I am a Junior Researcher at Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR) - University of Algarve (UAlg), and Invited Assistant Professor at UAlg, graduated in Marine Biology in 2010 at the UAlg. My work has been focused on fish larvae behaviour and ecology, and the effects of environmental and climate variability on the recruitment of fish species. During the last years, I also collaborated on other research activities related to various issues: feeding ecology of marine and estuarine species, science-citizen activities, invasive species monitoring, ecophysiological condition of dolphins, sharks and lobsters, monthly sampling of zooplankton in the Guadiana Estuary and Ria Formosa, fisheries and climate change vulnerability. I have participated in 12 research projects, one as PI - LittleFish-STP project, in which the main objective is to study the biology and ecology of an endemic and economically exploited fish species in São Tomé Island. I was a researcher and interim coordinator in the LuandaWaterFront project, where I co-coordinated the project, and was mainly responsible for the sampling planning, field surveys, and organization of courses/workshops in Luanda, as well as for developing contacts with institutions (Universities and research institutions) and local communities (companies, fishermen, residents) in Angola. Since May 2022, I got a prestigious research position in CCMAR as a Junior Researcher funded by FCT under the "4th Edition of Individual Call to Scientific Employment Stimulus (CCEC)" (2021.00956.CEECIND/CP1678/CT0001, DOI:10.54499/2021.00956.CEECIND/CP1678/CT000). Within this position, I aim to determine the main drivers responsible for the recruitment of fish larvae, their behaviour, dispersion and condition. Recently, Vânia is a member of the European University of the Sea (SEA-EU) as a representative of UAlg at the Future Leadership Forum.