Carla Sá Couto is a clinical simulation educator and researcher with a background in Biomedical Engineering and over 20 years of experience advocating for simulation. She played a pivotal role in establishing Portugal’s first simulation center in 2003 and later transitioned to education, becoming the Coordinator of the Biomedical Simulation Center at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto (FMUP) in 2010. From 2014 to 2022, she led the integration of simulation into FMUP’s undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing education programs.

Currently, Carla is a lead researcher and educator at FMUP, overseeing national and international simulation-based research projects and courses. She is involved in several international scientific societies, including SiReN@SESAM, ASPiH, and EuSim. Her research interests focus on developing educational tools for clinical simulation, faculty development, and exploring how skills training impacts healthcare providers’ attitudes and behaviors.