Francesca Maria De Vecchi

Francesca Maria De Vecchi is Full Professor of Theoretical Philosophy at the Faculty of Philosophy, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan. She teaches courses such as Social Ontology, Gender Studies, Philosophy of the Person, and Phenomenology of the Person and Empathy across philosophy and medicine programs. She serves as President of the Master's Degree Program in Philosophy of the Contemporary World (since 2024), Director of the PERSONA Research Centre, and Co-Editor-in-Chief of the journal Phenomenology and Mind. She previously directed the Interfaculty Centre for Gender Studies (2016–2022) and chairs the university’s Equal Opportunities Committee (CUG).

• Ph.D. in Philosophy, University of Geneva
• Diplôme d’Études Approfondies, University of Geneva
• Laurea in Philosophy (with honors), University of Milan

Her research centers on social ontology, phenomenology of the person, and gender identity, with a strong phenomenological foundation influenced by Husserl, Edith Stein, and Adolf Reinach. She investigates the interplay between personal identity, social structures, empathy, and normativity, emphasizing qualitative and lived aspects of social reality. Her work bridges philosophy with neuroscience and psychiatry, particularly in understanding personhood and social being.

The 15 most recent publications reflect a sustained focus on qualitative social ontology, collective intentionality, and empathy. They explore the eidetic structures of social acts, the personhood of social entities, and the phenomenological distinctions in empathetic experience. Her writings appear in top journals and are published by Springer, Routledge, and Il Mulino.

• Fellow, International Social Ontology Society (2013–)
• Fellow, Normactivity Research Network (2022–)
• Member, SWIP Italia (2018–)
• Member, Network for Phenomenological Research (2018–)
• Advisory Board, FICTA – Feminist Philosophies, Bodies and Technologies (2025–)

She has supervised doctoral students through the university’s Ph.D. program in Philosophy and has been actively involved in editorial work, scientific committees, and international conferences. As Director of PERSONA and former Director of GENDER, she leads significant research initiatives. She also serves on the Scientific Board of the Interuniversity Research Center in Gender Cultures and participates in public engagement through interviews, seminars, and public lectures on gender, identity, and philosophy.

She leads the PERSONA Research Centre in Phenomenology and Sciences of the Person and was previously Director of the GENDER Interfaculty Centre for Gender Studies. She also coordinates the Gender Lunch Seminars and contributes to public philosophy through initiatives like Le arti per il CUG and media interviews on gender and health.