Sílvia Bernardo

Sílvia Bernardo holds a pre-Bologna bachelor’s degree (2005) in Social Communication from ISCSP, the Social and Political Sciences Institute of the University of Lisbon.

She also has a postgraduate degree in Social Gerontology and is currently a PhD Fellow of the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), Grant ref. 2024.00964.BDANA. She is pursuing her doctoral studies in Sociology, hosted by IPS Innovative Prison Systems and the University of Beira Interior.

As a PhD Fellow at IPS, Sílvia is developing research focused on vulnerable populations in the criminal justice sector. Particularly, her research explores the experiences and realities of older women in prison in Portugal, focusing on how the system perceives and treats this minority population.

Previously, she served as the Head of Partnership Liaison and Communications, overseeing JUSTICE TRENDS Magazine’s development since 2017. Before joining IPS, she worked as a journalist in broadcast media and as a communications manager in the private sector.