Maria Alexandra Veiga d'Araújo is a fellow of the Postdoctoral Programme in Integral Human Development at the Católica Doctoral School - CADOS and a member of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Health (CIIS). She is co-chair of the Leisure and Well-being Special Interest Group of the World Leisure Organisation. She is the coordinator of the training course on ageing from a multidisciplinary perspective at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa.
She holds a PhD in Social Policy from ISCSP - ULisboa and an Executive Master in Applied Positive Psychology from the same institution.
She has studied ageing populations, particularly in peripheral and multi-affected areas, and her research focuses on the contribution of leisure to active ageing, well-being and human development in later life. 
She is the mentor and promoter of the Lavrar o Tempo project. This project aims to promote integral human development in later life, care through leisure, active and positive ageing and a culture of excellence in elderly care among formal and informal carers, through specialised training for professionals.

Research Interests and Topics: Ageing; leisure; serious leisure; well-being; work-life balance; integral human development.