Cristina’s research, developed as part of her PhD in Environment and Sustainability at NOVA FCT, examines how people perceive their capacity to act in ecological and social contexts, drawing on environmental psychology and human–computer interaction. Her work introduces eco-agency as a cognitive, pre-intention construct, exploring how interactive systems and storytelling can foster environmental perception and reflective awareness. She is particularly interested in how narrative design can help depolarize scientific discourse and keep nature salient across both physical and digitally mediated environments.
At CENSE, she is a member of the Computation for Sustainability Lab, under Prof. António Câmara. She is also part of the coordination team in the project-based learning program Seixal Criativo, where she mentors the Girls Into Science collective, and a guest lecturer in communication strategies at IADE – Faculty of Design, Technology and Communication.
With international experience in institutional relations, communication, and project management, Cristina has contributed to the success of organizations across sectors ranging from computer technology to social intervention. Passionate about interdisciplinary education grounded in equity, diversity, and inclusion, she is a photographer at heart and an ambassador for First Exposures, a US-based not-for-profit organization
