Dra. Paula C. R. Duarte Martinho da Silva Degree in Law (Legal Sciences) from the Faculty of Law of Lisbon's Classic University (from 1977 to 1982), which ended in July 1982. She attended a post-graduate course in European Studies at Lisbon's Lusiada University. Masters degree in Bio-ethics from the Faculty of Medicine of Madrid's Complutense University. She is a lawyer. Member of the District Council of the Portuguese Bar Association for the three year period between 1990 and 1993 and the period between 1996 and 1999.Member of the National Council of Ethics for the Sciences of Life ( Istand 2nd nomination). Member of the Editorial Council of the European Health Law Review magazine (Martinus Nijhoj Publishers), Kluwer. Member of the Centre of Bio-ethical Studies, Coimbra. Member of the International Association of Bio-ethics. Associate Member of Hastings Center, U.S.A. Reporter of the National Council of Ethics for the Sciences of Life Report on Legal Protection of Bio-technological Inventions ( 7/CNE/94). Reporter of the National Council of Ethics for the Sciences of Life on the Legal Protection of Biotechnological Inventions (2nd proposal) Report (18/CNE/97). Evaluator for the selection of BIOMED 2 project proposals, European Commission, DG XII. She Participated with a lecture on Assisted reproduction on the 3rd Bioethics Symposium "Assisted reproduction and Human Embryo Protection" Council of Europe, December 1996. She has also made several conferences on the following areas: Biotechnology, assisted reproduction, organ transplants, neonathology and human genome. She has teaching experience on Universities and other Superior Schools and has also published several articles on Bioethics magazines, Law magazines, and newspapers, having participated on many national and international conferences on Bioethical matters. She published in 1986 "Procriaçao Artificial - Aspectos Jurídicos ", Moraes Editores. In 1997 she published "Convençao dos Direitos do Homem e da Biomedicina Anotada " , Ediçoes Cosmos.