Rita Payan Carreira is a Full Professor at the University of Évora's Department of Veterinary Medicine, specializing in reproductive biology and immunology. She completed her PhD in Veterinary Sciences at UTAD, establishing her foundation in reproductive biology research. Her work focuses on small animal theriogenology, particularly embryo-maternal interaction, immune tolerance mechanisms during pregnancy, oxidative stress in reproductive events, and various aspects of animal fertility. Rita has led research projects examining reproductive disorders' molecular and cellular mechanisms and immunopathology, significantly advancing veterinary reproductive medicine. She has built international research collaborations across Europe, participating in multi-institutional studies on comparative reproduction. Her interdisciplinary approach combines veterinary medicine with immunology, advancing her understanding of animal reproductive health. As an educator, she emphasizes developing critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills in her students through innovative teaching approaches. She has mentored numerous doctoral candidates in veterinary sciences and published extensively in respected journals like Theriogenology, Animal Reproduction Science and diverse mdpi journals, contributing substantially to the field of veterinary reproductive medicine.

Prof. Margarida Simões is both a Nurse and a Veterinarian with a special interest in Zoonoses and One Health integrative approaches, especially since completing the MSc in Conservation Biology (2009, University of Évora) and the PhD in Veterinary Sciences (2015, University of Lisbon). Recently, she graduated from the ECDC Epidemiology Field Training Programme (EUPHEM - focusing on Public Health Microbiology) at RIVM, the Dutch National Public and Environmental Health Institute. She is a final-year resident of the European College of Veterinary Public Health, currently working as an assistant professor at the University of Évora. An active member of NEOH, a working group in the PREZODE initiative, and the One Health working group of VSF-International, her research focuses on a One-Health approach to better understand Hepatitis E infection. Her motivation is to enhance capacity building and to promote harmonized practices, especially in the field of zoonotic diseases, via multisectoral and collaborative efforts, enabling sustainable, equitable, and better health for all, forged by durable partnerships among diverse sectors toward common goals in a One Health context.