With a degree in sociology by ISCTE- Instituto Universitário de Lisboa in 1992, she concluded her Master’s and PhD in education science, (speciality in Education and Development) at Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa (FCT/UNL), respectively in 1997 and 2004. She  is currently coordinator of the Secção de Sociologia da Educação of the Associação Portuguesa de Sociologia and of the research network about the  higher education from European Educational Research Association. Over the last 20 years she taught in several curricular units, in the areas of sociology of education, adults education and research methodologies. She has been participating regularly in team research projects focused in several themes, among which the following stand out, lifelong education, higher education, the integration of graduates into employment, the relation between education, work and employment, and also the indiscipline and violence in school.