Born in Casalpusterlengo (Milan, Italy) on 15 February 1955. 

Academic degree Degree in Biological Sciences – University of Pavia (1978). Other degrees Post-graduate in Medical Statistics, University of Pavia: 50/50 summa cum laude (1983). 

Present position 2003- Full Professor of Medical Statistics – Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Pavia, Pavia (Italy)

2010- Head of Medical and Genomics Statistics Unit, Dept of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia (Italy) 

2013- Visiting Professor in Biostatistics, University of Manchester, Manchester (UK) 2012- Coordinator of the second-level postgraduate course in Medical Statistics and Genomics, University of Pavia, Pavia (Italy) 

2014- : member of Scuola di Alta Formazione Dottorale (SAFD), University of Pavia, Pavia (Italy) 

2001-2007: visiting professor at the MRC Biostatistics Unit, Cambridge, UK 

2007-2012: visiting professor at the Statistical Laboratory of the Centre of Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge, UK 

Bayesian analysis of the geographical variation of the disease risk in space and time; Monte Carlo methods; graphical models; Bayesian estimates and their use in descriptive epidemiology; measurement errors in the covariates in ecological studies; development and application of statistical methods in genetic epidemiology: analysis of the association in presence of measurement error, incomplete data both in familiar studies and in case-control studies. Analysis of microarray, methylation and proteomic data. Analysis of pedigree data. Causal inference, joint analysis of genetic and gene expression data to identify genes causally related to Multiple Sclerosis. Analysis of next generation sequencing data. Bayesian Mendelian Randomization. 

Her scientific interest to mindfulness-based meditation approach has led to the organization of the workshop “Scienza e Meditazione” held in Pavia, 9-10 October 2016. The workshop illustrated the evidence, the scientific methods and the different interpretations of meditation, plus practical sessions conducted by an expert meditator. She also organized for PhD students the intensive course (theory and practice) in Neuroscience of Meditation. She has recently set up a population based study to investigation the causal effect of a meditation based intervention on wellbeing and mental health.