Rita Francisco has an Honours degree and a PhD in Psychology (specialization in Family Psychology), from the University of Lisbon. She is an Associate Professor at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (Faculdade de Ciências Humanas), where she teaches at the undergraduate program in Psychology, at the Masters in Psychology of Wellbeing and Health Promotion, and in various postgraduate programs. She is the coordinator of the Masters in Psychology of Wellbeing and Health Promotion, and of the Post-graduation Programs on Child Protection System, and on Psychology and Public Health. She has extensive experience supervising academic internships, masters and doctoral programs in the areas of Clinical, Health and Family Psychology. She was  the founding Director of CRC-W: Catolica Research Centre for Psychological, Family and Social Wellbeing (2017-2023). Her current research interests focus on various topics such as eating disorders, health literacy, wellbeing and (mal)adjustment of children and adolescents in different social situations. She has published in these areas in peer reviewed journals. She has clinical experience in the contexts of individual and family therapy with adolescents and adults. She is a consultant for the Directorate-General for Health in health literacy and well-being. She is a specialist in Clinical and Health Psychology by the Portuguese Psychologists Association.