Joana Maria Sousa Carmo is currently a PhD student at the University of Aveiro (Doctoral Program in Biology and Ecology of Global Change). She completed her Master's Degree in Eco-Toxicology and Risk Analysis in 2022 and her Degree in Biology and Geology in 2020 both from the University of Aveiro. Joana was part of the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, CESAM (from March 2023 to December 2023) working on the FCT SLEEP project ''Shedding light on freshwater ecosystems under environmental change and pollution'' which aims to study the effects of artificial light at night on aquatic invertebrates and investigates the role of the hormone melatonin. Joana has several international communications (conference poster and oral presentation) at the conference of the Iberian Society of Ecology (SIBECOL) and XXI Conference of the Iberian Association of Limnology (AIL), at the SETAC Europe 33rd Annual Meeting and and at the Society for experimental Biology Centenary Conference. Throughout her work in the laboratory, Joana acquired experience in the maintenance of marine invertebrate cultures (Paracentrotus lividus) and maintenance of aquatic invertebrate cultures (Chironomus riparius, Girardia tigrina, Lumbriculus variegatus and Daphnia magna). She has experience with ecotoxicological tests (Determination of thermal tolerance after exposure to artificial light at night and exogenous melatonin in aquatic invertebrates and study the combined effects of light pollution with temperature, salinity, and pesticides on the life cycle of Chironomus riparius). In addition, she has experience in assessing biochemical responses such as oxidative stress responses and oxidative damage, neurotoxicity, available energy and energy production. Her main research interest is related to freshwater invertebrates and study multiple stressors.