Year of birth: 1951

BIOGRAPHY

Elisabetta Dejana is an Italian cell biologist internationally recognized for her contributions to vascular biology and the role of endothelial cells in cancer. She earned her doctorate summa cum laude from the University of Bologna in biological sciences.

Dejana's career includes postdoctoral research at McMaster University in Canada and leading positions at the Mario Negri Institute in Milan. She has also directed research units in France and Sweden, including at INSERM in Grenoble and Uppsala University. Her research has deepened our understanding of how blood vessels form, stabilize, and interact with the tumor microenvironment, laying the groundwork for "vascular normalization" therapies in cancer treatment.

She has been Principal Investigator at IFOM, and Full Professor at Milan University.

Dejana has received numerous awards, including the Grand Prix scientifique de la Fondation Lefoulon-Delalande and honorary degrees from the University of Helsinki and Goethe University Frankfurt. Her contributions have significantly advanced the field of tumor vasculature and inspired new approaches to targeting the tumor microenvironment.