Dr. Loay is an Assistant Professor at the Arts Department at UBI, where she teaches acroay the 3 Cycles of Studies in Fashion Design (B.A, M.Sc, and Ph.D.). Currently, she is the Course Director of the Master''s Degree in Branding and Fashion Design (UBI-IADE), and an elected member and secretary of the Pedagogic Council of the Faculty of Arts and Letters (UBI). As a Researcher at the CIAUD.UBI and AEROG-LAETA, her focus includes 1) Intersections of Fashion Design and Technology, encompassing wearable technology, smart and functional clothing with embedded electronic systems, and technology as a promoter of sustainability through new production methodologies (Digital Manufacturing and Industry 4.0); and 2) Body, Fashion, and Identity, exploring consumer behavior, sustainable practices, and the role of fashion as an expression of body identity. Caroline Loay earned her B.Sc. in Fashion and Style with honors from Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Brazil, in 2009. In 2010, she moved to Portugal, obtaining her M.Sc. in Fashion Design (2012) and Ph.D. in Textile Engineering (2017), both from the University of Beira Interior (UBI). Dr. Loay was a post-doctoral researcher (2018-2021) at the FibEnTech Research Unit (UBI), contributing to the mobilizing project TexBoost Less Commodities More Specialties. She has authored or co-authored four book chapters and over 40 papers for international journals and conferences. Dr. Loay holds two national/international patentsIn recognition of her research work, she received four international distinctions, including the Techtextil Innovation Award in the New Application category, in 2019. Her work was also featured in an exhibition organized by the MUDE (Design Museum).