Born in Ferrol in 1955, he graduated in 1982 and achieved First Class Honours for his research paper "Political Territory and Social Classes in Ancient Gallaecia - A Marriage between the Land TREBA and the Mother Goddess MATER". He also received Honors cum laude for his 2004 Doctoral Thesis. Since 1987 he is the Historian, Archaeologist and Archivist of the City of Narón.
Andre Pena's research is mainly focused on Atlantic-Celtic archaeology and ethnography, and continuity of cultural history in Galicia from the Iron Age until today. His research on "Celtic Institutions and Organisation in the Political Territories [Treba] of Gallaecia" is one of the most groundbreaking and influential works in Galician historical studies.
As the Historian, Archaeologist and Archivist of the City of Narón he has published the series of regional studies "A Concise History of the City and Shire of Narón", which span from the Stone Age to the 20th century. Such an in-depth historical study focusing on a single county had not been made in Galicia since the 1930s.
As an archaeologist he has directed several regional-funded projects such as "Saints & Stone Rafts - The Pilgrimage Way to St. André de Teixido" and the development of Monte do Seixo Heritage Park. He is also interested in industrial archaeology and has published a comprehensive research on industrial milling in Xuvia (Narón) and its maritime trade relations with northern Europe.
André Pena gives conferences and talks regularly at the three Galician universities, and is often invited to participate in Galician and international congresses on Celtic issues. He has been the Secretary of the Organising Committee and member of the Scientific Committee at the two International Congresses on Celtic Culture held in Ferrol in 1997 and 1998. He is also regularly invited to publish articles and contributions on specialised publications. In 2006 he was called in to advise on Galicia's Celtic heritage for "The Celtic Realms" story published by the National Geographic magazine.