Marta Marques, Assistant Professor at the NOVA National School of Public Health and researcher at the Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), has been elected “President-Elect” of the European Health Psychology Society (EHPS) for the 2026-2028 term. This will be followed by a two-year term as President (2028-2030) and a two-year term as Past-President.

The election represents international recognition of Marta Marques’ scientific and academic career in the field of Health Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, as well as the growing international visibility of NOVA NSPH and CHRC in these areas. It also reflects her dedication and active involvement in EHPS activities since 2009.

The European Health Psychology Society is a European society that promotes research in Health Psychology, as well as the application of this knowledge to practice, intervention and the improvement of population health. EHPS organises an annual conference, publishes scientific journals, facilitates interest groups and promotes collaboration between researchers, professionals and international organisations.

“This election is an honour and a responsibility. Health Psychology today plays an essential role in addressing the major challenges facing Public Health: understanding behaviours, designing more effective interventions and bringing science closer to the real needs of people, communities and health systems”, says Marta Marques. “This election is also an opportunity to strengthen international collaboration and the presence of NOVA NSPH in European networks. EHPS is my scientific home”, she adds.

At NOVA NSPH, Marta Marques is Director of the BE-Change Knowledge Centre and Co-Director of the Implementation Science Knowledge Centre, structures dedicated to bringing research on behaviours and health closer to practice and the implementation of interventions, responding to the concrete needs of populations, services and public policies.

NOVA NSPH is confident that this leadership, together with the entire Executive Committee, will consolidate EHPS as the leading European reference in Health Psychology.

With a ball of wool being passed from hand to hand, the first students of the new Global Public Health Bachelor’s Degree began to discover what connected them to one another: interests, backgrounds, curiosities and concerns about the world. It was in this spirit, through introductions, questions and integration activities, that the NOVA National School of Public Health welcomed the first cohort of its new degree programme at NOVA’s Rectorate Campus in Campolide – a symbolic moment in the history of the School and in the future of Public Health education in Portugal.

The session brought together students, faculty members and School representatives in an atmosphere of welcome, discovery and sharing. The Director of NOVA NSPH, Sónia Dias, welcomed the new students, highlighting the importance of an education that prepares professionals to think about and act on the major challenges facing contemporary Public Health.

In a warm and inspiring address, Sónia Dias emphasised that Public Health is increasingly global today, facing major challenges such as climate change, migration, the transformation of health systems, innovation, disinformation, and the need for more human, ethical responses focused on people’s lives.

“Public Health has the ability to save lives, many lives at the same time, and to contribute to a better quality of life, well-being and more years of healthy life,” the Director stressed, highlighting the human and transformative dimension of this field of knowledge.

The welcome session also featured Alexandre Abrantes, Professor Emeritus at NOVA NSPH, who shared his career in Public Health with the students and offered a message about the importance of being attentive to opportunities. In an informal and engaging tone, he recalled that academic and professional paths are rarely linear and that each choice can open up new possibilities.

During the session, the new students also had the opportunity to meet some of the faculty members who will accompany them throughout this journey, including Rui Santana, Paulo Sousa and Inês Fronteira, in a first introduction to the NOVA NSPH academic community.

The day also featured integration activities designed to bring the students closer together and introduce, in a participatory way, some of the key topics in Global Public Health. Through a themed bingo activity, they matched personal characteristics with references to Public Health, such as the Alma-Ata Declaration and mosquito-borne diseases.

Amid introductions, questions and informal conversations, several students also shared the motivations that led them to choose this degree, ranging from an interest in science and health to a desire to better understand the factors that influence people’s lives. For some, contact with the programme through outreach initiatives such as Futurália was decisive in confirming their choice, with many students also having previous connections to the arts, dance or music.

The new Global Public Health Bachelor’s Degree represents a strategic commitment by NOVA NSPH to educating new generations of professionals capable of understanding health beyond disease and the individual, taking into account the social, environmental, political, economic and cultural determinants that influence population health.

Throughout the programme, students will be challenged to develop skills to analyse complex problems, interpret evidence, understand health systems, communicate with different audiences and contribute to more effective, equitable and sustainable responses.

The launch of this degree programme also confirms NOVA NSPH’s commitment to innovation in Public Health education and to bringing this field closer to younger audiences, both nationally and internationally, strengthening the School’s role as a space for education, research, critical reflection and engagement with society.

For many families, the return to school is a time to prepare schoolbags, lunch boxes, water bottles, clothing, school supplies and everyday products. But alongside considerations such as price, durability and functionality, there is another factor that should also be taken into account: chemical safety.

To help parents, caregivers and children make more informed choices, the European platform NEMESIS for You, developed by NOVA National School of Public Health (NOVA NSPH) as part of the European NEMESIS project, has just made practical recommendations available to help reduce exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, or EDCs, in products associated with the return to school.

Endocrine disruptors are chemicals with the potential to interfere with the hormonal system. They may be present in different everyday products, and children are particularly vulnerable, as their bodies are still developing and their behaviours increase their contact with school objects, dust and surfaces.

The new guide explains that small decisions and simple everyday actions can help reduce exposure. Key recommendations include reusing materials that are still in good condition before buying new ones, prioritising durable, high-quality products, choosing stainless steel or glass lunch boxes and water bottles instead of plastic, washing new clothes before first use, and avoiding products with a strong chemical smell or a sticky feel.

The content also draws attention to specific materials. For sportswear, waterproof clothing or stain-resistant clothing, it is recommended to look for PFAS-free options. These are known as “forever chemicals” because they persist in the environment and may interfere with the hormonal system. For arts and crafts materials, such as glues, paints, pens, modelling clays and modelling compounds, the recommendation is to choose products suitable for children, preferably water-based, without harsh solvents and with clear, informative labels.

The guide also reminds readers that, in the European Union, citizens have the right to ask manufacturers for information about the presence of substances of very high concern in certain products. The free Scan4Chem app can help with this process, allowing users to search for products and contact manufacturers to obtain further information about their composition.

This new content forms part of the NEMESIS for You platform’s mission to make information about endocrine disruptors clearer, more useful and applicable to everyday choices. The aim is to support simple, informed decisions that can help protect health, particularly that of children.

The content was developed based on a practical guide by the Portuguese organisation ZERO — Associação Sistema Terrestre Sustentável and the European LIFE ChemBee project.

NEMESIS is a project funded by the European Commission that brings together 13 partners from eight countries, combining expertise in toxicology, medicine, biology, environmental health and public health to better understand how endocrine disruptors may influence metabolism and human health.

Discover the recommendations for a safer return to school on the NEMESIS for You platform: https://nemesisforyou.eu/