Professor Cristiana Sessa graduated in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Milan in 1978, followed by a Degree in Pharmacology from the Mario Negri Institute of Milan in 1981 and a Specialisation in Obstetrics and Gynaecology from the University of Verona in 1983.

She also has a Diploma in Palliative Medicine from the College of Medicine, University of Wales (1991) and a Masters degree in Economics and Health Management from the University of Lugano (2002). In 2015 she received a Diploma of Advanced Studies in Pharmaceutical Medicine from the University of Basel. She has been a Professor at the University of Bern (Switzerland) since 2009.

Cristiana Sessa has been working at the Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Ospedale San Giovanni, Bellinzona since 1981 as Head of Phase I-II Unit and Pharmacology and is currently Vice Head of Medical Oncology and Head of Clinical Research. She has been Administrative Director of the Clinical Trial Unit of the Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (CTU-EOC) since 2012.

Since 2014, she has been a member of the Scientific Board of the Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research (SAKK).

Cristiana Sessa is a member of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), where she is Co-chair of the ESMO Guidelines Committee and a member of the Translational Research Working Group.

Cristiana Sessa was appointed to the Executive Board of the European Society of Gynecologic Oncology (ESGO) in 2013.