Doctor Luís Portela is one of the most respected figures in Portuguese science and in the pharmaceutical sector. A medical doctor by training, he led BIAL for more than forty years, serving as CEO from 1979 to 2011 and Chairman until 2021. Under his leadership, BIAL became the first Portuguese pharmaceutical company to develop and globally commercialise innovative medicines, including pioneering treatments in epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease. In 1994, he founded the BIAL Foundation, today recognised internationally for its support of cutting edge research in neuroscience and in the study of the human condition. He is the author of ten books, two of which are bestsellers, and has been awarded four Honorary Doctorates, as well as several national honours, including the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit and the Grand Cross of the Order of Public Instruction. Doctor Portela has held prominent national roles, such as President of Health Cluster Portugal and Chair of the General Council of the University of Porto. He now dedicates himself fully to the BIAL Foundation, scientific reflection, and the promotion of humanistic thought.