Prof. Dr. Maria I. Vaccaro, Ph.D., is a Doctor in Biochemistry from the University of Buenos Aires and a Senior Researcher certified by the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research. She is the Director of the Institute for Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, and a Full Professor of Pathophysiology at the University of Buenos Aires. She received her degree in Biochemistry from the University of Buenos Aires' School of Pharmacy and Biochemistry. She completed her Master’s in Medical Education at the Centre for Medical Education and Clinical Research University Institute. She was given the title of Fellow of the American Gastroenterological Association by the AGA Institute. Her research interests are focused on the molecular mechanisms involved in autophagy, selective autophagy, and membrane trafficking in pancreas cell pathophysiology. She has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and is a member of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), the American Pancreatic Association (APA), the International Association of Pancreatology (IAP), and the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles, among others. She is one of the founders of Beth Levine’s Legacy Network Women in Autophagy and the founder of the Latin American Pancreatic Study Group (chapter of the IAP). She is the editor of research topics for Frontiers and Cells.