Maria Cristina Messa (born 8 October 1961) is an Italian doctor and academic, Minister of University and Research in the government of Mario Draghi.

As of 2019, Beatrice, the elder, studies languages at the University of Milan and Giorgio, younger by five years, attends the scientific high school.

She was director of the complex operating unit of nuclear medicine at the San Gerardo Hospital [it] in Monza (from 2005 to 2012), of the Molecular Bioimaging Centre (now part of the Technomed Foundation) at the University of Milano-Bicocca, and director of the Department of Health Sciences at the same university (2012–2013).

As a member of the Council of the Conference of Italian University Rectors (CRUI), she was in charge of Research.

As rector, she was president of the first Italian inter-university foundation, U41 (since 2017) and a member of the Coordination Committee of Human Technopole [it].