“Collaborating with the BIAL Foundation in initiatives to promote research by young scientists and recognize the merit of established researchers, in biomedicine and in health promotion, is a privilege that I embrace with enthusiasm and commitment.”
Joana Palha (born in Porto in 1969) is professor at the School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal. She was trained as biochemist (Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto), has a PhD in biomedical sciences (Biomedical Institute Abel Salazar, University of Porto) with the thesis developed at Columbia University (New York), did a postdoc at New York University, and recently completed a master in Public Health, Epidemiology (Karonlinska Institute, Stockholm).
Her main research interests, with over 100 publications, focus on nutrition, endocrinology (thyroid), psychomotor development, aging, neuropsychiatric diseases, and health policy. Her findings contributed to the current Portuguese iodine policy for women in preconception, pregnancy and lactation.
She has also been actively engaged in science and education policy development at funding agencies and in scientific and educational organizations, including the Portuguese Foundation for Science, Society for Neuroscience (USA), European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST), International Brain Research Organization, Organisation for PhD Education in Biomedicine and Health Sciences (ORPHEUS).
