Maria Cristina Messa has been the Italian Minister of University and Research (MIUR) since February 2021.

She previously served as the Rector of the University of Milano-Bicocca (2013–2019) and as a member of the Board of the Conference of Italian University Rectors, with the role of Delegate for research. In July 2013, she was designated as one of the Italian Delegates for Horizon 2020, and she was the MIUR Delegate for Research Infrastructures, including e-infrastructures. She served as the Vice President of Italy’s National Research Council (CNR), from 2011 to September 2015.

Previously, she was Visiting Researcher at the Cerebro-Vascular Research Center at Penn University, Post MD Clinical Instructor in the Division of Nuclear Medicine and Biophysics, Department of Radiological Sciences, UCLA School of Medicine in Los Angeles, and Visiting Senior Scientist at the Neuroscience Group, MRC Cyclotron Unit, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London.

Over the course of her career, she has widely published and held lectures on university, research, diagnostic imaging, and health care, and participated in many national and international committees and working groups. Her expertise includes experimental research in diagnostic imaging, nuclear medicine, ad radiology, with a research focus on neurodegenerative and neoplastic pathologies.

She has received the 2014 Marisa Bellisario award, “Donne Ad Alta quota”, an award that annually is addressed to women who stand out for their professionalism in the fields of management, science, economics and social activities, both nationally and internationally.

Minister Messa graduated with honours in Medicine and Surgery and subsequently specialized in Nuclear Medicine at the University of Milan.

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