In 2006 she received Chile's National Prize for Natural Sciences, becoming the first woman to win the award.

Hidalgo completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Chile, graduating with a degree in biochemistry in 1965.

[2] As a teacher, she taught at the Center for Scientific Studies (Centro de Estudios Científicos) between 1984 and 2002.

Later, between 2001 and 2003, she served as Program Director of the Cell Biology and Molecular Biomedical Sciences Institute.

[2] She is the director of the FONDAP Center for Molecular Studies of the Cell and part of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Chile.