Maria Helena Correia Dias is a researcher focused on the age estimation field through DNA methylation (DNAm). She is a biologist since 2012, a master in Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences since 2014, and a Ph.D. in Forensic Anthropology since 2021. Helena has a postgraduate in Forensic Anthropology (2016) and in Legal Medicine (2013). Helena is a team member of the Research Centre for Anthropology and Health (CIAS), of the Centre for Functional Ecology – Science for People & the Planet (CFE) and of the Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology (LFA).
Helena as a Doctoral Fellow developed the project (Funded by FCT, SFRH/BD/117022/2016): DNA methylation as an age predictor in living and deceased individuals. As a researcher, she has published 9 articles in journals with peer reviews and impact factor. She has organized 16 events promoting the fields of Forensic Anthropology and Epigenetics, and participated in another 14 events related to Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences. During her academic career, Helena has received 11 awards and/or honors.
At this moment, Helena is involved in teaching Forensic Anthropology and Epigenetic classes at the CRIAP Institute, reviewed journal articles and is guest editor of Jove in Collection Methods: Age Estimation Methods in Forensics.