Mara Clemente is a sociologist, Assistant Professor at the Department of Sociology and Tourism and affiliated researcher at CICS.NOVA.UÉvora - The Interdisciplinary Centre for Social Sciences, University of Évora (UÉ), Portugal. Trained in Italy, she received a PhD with distinction and praise from Sapienza, University of Rome’s Department of Sociology and Communication in 2010. After her PhD, during which she carried out extensive research on young people, the sex market and sex tourism in the Caribbean, she participated in studies on migration and refuge in Italy, mobilizing both qualitative and quantitative approaches. She consolidated her international research and work experience at the Centre for Research and Studies in Sociology of Iscte – University Institute of Lisbon, first as a postdoctoral researcher (2014–2018) and subsequently as an integrated researcher (2018–2024). During this period, her work focused extensively on human trafficking and anti-trafficking, where her ability to integrate empirical analysis with high-level theoretical reflection, led to the production of innovative knowledge and new conceptual frameworks. She currently teaches undergraduate courses and Masters’ level programmes in sociology at UÉ and is regularly invited to lecture Master’s and PhD students both in Portugal and at foreign universities. She has been actively involved in creating and restructuring degree programmes as well as individual course units. Her work is driven by a constant commitment to pedagogical reflection and debate, which led her to the establishment of working groups and initiatives as well as publications dedicated to educational innovation. Currently, her research covers a wide range of topics related to different forms of mobility - from movements oriented around recreation to labour migration, including issues related to “refuge” and “human trafficking”; the digital transformation of labour, encompassing both informal and highly qualified sectors; gender and sexuality, with a special interest in the ways people navigate self-expression in the digital age. In her work, Mara combines intensive research, especially across Southern Europe and South America, with a deep-seated commitment to science communication and dissemination to both the academy and society. She publishes in national and international peer-reviewed journals and leading international publishers, in addition to guest-editing thematic special issues. She regularly participates in the review of books and articles in prominent journals and is a member of the editorial board of scientific publications. Beyond her role as a keynote speaker and active participant at major national and international scientific meetings, her leadership in key research networks serves as a bridge for knowledge transfer. As Vice-Chair of the COST Action 21133 (GLITSS) and co-coordinator of the “Globalization, Politics and Citizenship” section of the Portuguese Association of Sociology (APS), she has spearheaded initiatives that translate academic debate into broader dissemination efforts. In the last few years, her participation in national and international anti-trafficking stockholder networks contributed towards awarding special attention to enabling effective political and social impact via research.