Women in Science

Dr Christine Farrugia graduated in 2012 from the University of Malta with a Bachelors in Mathematics and Physics. She went on to read for a Masters in Astronomy and a PhD in Mathematical Physics (Cosmology). During this time, she worked on black holes and dark energy models.

In 2021, looking for opportunities to do research in the medical field, she joined the BOB (Boundaries of the Brain) neuroscience group at the University of Malta and has since collaborated on a range of projects involving MRI data processing and analysis. She is currently also assisting in managing and setting up a new laboratory for collecting and preprocessing MRI data.

Women in Science Dr. Lourdes Farrugia – Lecturer and Researcher

Dr Lourdes Farrugia is a physicist working as a lecturer and researcher at the University of Malta. She graduated with a Bachelor’s in Science in 2008, and the following year, she was awarded a Master’s in Physics.

In 2016, she obtained her PhD, during which she studied the interaction of electromagnetic fields with the human body. Sources of electromagnetic fields, such as mobile phones and other communication devices, are used continuously, and thus, it is essential to understand how these are absorbed within the human body. These types of fields are also used for medical applications, to diagnose and/or offer treatment.

Lourdes always found interest in applying physics to the medical field. Her motivation stems from the need to translate novel electromagnetic medical technologies from the laboratory closer to the patient’s bedside to offer better, more cost-effective, safe, and minimally invasive treatment.

She is actively involved in different national and international research projects, and she has been awarded national and European funding for various research projects related to Electromagnetic medical technologies. Lourdes was the first Maltese researcher to lead a Cooperation in Science and Technology project, with over 250 international researchers participating in the project, paving the way for better Electromagnetic therapeutic technologies.

She is also the Chairperson of the National Commission for the Protection from Ionizing and non-Ionizing radiation in Malta.
Lourdes is a mother of two children, Francesco and Graziella, and when she’s not working, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading a good book or experimenting in the kitchen.

(Photo Credit: Therese Debono)