Career Profile

As of 2020, I am a tenure-track assistant professor at NOVA University in Portugal, lecturing on translation at BA, MA, and PhD levels. In the past, I held the posts of vice-director at the University of Lisbon Centre for English Studies (2019-2020) and head of its Research Group on Translation and Reception Studies (2018-2020).

I am also a senior researcher at CETAPS, where I lead the ‘Indirect Translation & Sustainability’ project (2020-2023) and the ‘NObarriers2Health’ project (2023-2025, funded in a competitive scheme by the Ministério da Ciência). In 2023, the outputs of these projects were nominated for the YERUN Open Science Award and NOVA ImpACT! Challenge Award, respectively.

Before my appointment at NOVA, I also held a postdoctoral research and teaching position (2014-2020) and a PhD research position (2008-2013) at the University of Lisbon. I hold a PhD in Translation Studies from the University of Lisbon (Portugal, December 2013) and an MA in Portuguese Studies from the Jagiellonian University (Poland, September 2008).

Since the beginning of my academic career in 2008, I have been the (co-)recipient of 11 (inter)national research grants, cumulatively +€120,000.00, awarded by

• the Centre for Translation CETRA,
• Erasmus+ programme,
• European Society for Translation Studies,
• Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia,
• Fundação Gulbenkian,
• Instituto Camões,
• Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior,
• NOVA Impact Office & Santander Bank,
• University of Leiden.

I regularly act as an evaluator for national research funding in Belgium (FWO), Ireland (Irish Research Council), and Poland (Fundacja na Rzecz Nauki Polskiej). I have served on the editorial boards of two Scopus-indexed journals (Anglo-Saxonica and Translation Matters), on the executive committee of one scholarly association (EST Glossary Committee), and on the jury of two international awards (YERUN Research Mobility Awards and YERUN Open Science). I have acted as a peer reviewer for major journals in the field of Translation Studies (Target, Perspectives, Meta, TTR, Translation Studies, The Translator, InTRAlinea) and international publishers (Routledge, Bloomsbury). Additionally, I am regularly invited to act as an examiner of MA and PhD vivas in Portugal and abroad.

I am also the co-founder and co-coordinator of an international network of researchers working on indirect translation, which aims to deliver a greater depth of partnership and academic collaboration across Europe.

My publications to date include over forty research outputs in leading publishers (Benjamins, Routledge) and journals (Perspectives, Target, The Interpreter and Translator Trainer, The Translator, Translation Studies). I have recently contributed chapters to the Benjamins Handbook of Translation Studies (2021), the Routledge Handbook of the History of Translation Studies (2024), the Routledge Handbook of Translation and Migration (2024) and the Eslevier International Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics (forthcoming), and co-authored a book titled Indirect Translation Explained (Routledge, 2022). I have guest-edited five special issues in leading journals in Translation Studies, most recently a special issue of Perspectives on Pivot Audiovisual Translation (forthcoming) and a special issue of Translation Spaces (2023) on Indirect Translation and Sustainable Development.

As a former translator in the areas of literary, scientific, and technical texts, I maintain close links with the industry as a consultant, but also via my research which I developed in collaboration with different translation stakeholders that create, use, manage, support, and/or promote translations (incl. healthcare centers, NGOs, translation companies, professional associations of translators, embassies).

Research

My current research explores the intersection of multilingual communication, migration, and AI-powered translation technologies, such as Google Translate and ChatGPT. I am particularly interested in how these technologies can help create inclusive, resilient societies by overcoming language barriers, particularly in healthcare, and other high-risk settings, such as forced migration or disaster management. My work shows that the high risk of miscommunication due to uncritical use of AI-powered translation technologies affects over a million migrants and tourists in Portugal, and many more worldwide, potentially causing harm to their lives and health. I aim to develop evidence-based policies and measures to mitigate these risks, thus helping to ensure that everyone has access to health information and support, no matter which language they speak.

For this, I capitalize on the insights and know-how from:

• my doctoral research, where I developed theoretical and methodological frameworks for analyzing translations between globally disadvantaged language communities,
• my postdoctoral research, where I developed research-based guidance on how to improve the quality of indirect translations, i.e., a crucial but underexplored method in communication between globally disadvantaged languages,
• the "Intercultural Literature in Portugal: A Critical Bibliography”, which I co-coordinated, and which developed an online database that maps translated literature in Portugal
• the “IndirecTrans” project, which I led, and which explored indirect translation practices across different media, with a specific focus on audiovisual translation.

At present, I supervise two ongoing PhD theses on media translation.

Teaching

With over 14 years of university-level teaching experience, I have contributed to undergraduate and postgraduate education, initially at the University of Lisbon, FLUL, and later at NOVA FCSH. My teaching portfolio spans from introductory modules on the theory and history of translation to specialized courses in audiovisual, scientific, technical translation, and localization.

At NOVA FCSH, I introduced and designed the MA course on Audiovisual Translation (Subtitling) and co-designed the pioneering short online course on Machine Translation Literacy in High-Risk Settings, alongside Susana Valdez. Additionally, I was responsible for the design of the curricula for all the courses I've taught, including the development of instructional materials.

Currently, my teaching extends beyond NOVA. I am regularly invited to deliver guest talks and workshops at universities across Europe, including Univ. Leiden, Jagiellonian Univ, in Krakow, Univ. Autònoma de Barcelona, Univ. Leuven, Univ. Wuhan, Univ. Lisboa, and Univ. Católica Portuguesa. These training events introduce PhD and MA students to sustainable practices in translation, research ethics, open science, publication practices, and research methodologies in Translation Studies.

To reach learners beyond NOVA, and bridge the gap between academic training and industry and societal needs, I have been involved in the design and development of online education formats, including an online platform with interactive videos for professional education in indirect audiovisual translation (ApiVoT, more information here) and a forthcoming MOOC on literacy in AI-powered translation technologies, aimed at professionals working with migrant communities. Additionally, I have co-coordinated Collaborative Online International Learning projects on translation and sustainability with Leiden University and the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities from 2021 to 2024.

To stay up to date with the ever-changing e-learning landscape, I regularly participate in research projects and training programs on digital teaching practices. Most recent examples include participation in the MOOC on AI for University Teachers through the Santander Open Academy in 2024, completion of Staff Mobility for Training at the University of Leiden under the Erasmus+ Programme in 2024 (post-training interview here), involvement in PIN—NOVA’s peer-to-peer class observation program in 2023, and participation in the ERASMUS+ e-DESK project on entrepreneurship education in online digital teaching environments in 2022.

I am committed to advancing training for translator educators across Europe, as is evident in my recent contributions, such as a 101 course on indirect translation for translator trainers, convened at the IATIS2022 congress, an article on integrating indirect translation into translator education, and a book with hands-on activities for teaching indirect translation.

I have supervised to completion over ten MA dissertations on various aspects of translation and intercultural exchanges, at two different universities in Portugal.