Maria Pinto-Albuquerque is Assistant Professor at Iscte - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa and researcher at Istar-Iscte.

Her work focuses on the relation of the human, as a user or developer, with the computer system. Addressing this relation leads to work in cybersecurity awareness, alignment of security with usability, and requirements engineering.

She has been developing tools and techniques, like serious games and creativity techniques, to promote an efficient, responsible, and secure use (by the users) and development (by software engineers, co-developing with all types of stakeholders) of computer systems.

She pursues collaborations in particular with Bristol Cybersecurity Group (Univ. of Bristol, UK), UniBW Information Systems Group (University of the Federal Armed Forces Munich), and Security Life Cycle Group of Siemens Technology, Munich. Under collaboration with Bristol Cyber Security Group, she was part of the team that created and developed the cybersecurity awareness game, Decisions and Disruptions, http://www.decisions-disruptions.org/. This game was adapted by the City of London Police and won the UK National Innovation in Cyber Award 2020, https://thenationalcyberawards.org/virtual-awards-ceremony-2020/.

Graduated in Applied Maths. and Comp. Science at Universidade Técnica de Lisboa. She completed the MSc in Computing at Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, and the PhD in Computer Science at Lancaster University, UK. Is a member of  IEEE, Iscte Alumni, Lancaster University Alumni, and the British Computer Society.