Marlene Nunes Silva

Marlene Nunes Silva is the the Director of the National Programme for Physical Activity Promotion of the Portuguese Directorate-General of Health. She is also a professor and researcher at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport (FEFD-ULHT) Lisbon, with a sound record of international scientific publications. She has published more than 60 peer-reviewed articles (Scopus h-index 22; >3800 citations), and was a co-author of international and national books, and book chapters. She is a clinical psychologist, who received her Ph.D. in Exercise and Health in 2010. In the same year, she also received a Young Investigator Award in Sports Sciences. Her research revolves around the field of motivational, self-regulatory, and behavioral predictors of physical activity and healthy lifestyles. The training of health professionals concerning motivational practices, and the development of tools in this regard are additional areas of interest. She is the Co-PI of PAC-WOMAN (funded by FCT), a project that will test physical activity behaviour change interventions for post-menopausal breast cancer survivors. She also worked as the national coordinator of EuroFIT, an European Commission funded project (FP7), and also participates in several other European and FCT-funded projects. Alongside her research activity, Marlene N. Silva is part of several scientific boards such as the doctoral program in Exercise and Health at FEFD-ULusofona and the Advisory Board for the Development and Implementation of the National Health Plan 2020-2030, amongst others. She served as supervisor and co-supervisor of several master and PhD theses (3 with FCT grants). She participates regularly as a discussant in Ph.D. committees. She was a co-author of multiple student handbooks and technical reports. She is also a certified trainer in Health Behaviour Change (CCPFC/RFO-24239/08), who develops, applies and assesses training programs for health and exercise professionals working in health behaviour change. She has been involved in multiple community extension activities (e.g., communitarian health programs at the university, health care units, and football clubs) and knowledge translation activities for the general public (e.g. via regular collaboration with national media channels).