As an experimental psychologist, Mariana's research has been motivated by an evolutionary perspective on the social aspects of human experience. By now, she published 16 scientific papers in high-rank journals (7 as first author) and presented work at nearly 30 conferences (national/international). Her academic background includes a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Aveiro and a MS in Experimental Psychology and Applications from the University of Minho. Her PhD research was conducted at the University of Aveiro (UA) and at St Andrews University (UK). She worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the William James Centre for Research (WJCR) ISPA, and a member of the Human Sexuality (HS) group at the Centre for Psychology at the University of Porto.