Biography

Rita Serra is a PhD applied biologist and Researcher at CES since 2008 in topics related to the production of meaningful science. She is an expert in community-based research and governance of community forests. Since finding out she (and other members of the family) are neurodivergent, she collaborates with a self-advocacy association of autistic people in Portugal, the APVA, in participatory research with autistic people. Currently she is the coordinator of AUTICORPOS 2.0: Improving the mental health and wellbeing of autistic people, cofunded by the INR, I.P and led by the APVA. In 2023, she coordinated AUTICORPOS - Embodying mental health in autism, co-financed by INR, I.P., focusing on community-led and participatory research with autistic adults and allied professionals about their experiences with access to mental health services. In 2021/2022 she co-organized together with the APVA the "Monologues of Autistic Women", that altogether had 3638 views. She was also engaged in the projects "PARENT - Promotion, Awareness Raising and Engagement of men in Nurture Transformations", funded by the Program Rights, Equality and Citizenship of the European Commission, about "Parenthood in the autistic spectrum" and "BioD'Agro 4.0 Agriculture in Douro International Park" where she conducted participatory and user research with vineyard producers. In 2017 she co-coordinated the Erasmus international project COMUNIX - "Active participation of young people in the governance of community areas". She is a member of the ENTITLE - European Network of Political Ecology funded by the European Commission. She is a mushroomer and mycological guide in the Lousã Mountains.