Mariana Pinto is a psychologist and a full member of the Portuguese Psychologists’ Association (CP: 32176). She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a master’s degree in Clinical and Health Psychology from the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at the University of Porto, with an advanced specialization in Community Psychology and Social Empowerment.

During her academic career, she was involved in various research projects at the Psychology Center of the University of Porto, having written her master’s thesis on narrative identity, creativity, and adolescent well-being.

As part of her clinical and community training, she completed her curricular internship at a practice providing psychological and educational counseling and support for children and adolescents. During her professional internship, she worked at a specialized residential care facility for adolescents. It was her direct contact with this population that deepened her interest in the child protection and welfare system and motivated her to continue investing in this area through research.

She is currently a member of ProChild CoLAB as an FCT research fellow, in collaboration with the Center for Psychology at the University of Porto, dedicating her research to the child and youth promotion and protection system, with a particular focus on the transition processes from foster care to adoption.