Maria Carmen Punzi is a Menstrual Health PhD researcher and activist. Since 2017, she has worked in multiple international organizations building evidence on the connections between menstrual health, sexual and reproductive health and gender equity. In 2019, she won a five-year grant to complete her PhD on menstrual health and social enterprises at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University. Her research starts from the recognition that while data shows that menstrual health affects women’s opportunities, health and inclusive participation in society, the topic is widely missing in current agendas around gender equity. 

In 2021, in collaboration with other stakeholders, she has advocated and obtained funding for free menstrual products on the Erasmus campus, and continues her activism within and beyond the university. She also regularly consults organizations and companies on menstrual health education, content creation and menstrual products’ business innovation. When she is not busy writing and teaching, she curates her @periodswithmariacarmen Instagram page, where she translates evidence on the menstrual cycle into fun, shareable content.