Cristiana Vale Pires holds a degree in Psychology (FPCEUP), a Master in Anthropology: Globalisation, Migrations and Multiculturalism (ISCTE.IUL) and a PhD in Anthropology (ISCTE.IUL). She has relevant complementary training in the area of gender, gender diversity and prevention of gender violence. Since 2009 she has collaborated and coordinated numerous national and international projects in the area of risk reduction and nightlife environments, sex work, new psychoactive substances, binge drinking, chemsex and sexualised drug use, intersections between sexual violence, drug use and attendance of nightlife environments. She has been directly involved in the creation of numerous pioneering projects of community outreach intervention in nightlife settings, drug intervention and gender perspectives on drug use.
She is an integrated researcher of the CEDH of the Faculty of Education and Psychology of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa. She is also a founding member of the Kosmicare Association and an external trainer for SICAD in themes of risk reduction in the use of psychoactive substances, gender, gender diversity and sexual orientation in addictive behaviours and addictions.
She collaborates as an expert and external consultant on gender perspectives in the area of drugs with the Pompidou Group of the Council of Europe, with the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction and with multiple European networks, among which NEWNET, Drinking Studies and International Night Studies Network are highlighted.