Seeking harmony led me here.
Here's how my project Fire and Flow came to life.
Hello! I’m Ana, your harmony-seeker fellow scientist, coach, and entrepreneur.
After over 15 years working in science, I now work as a self-leadership coach and trainer. And I’m a part-time yoga teacher too.
In Fire and Flow, I get to create spaces where people like you can reconnect with yourselves, your needs, and ambitions, while respecting who you are.
I believe that, in order for us to have a fulfilling and thriving life, we need to give ourselves permission to lead with more self-awareness, confidence and alignment with what we need.
I do this work with individual clients, through 1:1 coaching and group journeys.
And I also work alongside academic research institutions, through training and coaching services for their scientists. We focus on topics of resilience, self-leadership, and wellbeing, to help shape a healthier and thriving research cultures.
Why Fire & Flow?
The name Fire and Flow came from this belief that all of us need harmony between doing and being, between planning and trusting, between rest and action.
I love living slowly, while moving my projects forward, to enjoying life fully. It is in that balance that I feel most whole and balanced. That harmony is at the heart of everything I do.
Why coaching women in science?
What motivates my work is my own story and experience, first as an experienced scientist and now, with as an entrepreneur in a multi-dimensional project.
Intentionally investing in my wellbeing, inner harmony, and self-leadership across the years has helped me feel more whole, focused, and aligned in my life while investing in a career that demanded a lot from me. It was always clarity and self-trust that helped me make all my career and life transitions from PhD in Portugal to Research Associate at Cambridge, to Post-Doctoral Researcher in Stockholm, to Head of External Affairs in Biotech back in Portugal and, lastly, having the confidence to leave my stable career and eventually build something on my own.
I know how it feels like to carry the pressure to prove myself, the perfectionism, the voices inside saying nothing is ever good enough.
And I know many other women in science who feel the same. The guilt of wanting to rest and enjoy life more but feeling like work comes first so we can deserve a pause. I know all of this and I learned that those “weights” were preventing me from fully trusting myself and the way things made sense to me.
I believe that self-knowledge, self-acceptance, and self-trust are the essence behind authentic and courageous self-leadership - in life and in our career.
Deep inside, we know what we need and what we want.
We just need to allow it to come out, by connecting with our bodies, letting go of what no longer serves us (often the voices inside ourselves), trusting ourselves, learning what we need, and honouring our wellbeing. This is what I’ve explored deeply with myself and it made such a difference in how I show up today.
Imagining that more women can find that harmony and confidence as they build successful lives and careers with my help, is the work I am here to do and it feels extremely rewarding.
Why working with research institutions?
Throughout my 15 years in research I noticed how a lack of leadership skills in team leaders affected the performance, confidence, and mental health of younger scientists, especially women.
The demands to publish, secure grants, and complete PhDs require real emotional and mental resilience.
It was rare to find leaders who would support their team members to rest and take care of themselves, while also helping them grow and feel passionate about their research.
Luckily, for 4 years, I worked in a research group where ambitious goals didn’t come at the cost of working under pressure.
We felt trusted, supported, and excited, and our wellbeing was recognised as essential to staying focused, creative, and productive. That experience changed how I see research environments, and it’s what drives me to help bring that same work culture to more teams and institutions.
I wish more scientists had the tools to lead themselves, and eventually others, with confidence, resilience and self-awareness, in workplaces where creativity and collaboration can thrive, and where stress and mental health challenges are met with understanding rather than silence. If I can help make that happen, I would feel like I am accomplishing an important mission.
Fun Facts about me
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Nature is my reset button
Being outdoors always grounds me. Sunsets over the ocean, swimming in the sea, walking along the forest near Sintra, these moments bring me back to myself, alone, or with people I love.
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I paint with watercolours
Abstracts, flowers, leaves, butterflies, sunsets. It’s a conversation with my feminine side, being present, feeling, enjoying, letting go of the control over the outcome.
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I used to sing in a Latin jazz band with friends in Sweden
I love music and it was wonderful to create and share it with others live. I don't sing nearly enough these days but it still lives inside me and comes out naturally when I feel good.
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Moving my body is non-negotiable
Yoga, strength training, daily walks, sometimes just dancing freely, alone, in my space. Movement keeps my mind sharp and my body light.
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I travel to get inspired
New landscapes and ways of living help me to get to know myself better and feed my curiosity and need for adventure. But I love being home too, caring for my plants, cooking, that balance of exploration and safe harbour.
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Journaling and meditation are part of my routines
Maybe not hobbies in the traditional sense, but they’re really important for me to create small moments of presence and connection with myself. I don’t do it daily but as often as I feel I need them.
Academic and
Professional Background
Professional Experience
Science and Research
Head of External Affairs | iBET (Portugal) — 2022-2024
Postdoctoral Researcher | Karolinska Institute (Stockholm) (2016-2020)
Research Associate | University of Cambridge (UK) — (2011 - 2016)
PhD Student | ITQB - NOVA University Lisbon (2007 - 2011)
Transitions and Entrepreneurial Path
Solopreneur and Founder | Fire and Flow (2025 – present)
Part-Time Yoga teacher (2024 - present)
Community Manager and Facilitator | Life-Centric Work Lab (remote) (2024-2025)
Gap year to reflect and study (2021)
A brief story about my path
I am an eager learner, so I’ve always looked for opportunities to learn throughout my life.
My path reflects that evolution, from science, to teaching and facilitation, to leadership, to coaching, to business, to yoga. The work I do today is the product of everything I've learned and carry with me
From molecules to people
I studied biochemistry, fascinated by the molecular world inside us. During and after my PhD, I spent years researching cellular metabolism, first in the brain, then in stem cells. Over time, my curiosity shifted from cells and molecules to the people doing the research.
Learning to teach.
My motivation and love for teaching and supervising students led me to deepen my knowledge of teaching methodologies and learning facilitation.
Preparing for a new path
When I considered leaving research, I invested in entrepreneurship and business training, sensing that my path would take me there. I also strengthened my leadership and communication skills through my roles along the way.
Becoming a Coach
I completed my professional coaching certification in 2023 and a full-year Regenerative Leadership Course in 2025, learning and practicing how to truly listen, connect, and guide people towards what they need.
Coming home to the body
My trainings in hatha and yin yoga deepened my connection to myself and others, through both the body and the mind. Yoga remains a life journey, a pillar of presence and grounding that shapes how I show up in life and in my work.
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Scientific Training
BSc Biochemistry (Pre-Bologna) - University of Lisbon (Portugal) (2005)PhD in Biochemistry - Neurochemistry - ITQB - NOVA University Lisbon (2011)
Teaching, Coaching & Facilitation
Professional Coaching Certification | Life Training (PT, remote) (2023)Teaching and Learning in Higher Education | Karolinska Institute, Stockholm (2020)
Designing and Facilitating Learning Spaces | KaosPilot, Denmark (2019)
Leadership, Entrepreneurship & Business Training
Regenerative Leadership Journey | Regenerators by Laura Storm (remote) (2025)Persuasive Communication for an Audience | Thinkplus Consulting (Oeiras, PT) (2023)
Leadership for Team Leaders | Hfp Consulting (Sintra, Portugal) (2022)
Ignite Health Barcelona (Healthcare Entrepreneurship) | Biocat, Barcelona (hybrid) (2021)
Xponential Business Administration | NOVA SBE and StartSE Business School (PT and Brazil; remote) (2021)
SmiLe e-campus on Entrepreneurship in Life Sciences | SmiLe Incubator (Lund, Sweden; remote) (2021)
EDGE Program – Human-centred entrepreneurship | Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship, Stockholm (2020)
Leading Teams in the Digital Age | Hyper Island, Stockholm (2019)
Yoga
Yin Alchemy - 75h Teacher Training in Yin Yoga | Marina de Lima Yoga School, Sintra, PT (2026)The Quiet Body - 15h Teacher Training in Yin Yoga | Marina de Lima Yoga School, Sintra, PT (2025)
200h Hatha-Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training | Modern Mystics School of Yoga, Bali, Indonesia (2024)
We bring together the science world we know from the inside, the self-leadership tools that have changed lives, and a deep belief that we can do meaningful work without losing ourselves in the process.
That's what Fire and Flow is about and I’d love to have you join us in this journey.
Work with me
For Women in Science
Permission to Lead
1:1 coaching journey for clarity, confidence and taking bold next steps aligned with yourself.
Soft Reset
Group program to help you pause, reconnect, and feel grounded in the middle of your life's challenges.
Fire & Flow Circles
Connection and Self-Reflection with other women in science, in community.
Let’s create the cultural change you envision
For InstituTional Leaders
If you're looking for a partner who truly understands your people's pressures and challenges, let’s talk.