Helena B. Nader obtained her PhD at the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp) and post-doctoral training as a Fogarty (NIH) fellow at the University of Southern California.

She is professor and head of the Institute of Pharmacology and Molecular Biology at Unifesp and ranked Scientist 1A of CNPq. Her research field is molecular and cell biology of glycoconjugates. She has received several national and international awards and honors. At her university she was the first woman to become Pro-rector of Undergraduate as well as Pro-rector of Research and Graduate programs. She has been a role model for many women in Brazilian universities, helping to promote the empowerment of women and breaking solid barriers in society.

She is co-chair of IANAS (Inter-American Network of Academies of Sciences) and vice-president of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (ABC). She is member of the ABC, The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), and the Latin America Academy of Sciences (ACAL). Former president of the Brazilian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (SBBq, 2007-2008), she is also honorary president, former vice-president (2007-2011) and president (2011-2017) of the Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Sciences (SBPC).