Luisa Cifarelli graduated in Physics from the University of Bologna. As a researcher at the INFN, she started to collaborate with the main European research centres (CERN, DESY, Gran Sasso Underground Laboratory). Her academic career includes teaching in various Italian Universities; since 1991 she is full professor of Experimental Physics at the University of Bologna. While leading many scientific working groups and committees, she always gives great attention to the young researchers involved in the ALICE experiment (at CERN LHC), in which she is herself actively working.
Luisa is the first woman appointed for very prestigious positions: elected in 2008 President of the Società Italiana di Fisica, in 2011 she became also President of the European Physical Society and of the Centro Fermi in Rome.