Rena Balzan

Rena Balzan, Ph.D., graduated in Pharmacy from the University of Malta and specialized in Genetics at the State University of Milan, Italy. She obtained the doctorate in Biotechnology / Molecular Biology from Cranfield University, UK. She is Senior Research Advisor in the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Malta, with her main research work addressing the molecular genetics of yeast and protein mitochondrial targeting, with particular focus on the study of oxidative stress in living organisms and its eukaryotic response. In 1997-1998, Balzan served as chairperson of the Malta Council for Science and Technology.

Rena Balzan is a renowned poet and novelist. Besides her scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals, Balzan has written a number of books in Maltese, all of which have been published. Some of her poems have been translated into English, French, German and Italian.