Ilaria Cinelli

Ilaria Cinelli, PhD, FAsMA, FAsHFA, is a senior engineer and global leader in healthcare and space exploration, specializing in space medicine, extreme-environment research, space diplomacy, and global health.

She holds degrees in biomedical engineering from the University of Pisa and a doctorate in neural engineering from the National University of Ireland, Galway. She also completed the International Space University’s Space Studies Program and a postdoctoral fellowship at Tufts University.

Ilaria co-chairs the development of a Space and Global Health curriculum with UNOOSA and WHO, supported by ESA, and has contributed to the UNOOSA Space4Women network since 2020. She has authored or contributed to 50+ scientific publications and holds editorial roles with IntechOpen, IEEE, and Frontiers.

Her work has received 15+ awards, including recognition from the European Patent Office, AIAA, and the Aerospace Medical Association. She is a Fellow of AsMA and AsHFA, a former President of AsHFA, and a Member-at-Large of the AsMA Council since 2018.

She has led expeditions in the Utah, Mojave, and Arctic deserts, was invited to join the Mars Society Steering Committee, and has advised European institutions on space medicine and the space economy. In recognition of her contributions to space science, Asteroid 108952 was named after her.