Raquel holds her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Coimbra (2015). Between 2014 and 2018 she was a Researcher at the Association for Research and Development of the Faculty of Medicine (Lisbon, 2014-2017), an Assistant Professor at the Lusófona University of Humanities and Technologies (Lisbon, 2015-2018), a Clinical Psychologist at Centro Materno Infantil de Lisboa (2014-2016), and an Invited Researcher (2014-2017) at the Cardiovascular Center of the University of Lisbon. Throughout this career path, she gained vast clinical and research experience in different domains of clinical and health psychology, as well as in community psychology, and particular expertise in managing the conduction of prospective, multicenter, randomized, and controlled trials and quantitative research methods, as well as complex statistical techniques. Since 2019, she is an FCT Researcher (Scientific Employment Stimulus) at the Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive Behavioral Intervention of the University of Coimbra. She is responsible for the research project: "A Mindfulness approach to adoptive parents' psychological and parenting functioning" (2019-2025). This projected count with the collaboration of the Social Security Institute, IP, the Azores Social Security Institute, ISS, IPRA, the Madeira Social Security Institute, ISSM, IP-RAM, the Collaborative Laboratory - ProChild CoLAB against Child Poverty and Exclusion Social, Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa and the Associação Tempos Brilhantes. Her research work has been particularly focused on sexual & reproductive health and (transition to) parenthood, with special emphasis on decision and adaptation processes among individuals in different developmental stages (e.g., adolescents, adults, advanced reproductive age). During her research activities, she has focused on issues related to sexual and contraceptive behaviors, sexual and relational satisfaction, reproductive decisions, and adaptation to parenthood in normative and non-normative situations (e.g., adolescent motherhood, unplanned pregnancy, induced abortion, advanced maternal age, child adoption), among non-clinical and clinical populations (e.g., individuals with chronic health conditions, infertile couples). Since 2020 she is also an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences and a Clinical Psychologist at the Cognitive-Behavioral Clinical Psychology Unit of the University of Coimbra. According to her Ciência Vitae, Raquel took part in the publication of 38 articles and 1 special issue in scientific journals; has 3 sections of books; disseminated her research through 116 participations in national and international scientific events; organized 7 scientific events; Co-supervised 2 PhD thesis(es) - main supervisor (1 FCT grant, 1 FCT grant candidate); supervised 7 MSc dissertations and co-supervised other 4 - main supervisor; has received 14 awards and/or honors. She participates and/or participated in 4 projects as Principal Investigator (1 of them as Ph.D. Student Fellow), 3 projects as Researcher, and 14 projects in other positions such as collaborating researcher, study coordinator, and scientific consultant.