Joana Lopes concluded her MSc in Chemical Engineering in July 2018 at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto (FEUP), focusing on green technologies for the production of flavoring compounds. In September 2020, she was awarded a PhD scholarship funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). Her doctoral thesis, titled "Photocatalytic Synthesis of Imines: Novel Routes to Ever-New Molecules", was defended in November 2024 with the title of European Doctorate. During her PhD, Joana gained international experience at the Instituto de Tecnología Química (ITQ) in Valencia, where she enhanced her expertise in organic transformations and nanomaterials, particularly perovskite-based photocatalysts for imines synthesis.

Her research has focused on the preparation, characterization, and application of optical semiconductors using advanced technological approaches. She has worked on the development of new synthetic routes for fine chemicals, contributing to the field of sustainable photocatalytic processes. Currently, she is a postdoctoral researcher at LSRE-LCM, where she is dedicated to developing efficient photocatalytic systems for selective organic synthesis.