PhD in Portuguese Culture from the Faculty of Arts of the University of Lisbon and Full Professor of History at the same faculty. Currently, is the Director of the Centre of History of the University of Lisbon.

Previously the President of the CCCM, and Director of the Institute of Portuguese Studies at the University of Macau. In 1998, Visiting Professor & Researcher Director at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (Paris). In 2000, Visiting Professor at Peking University, Shanghai University, and Hefei University. His works cover cultural history, the historical sociology of cultures, and the theory and history of intercultural relations, with a specialization on Portuguese Renaissance culture and Eurasian relations.

He is the author, among other works, of the following books: Macau: Poder e Saber Séculos XVI e XVII, Lisbon, Presença, 2006; Damião de Góis – Os Caminhos de um Humanista, Lisbon, Correios de Portugal, 2002; Lavrar o Mar – Os Portugueses e a Ásia:c.1480 – c.1630, CNCDP, Lisbon, 2000, (also in an English edition); Os Navios dos Descobrimentos, Lisbon, Correios de Portugal, 1991, (bilingual edition in Portuguese and English); Portugal Mensageiro do Mundo Renascentista, Lisbon, Quetzal, 1989; Portugal: Pioneiro do Diálogo Norte-Sul – Para um Modelo da Cultura dos Descobrimentos Portugueses, (trilingual edition in Portuguese, English and French), Lisbon, I. Nacional, 1988; Os Descobrimentos e a Ordem do Saber – Uma Análise Sociocultural, Lisbon, Gradiva, 1987; Caminhos do Saber no Renascimento Português – Estudos de História e Teoria da Cultura, Lisbon, I. Nacional, 1986; Descobrimentos e Renascimento – Formas de Ser e de Pensar nos Séculos XV e XVI, Lisbon, I. Nacional, 1982.

By the decree No. 1103/2021 of the Portuguese Journal of the Republic, Professor Barreto was awarded the Medal of Scientific Merit by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education.