It geographer (FLUP, 1997), Master in Planning and Urban Environment Project (FEUP / FAUP, 2002) and PhD in sociology (ISCTE, 2011) with the thesis "The Social, Space and the Political in Poverty and Exclusion. Evaluation of urban regeneration initiatives 'at risk' in Porto".

 Currently developing the research project "High Hopes for Mixed Communities" at ICS-UL and the Danish Building Research Institute at Aalborg University in Copenhagen. The project's main objective is to discuss the ideas of social mix in the context of housing policies and urban regeneration of both countries.

 Publications:

Alves, S (2015) "Welfare State Changes and Outcomes: the Cases of Portugal and Denmark from a Comparative Perspective. Social Policy & Admnistration, Vol. 49-1 (Article first published online 13 April 2014), 1-23.

Alves, S (2012) "The Patterns of Unemployment and the Geography of Social Housing. World Academy of Science", Engineering and Technology Science Index, 71, 759-767.

 Communication in Scientific Meetings:

Branco, R. & Alves, S. (2015, 29 de junho). Affordable housing and urban regeneration in Portugal: a troubled tryst?, apresentada na Conferência "ENHR, Lisboa, 2015"organizado pela European Network for Housing Research, ISCTE-IUL, Lisboa.

Alves, S. & Andersen, H. T. (2015, 1 de julho). Social housing in Portugal and Denmark: a comparative perspective, apresentada na Conferência "ENHR, Lisboa, 2015"organizado pela European Network for Housing Research, ISCTE-IUL, Lisboa.

Alves, S. Veludo, R. (2014) “The Importance of Housing in Portugal in the Age of Austerity”, The Welfare State in Portugal in the Age of Austerity (pp. 1-26). Lisbon: ISEG.