spirituality

Paula Castilho is a clinical psychologist, psychotherapist and clinical supervisor, with a PhD in Clinical Psychology. She is an Associate Professor at FPCEUC and a researcher at CINEICC. Throughout her career, she has participated in several research projects, including as principal investigator in two projects and researcher in nine projects, receiving 13 awards and distinctions. She is co-author of more than 80 articles published in scientific journals, has contributed to eight book chapters, and has published two books.

Ângela Maria Teixeira Leite: Aggregation in Health Psychology (Portuguese Catholic University, 2025) – The highest academic qualification.; PhD in Biomedical Sciences (Psychology) (Abel Salazar Institute, 2006) – Unanimously approved with distinction; Dual Undergraduate Degrees: A Degree in Psychology (ISMAI, 2000) and a Degree in Philosophy (University of Porto, 1990). Evolving Research Focus: The research trajectory demonstrates impressive breadth, evolving from a core foundation in clinical and health psychology (e.g., genetic testing adherence, chronic illness, caregiver burden) to encompass social, digital, and environmental psychology (e.g., social media, climate change, brand experience). This diverse expertise has culminated in the current advanced research interest: unveiling the neuro-correlates of religiosity and spirituality, as presented at international conferences. Extensive Teaching & Student Supervision Experience: University Lecturer since 2000, holding invited Auxiliary Professor positions at numerous Portuguese universities (e.g., Portuguese Catholic University, UTAD, CESPU, European University). Extensive Pedagogical Leadership: Served as President of the Pedagogical Committees for both the Master's in Clinical and Health Psychology and the Master's in Educational Psychology. Extensive Student Guidance: Supervised or co-supervised over 70 master's theses, 3 doctoral theses, and 2 informal doctoral co-supervisions. Additionally, guided over 50 curricular internships and served on numerous examination juries for master's and PhD defenses. Prolific Extensive Output: Author of 112 articles in indexed journals (with a total of over 1,535 citations), 8 book chapters, and 19 published conference abstracts. High-Quality Publications: Her work is consistently published in reputable, indexed journals (Scopus, Web of Science), often in Q1 and Q2 quartiles, across a wide range of interdisciplinary fields. Academic Service: Active contributor as a Guest Editor for special issues and as a reviewer for leading academic journals.

Teresa Toldy holds a PhD in Theology (specialising in Feminist Theology) from the Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule Sankt Georgen (Frankfurt, Germany). She is a professor at Fernando Pessoa University (Porto), where she teaches Ethics, Gender Studies and Citizenship. She is a member of the Ethics Committee and head of the International Chair of Bioethics at the same institution. She is a researcher at CITCEM. She has published several works in her areas of expertise.