Helena Freitas received her PhD in Ecology from the University of Coimbra, in collaboration with the University of Bielefeld, Germany, in 1993, and did postdoctoral studies at Stanford University, USA, between 1994 and 1996. She is Full Professor of Biodiversity and Ecology at the Department of Life Sciences of the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra since 2003 and holds the UNESCO Chair in Biodiversity and Conservation for Sustainable Development since 2014 (http://unescobiodiversitychair.uc.pt). She was Director of the Botanical Garden of the University of Coimbra from 2004 to 2012, Vice-Dean of the University of Coimbra between 2011 and 2015, President of the League for the Protection of Nature (1999 (2002-2005), and founder and President of the Portuguese Society of Ecology (2004-2013). She is currently Coordinator of the Center for Functional Ecology - science for people and the planet (cfe.uc.pt). In July 2019 she was selected to join the Mission Board for Climate Change Adaptation, including Societal Transformation from the European Commission and in August 2019 she was nominated Focal Point for Portugal in IPBES – Intergovernmental Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. She is Director of the Serralves Park, in Porto.