Ana Margarida do Amaral Paulo

Ana Margarida do Amaral Paulo is a researcher and faculty member at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport (FEFD), affiliated with the University of Lisbon. She is part of the CIDEFES research group, focusing on Sports Behavior, Physical Education, and Exercise and Health Sciences. With a PhD in Human Kinetics, her academic journey began at the University of Porto and culminated at the University of Lisbon under an FCT scholarship.

• Bachelor's and Master's: Faculty of Sports, University of Porto
• PhD: Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon (2017)

Her research centers on sports expertise development, decision-making, performance analysis, and motor control, particularly in volleyball and team sports. She employs advanced statistical methods and ecological dynamics to understand athlete behavior. Her work bridges cognitive psychology and biomechanics, emphasizing perception-action coupling and adaptive performance.

The recent articles (2013–2025) show a consistent focus on performance indicators, motor variability, and decision-making under pressure. Her research spans youth development, elite performance, and coaching applications, with strong emphasis on data-driven analysis and intervention design.

She was awarded the Fazer +, “Good research practices in teaching” Award in 2023, highlighting her commitment to pedagogical excellence.

• Supervised at least 3 research projects or students
• Active in international collaborations, particularly in handball and volleyball research
• Engaged in interdisciplinary work linking psychology, physiology, and sports analytics

Her research group, CIDEFES, supports a broad network of scholars in sports behavior and health sciences, contributing to both national and European-level studies.