Joana Patrícia Rodrigues Gonçalves academic education includes a master's degree in Management in 2018 by Porto University - Faculty of Economics and a master's degree in biotechnology and Innovation - Food Science in 2017 by Catolic University - Faculty of Biotechnology. She has finished her bachelor's degree in Nutrition Sciences in 2012 by the same University, where she received an honor prize and got the nutritionists member order number. There she started to develop her skills as a scientific researcher when she took part of a PhD microbiology project. After that, one of her most relevant professional activities includes a position as a R&D manager in a Portuguese company specialized in dehydrated fruits and vegetables, where she was responsible for research and innovation as well as company food safety for three years. In 2020, she started a research fellow at the Portuguese Center for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry, participating in cLabel+ project. The aim of this project was to develop processes and products that are perceived by the consumer as consistent with products with natural ingredients, with limited use of a high number of additives, and that allow, due to their physical, chemical and nutritional properties, to provide the expected experience, maintaining food safety. During this project journey she also wrote a contribution about strategies for the reduction of sugar in food products for a book chapter. Currently she is attending the Doctoral programme in Biotechnology draws from ESB’s (Faculty of Biotechnology of Universidade Católica Portuguesa).

Besides that, she is always focused on learning new stuff, so since her bachelor's degree she took a course in statistics, in HACCP and CCP (Initial Pedagogical Training of Trainers). Also, improved her English with the First Certificate in English diploma. Finally, she has attended several congresses and symposiums about nutrition and food innovation and participate on several university open weeks. She has also took part of the scientific evaluation team of XXII APNEP Congress, evaluating and selecting 201 abstracts proposed for posters and oral communications.