Susana was born on the island of Santa Maria, in the Azores. This true Azorean has always looked at the world and nature with great curiosity — and plenty of questions! In her quest for knowledge, she ultimately studied biology at the University of the Azores, where she earned her PhD.

She believes that knowledge is meant to be shared and that promoting scientific and technological literacy can only benefit society. She did just that for 16 years at the helm of Expolab – Centro Ciência Viva, first in São Miguel and then in Santa Maria.

Now, she fulfils the same mission as part of the Science and Education team at the Portuguese Space Agency, which she joined in 2025.

A mother of three, she says that free time is scarce. Even so, whenever she can, she heads to new destinations or travels the island on long trails, reconnecting with nature.