Raquel Costa

Raquel Costa is a Tenured Associate Professor at Lusofona University and Executive Director of the HEI-Lab. She serves as an Auxiliary Researcher with an individual FCT CEEC contract (2023) focusing on brain synchrony and caregiver-child co-regulation in early developmental and mental health contexts.

• PhD in Clinical Psychology (2009)
• Master in Clinical Psychology
• Postdoctoral Researcher at University of Porto

Her research spans four major areas:

• Perinatal Mental Health: Through projects like RISEUP-PPD-COST ACTION and INTERSECT, she investigates depression/anxiety prevalence, symptom presentation in crisis contexts, and care gaps across 12 countries.
• Maternal/Newborn Healthcare: The IMAgiNE-EURO project (WHO standards) examines human rights compliance in childbirth facilities and healthcare inequities for migrant populations.
• Obstetric Violence: Her European Parliament-funded study maps legal frameworks and prevention strategies for reproductive violence across 27 EU member states.
• Developmental Disorders: TREASURE COST Action and SHIPS project research identifies risk factors for cerebral palsy and evaluates healthcare provision for children with motor difficulties.

Scientific contributions include:

• 2022 Journal of Human Lactation Best Research Article Award
• WHO European Region Quality Standards Development
• Over 40 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters

Her work bridges academic research with policy impact, evidenced by European Parliament reports and WHO guideline contributions.