Laurentina Maria Rilhas Pedroso is Director of the Integrated Master's Degree in Veterinary Medicine and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the Lusófona University of Humanities and Technologies, and Director of the School of Animal Health and Welfare (ESPA) at the Polytechnic Institute of Lusophony, offering a course in Veterinary Nursing. She was President of the Portuguese Veterinary Medical Association for two consecutive terms. She has been Animal Ombudsman since this year.

With a PhD in Veterinary Sciences, she has been a lecturer in higher education since 1995 and, as a visiting professor in the areas of Hygiene, Food Safety and Security, and Veterinary Public Health on the Veterinary Medicine course at ULHT, she directs the Continuing Education Programs at FMV-ULHT - advanced lifelong learning programs (CPD) in the areas of animal health, animal protection and welfare, and public health.

President of the Portuguese Association for Food Protection, an affiliate of the International Association for Food Protection, USA, she received the International Leadership Award from this organization for her global contribution to the promotion of food health, protection, and safety. As part of her interest in One Health issues, she has organized several events since 2011 on the subject, in which she has a special interest in terms of academia and research.