BANDUA

NOVA programme to enhance the wellbeing of the entire academic community. Part of the National Programme for the Promotion of Mental Health in Higher Education, it is developed by the NOVA Health platform.

This initiative spans all academic units of NOVA and seeks to build a healthier, more inclusive, and tolerant university environment. BANDUA operates in an integrated manner, involving the entire community and promoting practices of care, welcoming, and active listening.

Objectives

  • Promote the integration, cooperation, and inclusion of students across the NOVA community
  • Welcome new students through reception and support initiatives
  • Support displaced students and facilitate their adaptation to academic life
  • Promote inclusion, tolerance, and the fight against discrimination
  • Support students throughout their academic life cycle and transition to the job market
  • Incorporate well-being and mental health into NOVA’s institutional culture
  • Encourage healthy lifestyles (nutrition, sleep, physical activity)
  • Improve quality of life on NOVA campuses

Our activities

BANDUA organises a series of activities every month aimed at the academic community, held across the different Academic Units of NOVA and at the Campolide Campus.

These initiatives help create spaces for sharing, leisure, well-being, and safety, strengthening the bonds between students and fostering a closer and more supportive university culture.

Discover our monthly activities:

Link

Our team

Cláudio Soares

Management Committee | Executive Committee

Pro-Rector, coordinates NOVA Health. Full Professor at ITQB NOVA and Coordinator of the Research Unit Molecular, Structural and Cellular Microbiology – MOSTMICRO-ITQB.

 

Olga Cunha

Management Committee | Executive Committee

Educational Psychologist, PhD in Community Psychology. Coordinator of BANDUA – NOVA’s Mental Health Promotion Programme in Higher Education, and of the Office for Personal Development and Social Inclusion – NOVA FCSH. Main areas of interest: education, higher education, gender, psychoanalysis, human rights, volunteering.

Daniela Jesus

Management Committee | Executive Committee Community Psychologist. Manager of BANDUA – NOVA’s Mental Health Promotion Programme in Higher Education. Areas of interest: well-being within the academic community, mental health, and social integration of minorities.

Alexandra Nepomuceno

Management Committee | Executive Committee With a degree in Anthropology and a Master's in Management and Cultural Studies from ISCTE, she worked in the Rector’s Support Unit and is currently Advisor to NOVA Saúde.

Soraia Chôcho

Management Committee | Executive Committee Biologist, Master’s degree in Human and Environmental Biology, with a specialisation in Neurosciences. Advisor at NOVA Health, at the NOVA Rectorate.

Sandra Ferro

Management Committee Forensic and Social Exclusion Psychologist, Psychological Support and Vocational Counselling Office at NOVA FCT. Experience: assessment, support, and psychological intervention with children, adolescents, and adults.

Soraya Morais

Management Committee Clinical Psychologist at the Office for Personal Development and Social Inclusion – NOVA FCSH. Focus areas: depression, grief, sleep, and adaptation to Higher Education.

Sofia Cília

Management Committee | Executive Committee Clinical Psychologist and Director of the Life at Nova SBE area. Responsible for student integration and well-being. Areas of interest: management, leadership, psychological coaching, and career guidance.

Carolina Champalimaud 

Management Committee | Executive Committee Clinical Psychologist and Psychotherapist, Well-being Team Leader at Nova SBE. Areas of interest: cognitive, behavioral, and integrative therapy; neurodivergence;  Specific Educational Needs; anxiety; grief; psychological crisis intervention.

Susana Reis

Management Committee Director of the Academic Services Office at NOVA Medical School.
Areas of expertise: customer experience, internationalisation, institutional relations, strategic change management, and operational efficiency and effectiveness.

Bárbara Martins

Management Committee Well-being and Student Support Officer, NOVA Medical School. Focused on student support and communication, contributing to the promotion of well-being, integration, and guidance in higher education.

Ana Costa

Management Committee Director of Academic Services at NOVA School of Law. Areas of interest: internationalization, student support and inclusion, entrepreneurship, and employability.

Cristiana Rosa

Management Committee PRR project manager at NOVA School of Law. Interest areas: Internationalization, Research Support, Project Management.

Ana Varão

Management Committee Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, with a focus on Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology. Head of the Academic Division at the Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (IHMT NOVA).

Sara Ribeiro

Management Committee Education Program Manager, part of the Student Support Office at NOVA IMS. PhD in Information Management from NOVA IMS, specializing in Geographic Information Systems.

Dalila Farinha

Management Committee Executive Administrator at ITQB NOVA, with a background in Economics. Areas of interest: well-being, physical activity and sports, behavioral psychology in the workplace.

Ana Rita Goes

Management Committee Psychologist, PhD in Health Psychology, and Assistant Professor at NOVA ENSP. Her research and teaching focus on health promotion, using a socio-behavioral sciences approach.

Catarina Pedro

Management Committee Educational Psychologist, Health Office, SASNOVA. Main areas of interest: stress, anxiety, family intervention, hyperactivity, and attention deficit.

Paulo Reynaud Silva

Management Committee Coordinator of the Physical Activity and Sports Office, SASNOVA. Main areas of interest: physical activity and health, nature-based contact sports, and training in the field of rugby.

Sandra Mateus

Management Committee | Executive Committee Clinical and Health Psychologist, SASNOVA Areas of interest: E-Mental Health; Coaching; Community intervention through Playback Theatre and Improvisation; Body psychotherapy and communication tools.

Teresa Tudella

Management Committee Educational and Counseling Psychologist, Human Development Office, SASNOVA. Main areas of interest: psychopedagogical support, interventions on well-being and mental health, mental health prevention and promotion, and Special Educational Needs.

Contributing Members

Inês Palma (NOVA IMS) and Mel Sandim (NOVA FCSH)

For content, suggestions, and news on mental health and academic well-being, follow BANDUA on social media and visit our new website:

Instagram

Linkedin (available soon)

Website (available soon)