Helena Alegre is Principal Researcher at the National Civil Engineering Laboratory (LNEC), Lisbon, and Director of its Hydraulics and Environment Department. She holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon (1992), where she developed decision support tools for the technical management of water distribution systems. Her professional and research activity focuses on urban water services, infrastructure asset management, and risk management, integrating applied research, standardization, and consultancy. She has coordinated and contributed to major national and international R&D projects, including TRUST (EU 7FP), AWARE-P, iGPI, and B-WaterSmart (EU H2020). A long-standing leader within the International Water Association (IWA), she currently serves as Honorary Member, Distinguished Fellow, and co-chair of the Fellows and Distinguished Fellows Steering Committee. Helena Alegre has received several international recognitions, including the IWA Award for Outstanding Contribution to Water Management and Science (2016) and the CongrEGA 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award. She is a Senior Member and accredited Specialist in Urban Water Engineering of the Portuguese Order of Engineers.