Ana Cristina Mendes

Ana Cristina Mendes is Professor of English Studies at the School of Arts and Humanities, University of Lisbon, where she teaches cultural studies, visual culture, adaptation studies, and English history and culture with a focus on the British Empire. She serves as Chair of the Association for Cultural Studies (2022-2026) and is a member of the ESF College of Expert Reviewers.

Her educational background includes:

• Agregação in Modern Literatures, Arts and Cultures - English Studies (2023) from University of Lisbon
• PhD in Cultural Studies - English Culture (2005-2011) from University of Lisbon
• Master's in English Studies - English Culture (2000-2005) from University of Lisbon
• Bachelor's in Modern Languages and Literatures, Portuguese and English Studies (1993-1999) from University of Coimbra

Mendes' research centers on cultural and postcolonial studies, examining literary and screen texts as venues for resistant knowledge formations to expand theories of epistemic justice. Her work spans visual culture, adaptation studies, and the intersections of British Empire studies with contemporary decolonial practices. She has developed significant expertise in Victorian and neo-Victorian studies, particularly regarding their global and postcolonial dimensions. Her research consistently engages with questions of representation, alterity, and power dynamics in cultural production.

Her recent publications reveal a strong focus on decolonizing academic practices, particularly in English Studies. She examines how artistic remediation can challenge imperial narratives, analyzes host-guest dynamics in university settings, and explores how cultural production engages with crisis and planetary entanglements. Her work shows consistent engagement with postcolonial intellectuals, visual culture, and adaptation as forms of epistemic redress.

Her notable awards include:

• Best Journal Article Award from BAFTSS (2020)
• Prémio Científico Universidade de Lisboa/Caixa Geral de Depósitos - Literaturas e Culturas (2019)
• Shortlisted for Book Awards for Junior Scholars - Cultural Studies in English from ESSE (2014)
• Prémio de Ensaio Literário Fernando de Mello Moser from APEAA (2008)

Mendes has supervised numerous graduate students working on topics related to postcolonial literature, visual culture, and cultural studies. Her research has been supported by significant grants including an FCT Investigador Ciência 2008 contract (2014-2017), a Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research contract for the "Postcolonial Intellectuals and their European Publics" network (2018-2021), and a Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia grant for her work on Salman Rushdie (2005-2010).

As Chair of the Association for Cultural Studies (2022-2026), Mendes plays a key role in shaping international conversations in cultural studies. Her work bridges academic research with public intellectual engagement, particularly through her examination of contemporary cultural phenomena and their historical contexts.