Vanessa Ribeiro-Rodrigues holds a PhD in Studies for Communication and Development (FCT funded: SFRH/BD/102091/2014), focusing on cinematic narratives and the humanization of stories at the intersection of documentary and journalism. She is an integrated researcher at CICANT – Centre for Research in Applied Communication, Culture and New Technologies, University Professor, and a documentarian whose work consistently bridges academic research, journalism and creative practice. Her main research interests include communication for development, gender studies, feminism, documentary filmmaking, media literacy, human rights reporting and Luso-Afro-Brazilian cultural studies. She is currently a professor at Universidade Lusófona, where she teaches Journalism and Cinema (Bachelor's), Documentary (Master's DOCNOMADS/Erasmus Mundus), and Communication & Activisms (PhD). She has extensive teaching in several institutions in Portugal, including University of Coimbra, University of Minho, ISCIA-AVEIRO and University of Saint Joseph (Macau). After completing her PhD, she became an integrated researcher at CICANT, contributing to funded projects such as Dici-Educa, FEMglocal, YouNDigital, and ARWUM/FilmEU/WIRE. Her research employs mixed-methods and practice-based methodologies, combining fieldwork, documentary production and critical analysis. She holds a Master in Information and Journalism (University of Minho), a Degree in Journalism (Escola Superior de Jornalismo do Porto), and Specialization Diplomas in Documentary from Academia Internacional de Cinema (São Paulo), EICTV (Cuba). She is a certified educator in Media Literacy and Journalism by the Portuguese Journalists' Union and Ministry of Education. As a journalist, she has worked as a freelance contributor to major Portuguese media including RTP-Antena 1, Diário de Notícias, Público, TSF, and Observador since 2006. She served as foreign correspondent in Brazil for five years, covering Human Rights, International Affairs, Politics, Organized Crime, Culture and Sustainable Development. Notable assignments include a four-month expedition in the Brazilian Amazon (2009) and a research residency in Jordan (2013) to co-write “Remember US” a documentary about the Jerash Palestinian Refugee Camp (Director Dalia Abuzeid). As a documentarian, her feature "Land's Baptism" exploring Portuguese immigration received multiple international awards, including Best Woman Director at the European Cinematography Awards (2018) and Best Cinematography at Hollywood Women's Film Festival (2019). Her current feature "The Spell of Sand" (90 minutes, Portugal/Mozambique) is in festival distribution. She collaborates regularly with production houses including Ideias com Pernas, Golpe Filmes, Real Ficção and Sabina Films. Her work has been recognized with distinctions including the UNESCO Honorable Mention in Journalism, Integration and Human Rights (2014) for the audio-documentary "Palestine, diaries from an uncertain place", and a Literary Prize at Paraty International Literary Festival, Brazil (2013). She has served as jury member for Gabriel Garcia Marquez Journalism Award (Colombia, 2018) and Fest Films (Brazil, 2018). She authored “Tuning in to the ancestral technology of listening Art and Community/Gulbenkian” (2022); "Ala Feminina" (Edições Desassossego, 2018), investigating women in prison in Brazil and Portugal, and the Investigative Journalism Manual for ACEP (2020). Between 2018-2019, she coordinated "Futuros Criativos" in Mozambique for Camões Institute and ACEP, documenting the emerging artistic generation. In 2011, she received a fellowship from Luso-American Foundation for "The Elements of Journalism" at Georgetown University. Throughout her career, she has integrated academic research, journalism and documentary filmmaking as complementary practices aimed at humanizing stories, promoting media literacy and contributing to communication for development.