Catarina Mendes Cruz has a degree in Sociology from the University of Minho, a post-graduate degree in Marketing Research from ISEG - Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão da Universidade de Lisboa and is a PhD candidate in Public Policy at Iscte - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa.

Her professional career has taken in various non-governmental organizations and companies, in particular the period 2010-2019, where she had the opportunity to develop and deepen her knowledge of the area of poverty and social exclusion at European, national and local level, at EAPN Portugal/European Anti-Poverty Network, more specifically at the Observatory for the fight against poverty in the city of Lisbon.

From an action-research perspective, she was co-responsible for the design and construction of quantitative and qualitative tools, in close coordination with various agents in the area, both public and private organizations and people living in poverty, with a view to deepening knowledge and more appropriate intervention in the city of Lisbon.

catarina.cruz@colabor.pt