Dr Joana Mesquita Guimarães is a specialist in Gynaecology and Obstetrics, with subspecialisation in Reproductive Medicine, recognised by the Portuguese Medical Association. She graduated in Medicine from the Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS) in 1992 and completed her specialty training in 2002. She was awarded the rank of Senior Hospital Consultant in 2016 and obtained formal recognition as a Subspecialist in Reproductive Medicine in 2021.
She is the founder of Procriar Clinic – Centre for Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine of Porto, where she has served as Clinical Director since January 2019, playing a key role in the development and consolidation of clinical practice in medically assisted reproduction.
She was the founder and Director of the Medically Assisted Reproduction Centre at CHP/CMIN between 2009 and 2016 and is the founder of Portugal’s first National Public Gamete Bank, established in May 2011. She has been a member of the National Council for Medically Assisted Reproduction since 2013 and has served as a member of the European IVF Monitoring Consortium of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) since 2019.
With a strong commitment to scientific and institutional activity, she has held several leadership positions within the Portuguese Society of Reproductive Medicine (SPMR), including Vice-President for two consecutive terms (2013–2018) and Board Member during the 2018–2021 and 2021–2024 terms. She has collaborated regularly with regional and national health authorities (ARS and DGS), particularly in defining referral criteria for infertility, and contributed to the development of the Infertility Referral Manual.
In the academic field, she was a lecturer in Gynaecology within the Integrated Master’s Degree in Medicine at ICBAS (2008–2016) and a visiting lecturer in Biotechnology in Assisted Reproduction on the Master’s programme in Cellular and Molecular Biology at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto (2012–2016). She has supervised specialty trainees in Gynaecology and Obstetrics, acted as supervisor and examiner for numerous Integrated Master’s theses in Medicine, and collaborated on several PhD theses.
Dr Joana Mesquita Guimarães is the author and co-author of more than 25 national and international scientific publications, a peer reviewer for scientific journals and a researcher in multiple projects. She also acts as a medical expert witness in legal proceedings, appointed by the College of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of the Portuguese Medical Association, and is a frequent invited speaker at national and international scientific meetings.
Founding Procriar arose from a long-held and deeply rooted desire to create a place where everyone facing fertility challenges feels truly heard and supported, combining the most advanced science with a careful understanding of the uniqueness of each individual story. What motivates me is the sincere conviction that research and innovation, grounded in compassionate care, are essential to helping each person fulfil the dream of building a family.
Media
Press Articles
Opinion articles, interviews and reports by Dr. Joana Mesquita Guimarães, Clinical Director of Procriar, Specialist in Gynecology and Obstetrics and Subspecialist in Reproductive Medicine, featured in the media.
Testimonials
Patient Testimonials
“We have had an exceptional experience at this clinic. The staff are friendly and warm the second you walk in and that feeling continues from each person in the office each and every experience until the end. They are professional, friendly, compassionate, explanatory to every detail, innovative and are HIGHLY invested in a positive outcome for you and your family. Thank you to the Drs, nurse team and staff there for making us feel cared for, and giving us results. We apreciate you forever!”
“Procriar has been a God send for our family! My wife and I were spending time traveling around Portugal and decided why not get our IVF journey started. We were already headed to Porto and found Procriar online…reached out and they invited us to check it out in person. From the very first meeting with our Patient Care Asst, Joana, we were sold. She was amazing and made us feel at home. From there we met with the rest of the team and our experience continued to get better. They were knowledgeable, always available, attentive, and patient centered. They were there every step of the way and helped us overcome any challenges. Fast forward and we’re expecting our first child this Summer! And will definitely work with them in the future as we decide to keep growing our family.”