Paula Cruz has a degree in Sociology from the Faculty of Letters of the University of Porto and a Master's degree in Sociology from the Faculty of Economics of the University of Coimbra. Sociologist in the Research and Projects Department at EAPN Portugal. Since November 2022, she has been responsible for coordinating EAPN Portugal's European projects and policies unit. She is a member of EAPN Portugal's working group on Food Poverty and the group on Participatory Methodologies. Over the years she has worked at EAPN Portugal, she has worked on different themes in the areas of poverty (ageing, minimum income/adequate income, food poverty, intervention with vulnerable groups, among others) and has accompanied political initiatives such as the European Pillar of Social Rights, the European Semester and the National Strategy to Combat Poverty.

She represents the Portuguese network in EAPN Europe's Strategic Inclusion Group.