Helena Cristina Serrano is a Researcher in Ecology of Edaphic Challenges to Plants, either natural heterogeneity in the environment or anthropic environmental changes (e.g., elemental pollutants, agroecosystems), integrated at the group System Ecology (SystEco) of the Center for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (CE3C), at the Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa (CIÊNCIAS ULISBOA).

Her works address fields like Ecological Indicators and Biomonitors, Phytoaccumulation, Conservation, or Ecosystem Services; and contributions to applications in ecological Restoration / Phytoremediation.

Helena is also part of the Associated Lab: Global Change and Sustainability Institute (CHANGE) and member of the Direction of the Portuguese Ecological Society (SPECO).

In 2015 her PhD in Biology-Ecology, CIÊNCIAS ULisboa: “Ecology of a rare and endemic Plantago species” - addressed the importance of ecology studies for the conservation of a rare species, highlighting the still unknown potential of these less study species, like the ability to accumulate toxic metals.
In 2003 her MSc in Biotechnology (Biochemical Engineering), TÉCNICO ULisboa: “Effect of mycorrhization in the tolerance to heavy metal toxicity”, addressed the edapho-biotic-plant connection and the importance of these ecological connections for the survival or plants in extreme environments.
In 1997, her Degree in Biologia Vegetal Aplicada (Plant Biology), CIÊNCIAS ULisboa: “Genetic transformation of Castanea sativa mill. mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens” was already searching for ways to make plants more resilient to environmental challenges, in this case a fungal disease, and was followed by works using mycorrhization as a tool for the same goal.