Ana began her academic career in Animal Science at the University of Évora (Portugal),  earning a Master's degree in 2005. In 2009, she started a PhD in Science in Animal Quality and Productivity at the University of São Paulo (Brazil). Between 2006 and 2015, she worked in the field for several agricultural companies. In 2016, she joined a retail company's commercial team as Category Manager in the meat sector. From 2019 to 2022, she was Head of Quality at a meat trading company, and from 2022 to 2025, she served as Technical Director at one of the largest cattle feedlot operations in Portugal.

Since 2017, Ana has been teaching at the University of Évora, initially as an invited lecturer and, since 2025, as an Assistant Professor. Throughout her research career, she has published extensively in the fields of bioclimatology and animal welfare. She also collaborates with the European Commission's Research Executive Agency as an external expert evaluator for European-funded projects.

Her professional background bridges the gap between science and practice, combining hands-on experience in livestock production with academic research focused on sustainable and welfare-oriented systems.