Patrícia Ventura Garcia is an Associate Professor at the University of the Azores, where she has developed an extensive academic and scientific career since completing her PhD in Biological Sciences in 2001. Her teaching activities cover areas such as Histology, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Health, and she lectures in undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs, including Biology, Biological and Health Sciences, Civil Protection and Risk Management, Medicine, and Biomedical Sciences.

Her research is anchored in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Health, with a strong focus on the assessment of natural and anthropogenic pollutants—such as volcanogenic emissions, pesticides, and heavy metals—and their effects on human health, wildlife, and ecosystems. Her past academic positions include Head of the Faculty of Sciences and Technology (2016–2019), leading the integration of six former departments into a unified academic structure, President of the Assembly of the Faculty of Sciences and Technology and Director of the Master’s Degree in Biomedical Sciences. Currently, she is the Institutional Coordinator of the Marine Environment Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree (MER2030), a consortium of five European universities. She is also member of the Ethics Commission of the University of the Azores and of the Ethics Commission of the Center of Oncology of the Azores.

She is the co-leader of the thematic line Environment and Health Interactions of the Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c) (a research center funded by FCT), coordinator of the Environment Health on Islands research group and Vice‑Director of the Azorean Biodiversity Group, playing a pivotal role in shaping environmental and health research in island systems.

Her scientific production is extensive and internationally recognized. She has authored more than 80 peer‑reviewed publications being author and co‑author of several book chapters, including four book chapters on the health of human populations in volcanic environments.

She has published extensively on the impacts of both volcanogenic and anthropogenic pollutants on human health, including human biomonitoring studies, with over 80 scientific articles in peer-reviewed international journals.