Medical translation has gained increasing visibility and relevance in recent years. Public health emergencies, scientific and technological advances, regulatory changes, and growing efforts to improve health literacy and patient engagement have all contributed to a rising demand for specialized translation in life sciences.

At the same time, professionals working in medical translation and those in medical communication may take different routes – but often find themselves aiming for the same destination: ensuring that scientific and health-related information is accurate, accessible, and impactful.

More and more language professionals are exploring opportunities in this space. While an academic background in health or science can be helpful, it’s not essential. What truly matters is a commitment to learning, professional responsibility, and a focus on serving both clients and end users effectively.

This session will offer practical guidance for those looking to enter or grow in the field of medical translation – covering where to start, how to build expertise, and how to make the most of training and networking opportunities.

But we’ll also look ahead. The role of translation professionals is evolving. Increasingly, they are stepping in earlier in the content development process – contributing not just as translators, but as collaborators in creating and adapting medical and scientific content.

Topics we’ll cover include:

• How to get started in medical translation
• Where to find meaningful training and networking opportunities
• How to expand your service offering beyond translation
• The types of content language professionals can help create and adapt
• Working in a field where English dominates scientific output

By stepping into the full communication pathway, professionals can broaden their service offering, enhance their positioning, and contribute more strategically to how health information is created, adapted, and shared.

Speaker: Ana Sofia Correia (Portugal)

Ana Sofia Correia is an English-to-Portuguese medical translator and writer based in Portugal, with 18 years of experience. She has collaborated with life sciences companies, contract research organizations, language service providers, and medical communication agencies. After spending 12 years as an in-house translator at the Centre for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra and the Nursing School of Coimbra, she transitioned to full-time freelancing in 2019. Ana Sofia currently serves as the Marketing Manager of the Women in Localization Portugal Chapter and as Vice-President of the Portuguese Medical Writers Association (APMW). She is also an active member of APTRAD, MET, TREMÉDICA, and EMWA. In addition to providing translation, writing, and linguistic validation services, she authors the Perspectives on Medical Translation & Writing newsletter and co-authors the blog Med & Mark. Since 2023, she has led Medical Translation Mentoring, a program dedicated exclusively to supporting translators specializing in medical and life sciences.