Francisca has a Ph.D. in Biomedicine at Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain. She has graduated at the Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia - Universidade Nova the Lisboa where she obtained her Integrate Master’s degree (MEng) in Biomedical Engineering (2007). In 2012/13 Francisca worked as post-doctoral researcher at the Institute of Psychiatry, Clinics Hospital – University of São Paulo, Brazil. In 2016, she completed a 2-years Master focused on Monitoring, Quality and Statistics at the University of Ferrara, Italy. In 2013, Francisca was recruited by the Association for Research and Development of the Faculty of Medicine (AIDFM) to integrate the scientific team of the Cardiovascular Research Support Department, where she started to act as scientific advisor and study coordinator of several national and international clinical trials and non-interventional studies in the cardiovascular field. Still, in 2013, Francisca started collaborating in the pioneering project of an academic CRO, AIDFM-CETERA, as Scientific Affairs & Business Development Manager. Also, Francisca was Project Manager and Senior Clinical Research Associate of several clinical trials, being responsible for their implementation, management, and monitoring activities. After the maternity leave of Francisca’s third child, she decided to spend more time with the kids and work as a home-based freelancer for a one-year period. In April 2021 she joins once again the CRO AIDFM-CETERA team and embraces a new challenge, being responsible for the education, training, and community-oriented initiatives.