Mariana has a BSc in Biology and an MSc in Conservation Biology, and is currently conducting a Ph.D. in BIODIV - Biodiversity, Genetics, and Evolution - program by the Faculty of Science of the University of Lisbon. She is a member of the eChanges group from CE3C, where she is designing and carrying out her Ph.D. project. Her research interests are ecology, lichens ecology, biodiversity, remote sensing, and species adaptation to extreme environments