Catarina Helena Barbieri holds a PhD (2012) and a Master's degree (2008) in Law from the University of São Paulo (Brazil), specializing in Philosophy of Law and Jurisprudence. Additionally, she was a Fox International Fellow at Yale University from 2010 to 2011. Catarina completed her undergraduate studies in Law at the University of São Paulo in 2003.

Before joining PRIO in December 2023, she held the positions of Editor-in-Chief of the Revista Direito GV (Direito GV Law Review) and Publication Coordinator from 2014 to 2023 at the São Paulo Law School of Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV Brazil). She was a Lecturer in Law at the same institution from 2012 to 2020 and academic coordinator for their LL.M. and short-term education programs from 2012 to 2014.

Outside academia, Catarina held the position of Chief of Staff for the Ministry of Justice's Legislative Affairs Secretariat from August 2009 to March 2010. There, she was also a consultant for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on the "Pensando o Direito" project (Reflecting on Law) from October 2008 to March 2009.