Helena B. Nader is Professor Emeritus at the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp). She obtained her PhD at Unifesp and post-doctoral training as a Fogarty (NIH) fellow at the University of Southern California. Since 1985, she is a 1A (highest level) research fellow of the National Research Council for the Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). Her research field is molecular and cell biology of glycoconjugates. At Unifesp, she was the first woman to become Pro-Rector of Undergraduate as well as Pro-Rector of Research and Graduate programmes. She is a member of several national councils related to science and education and has received several national and international awards and honours.

Helena B. Nader is president of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (ABC), co-chair of the Inter-American Network of Academies of Sciences (IANAS), vice-president for the Latin America and the Caribbean of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), and Governing Board member of the International Science Council (ISC). She is member of the ABC, TWAS, and the Latin America Academy of Sciencies (ACAL). Former president of the Brazilian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (SBBq, 2007-2008), she is also honorary president, former vice-president (2007-2011) and former president (2011-2017) of the Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Science (SBPC).