Joana Carvalho is an assistant professor of Psychology, director of the Sexual Behavior and Health Lab (SexBeHealth Lab) at the University of Aveiro, and an integrated researcher at the William James Center for Research. Carvalho develops research in the field of human sexuality, ranging from topics related to male and female sexual (dys)function and sexual violence (with a focus on sexual crimes) to sexual compulsivity and the promotion of sexuality education and sexual rights. Carvalho addresses these topics with both quantitative and qualitative methodologies and has a particular interest in laboratory sexuality research, targeting the understanding of attentional and emotional processes underpinning human sexual response. Laboratory techniques include eye tracking, psychophysiology (penile plethysmography and vaginal photoplethysmography), thermography, and fMRI. In terms of applied research, Carvalho is working on a series of intervention projects, including a CBT randomized clinical trial (RCT) for individuals with a sexual interest in children (PREVENT IT), a CBT-Mindfulness RCT for men with prostate cancer (E-mergir), a CBT-Mindfulness RCT for individuals with sexual dysfunction (Rainbow), and 3 sexual violence prevention CBT-Bystander programs (CARE, SUN, MOON; for pre-school, school and college students, respectively). Carvalho has been credited in clinical psychology, forensic psychology, and sexology by the Portuguese Board of Psychologists. She is the president of the Portuguese Society of Clinical Sexology, Co-chair of the Scientific Review Committee in Sexual Medicine (International Society of Sexual Medicine), and senior member of the European Guidelines in Male Sexual and Reproductive Health (European Association of Urology), among other positions in European and international organizations. Currently, Carvalho is co-leading European and National consortiums/projects funded by the European Commission/Horizon programs or the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology; she supervises research teams (including Ph.D., Post Doc, and international students) and works as an associate editor with the Journal of Sexual Medicine and PLOS Global Public Health, and as an editorial board member with the International Journal of Sexual Health. Carvalho has been awarded the Michael A. Perelman Education & Research Foundation (NY) award.
