[1] She specialised in endocrinology and metabolic diseases at the Université René Déscartes in Paris, France.
[1] She earned a master's degree in public health and a diploma in human nutrition from the Université Pierre et Marie Curie, in Paris, France.
[1] Neira went on to receive the international diploma in Emergency Preparedness and Crisis Management granted by the University of Geneva in Switzerland.
[1] In her early career, Neira was the medical coordinator with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders) in refugee camps in Salvador and Honduras during the armed conflict and the period of instability.
In November 2019 Maria Neira joined the High Level Advisory Board of the Lancet Countdown: Tracking Progress on Health and Climate Change.