Maria-Christina Kotta studied Biochemistry (BSc) and Molecular Medicine (MSc) in the UK and later obtained her PhD from the Unit of Inherited Cardiac Diseases at the University of Athens, Greece. She then joined the group of Prof. Peter J. Schwartz at the University of Pavia and the IRCCS San Matteo hospital In Italy, working on the genetic aspects of Sudden Cardiac Death. Currently at the Center for Cardiac Arrhythmias of Genetic Origin and Laboratory of Cardiovascular Genetics at the IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, under the direction of Prof. Schwartz, her research is focused on both genetic aspects of monogenic heart diseases predisposing to SCD as well as the genetic component of SCD susceptibility in the general population (ESCAPE-NET project consortium).