With a PhD in Communication Sciences from the University of Minho, Abílio Almeida is a researcher at the Communication and Society Research Centre.

His PhD thesis focused on the use of emotions as gratification, Daytime television in Portugal: an analysis of the role of laughter in the main morning talk shows, seeks to understand the function of laughter in the already long “relationship” between television contents and the people who watch them in the morning. This scientific research work was approved with maximum marks by the appointed jury, highlighted for its rigour and originality.

His main research interests are emotions, with a special focus on laughter, the television phenomenon, especially daytime, and, more recently, the representation of scientists in pop culture.

He is also the author of the book História do Riso (History of Laughter; Guerra & Paz Editores, 2022), a publication stemming from his doctoral research.