kosmicare, she acts as an expert consultant for international organizations, including the New Zealand government, the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA), and the Council of Europe. She has also contributed to reports for the European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and served as an expert witness for the State Coroner’s Court of New South Wales, Australia. Currently, she works as an expert in risk assessment of new psychoactive substances for the EUDA. She is a member of several international networks, including the Trans European Drug Information Network (TEDINetwork), the EUDA Hair Testing Analysis Network, and C-ehrn, contributing to collaborative research and policy development. She regularly presents her work at major conferences, including Lisbon Addictions, the Club Health Conference, and the COBRE Centre for Overdose Prevention (USA). Her contributions to the field have been recognized through awards such as the Harm Reduction International Conference Scholarship (2017, Canada), the InWomen’s Conference Travel Award (2022, USA), and the CPDD Travel Award (2021, USA). Throughout her career, Helena has been dedicated to advancing harm reduction and promoting health equity, with a focus on creating inclusive and effective interventions tailored to the needs of vulnerable and marginalized communities. Her work integrates research, practice, and policy advocacy to support evidence-based approaches to drug use and public health challenges.