Patricia received her doctorate and master’s degree in Religious Studies from Pontifical Catholic University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, where she is currently a Professor of Religious Studies. Her dissertation was on Material Religion, a method to study religions from their empirical aspects, involving iconography, architecture, music, clothing, food and other bodily practices.

Her master’s degree’s research was about food practices and foodways in comparative religions. She is the author of the book Religion at the table. A sample of religions and their food practices, 2015 published in Portuguese, as well as of many other papers and book chapters.