João Penedones studied physics at the University of Porto, where he obtained his undergraduate degree in 2002. He then obtained a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge in 2003. In 2007, he got his PhD from the University of Porto, working in the field of string theory under the supervision of Miguel Costa. He then performed postdoctoral work at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics (University of California, Santa Barbara) from 2008 to 2010 and at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Canada from 2010 to 2011. He then returned to the University of Porto to work as a research fellow until 2015, when he was named tenure track assistant professor at EPFL.