Maria Russo obtained her Master’s Degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Naples “Federico II” in 1992. She further specialized in Biotechnology Applications in 1997. In 2022, she earned a PhD in Biotechnological Sciences from the University of Naples "Luigi Vanvitelli." She is currently a Senior Researcher within the Food Chemoprevention Unit of the “Diet and Human Health” sector at the Institute of Food Sciences, National Research Council (ISA-CNR). Her research concentrates on dietary chemoprevention, which involves utilizing naturally occurring molecules to prevent, inhibit, or delay tumor development. Specifically, her studies focus on employing natural molecules or micronutrients to sensitize tumor cell lines or primary leukemic cells that exhibit resistance to conventional chemotherapy and experimental agents (e.g., Trail, Fas ligand, and BH3 mimetics). In this context, her expertise pertains to the study of natural bioactive molecules as modulators of various cellular pathways such as apoptosis, autophagy, and senescence.