Elsa L Duarte received her veterinary degree (DVM) from the Technical University of Lisbon in 1996 and spent 4 years in practice. She received a Master Degree in Marine Science in 2000 (University of Oporto) and a PhD in Veterinary Medicine in 2009 (University of Évora), both related to microbiology. She received post-graduated training in medical mycology and mycobacteria/tuberculosis molecular epidemiology (Institut Pasteur 2001 & 2005). Since 2000, she has been lecturing microbiology and infectious diseases to the master degree in veterinary medicine and master degree in biochemistry of the University of Évora. She has recently joined an ERASMUS plus programme in food safety and lectures to the Zoonoses and Food Safety module of the One Health Master Course since 2021 (University of Évora/ Nova Medical School Universidade Nova joint MSc). She was appointed Director of studies of the PhD in Veterinary Science and Group Leader of the Animal Bioscience Group of the research centre MED (Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development). Since 2020, she was recognized an EVBS De facto diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Microbiologists. Her research interests include bacteriology and mycology, in particular mycotoxicology, mycobacteriology, zoonoses and infectious diseases of wildlife. She recently participated in project aiming at studying the impact of mycotoxins on early life gut microbiota. Her current research interests are zoonosis, animal tuberculosis and antimicrobial stewardship.