Lecturer in the Institute of Social Sciences, University of Minho (UM), Sara Balonas has a PhD in Communication Sciences, in the University of Minho, in 2013. She teaches in estrategic Communication and Advertising.

Her research work is focused on the reconfiguration of advertising, its role in society beyond consumption and as a contribution to a better citizenship pratice. Areas of study include: advertising in the social sphere, behavioral advertising, nonprofit communication strategies, corporate social responsibility. She is also interested in territorial communication, political communication and communication with respect to religion.

She is the CEO of B+ Communication, an advertising company created in 2002 and founder of Be True Programme for social responsability (2010). She is member of the board of a non-profit association and regular columnist in a national newspaper (since 2012). She has been ambassador of entrepreneurship, nominated by the European Commission (2010-2013).