Chichilnisky received high school education at the Instituto National de Lenguas Vivas, additionally taking science classes at the local university.

After a coup, the military closed the University of Buenos Aires, and professor Warren Ambrose fled to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), taking six students—including Chichilnisky—with him.

[1][3] Chichilnisky, who had no formal undergraduate education, was accepted to MIT, and matriculated into the doctoral program in mathematics with support from a Ford Foundation scholarship.

In 2017, the Carnegie Corporation of New York recognized her as one of 38 "Great Immigrants", a distinction honoring naturalized citizens for contributions to their field.

[8] In 2010, Chichilnisky, along with co-founder Peter Eisenberger and supporter Ben Bronfman, formed Global Thermostat, a company specializing in direct-air capture.

[17] She was also a lead author on the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, which won that year's Nobel Peace Prize.

[citation needed] A list of Chichilnisky's publications can be found on her CV, which is linked from her profile on the Columbia Economics website.

[22][23] She filed a lawsuit again in 2000, alleging that the university continued to display sexism, had retaliated against her for the previous suit, and was attempting to dissolve her endowed chair.

[22][23] Columbia University maintains that she has a difficult time working with colleagues and is abrasive in nature, while Chichilnisky holds that these traits would not be pointed out if she were male.