Ursula Catena was born on 01 June 1984 in Castellammare di Stabia (Naples).
She attended the Liceo Scientifico Francesco Severi in Castellammare di Stabia, graduating with full marks in 2002.
She attended the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the Federico II University of Naples from 2002 to 2008, graduating with honors with a thesis entitled " Angiogenic factors in the etiopathogenesis of endometriosis ". During the degree course she was the winner of an Erasmus scholarship which allowed her to attend the University of Valladolid (Spain) where she lived for about 1 year. She graduated with honors in Medicine and Surgery in 2009 and the same year she access the Residency Program in Gynecology and Obstetrics at the Federico II University of Naples which she attended from 2009 to 2014.
In 2013 she experienced a Fellowship Program (Second level Fellowship in “Gynecological Endoscopic Surgery”) at the Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital in Negrar (Veneto, Italy).
In 2014 she obtained with honors the Diploma of Specialization in Gynecology and Obstetrics at the University of Naples "Federico II" with an experimental thesis entitled "Efficacy of ovarian suspension to the round ligament in the prevention of post-operative adhesions in patients with ovarian endometrioma. Follow-up by fertiloscopy ".
From 2014 to 2015 she lived in Paris working in the field of Gynecological Endoscopic Surgery (Laparoscopy, Hysteroscopy, Transvaginal Hydrolaparoscopy) in the Tenon Hospital in Paris, directed by Prof. Emile Darai.
From 2015 to 2017 she worked as medical doctor at the Maria Rosaria Hospital in Pompei. Since 2017 she has been working at the Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli - IRCCS in Rome, directed by Prof. G. Scambia.
In 2018 she was the winner of a Ph.D. Program in the field of "Innovative Doctorates with industrial characterization" at the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine of the University of Naples Federico II (Tutor: Prof. Attilio Di Spiezio Sardo), graduating with the maximum of votes in March 2021.
Dr. Catena has always passionately dedicated herself to teaching endoscopic and minimally invasive surgical techniques.
She has organized and participated as Professor in numerous national and international courses and congresses relating to gynecological endoscopic surgery. Since 2015 she is Accredited Tutor within the GESEA (Gynaecological Endoscopic Surgical Education) Program, developed by the European Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy (ESGE), in collaboration with the European Academy of Gynaecological Surgery (+ he Academy), directed by Prof. Rudi Campo and is one of the 6 Accredited Tutors of the European Certification Center in Gynecological Surgery of the Federico II University of Naples.
Since 2018 she is head of the European Certification Center in Gynecological Surgery of the Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli - IRCCS of Rome, directed by Prof. G. Scambia.
In 2020 she was elected as one of the Italian representatives of the Advisory Board of the European Society of Gynecological Endoscopy (ESGE) (https://esge.org/about-us/organisation/).
Since 2021 she is head of the Special Interest Group (SIG) on Hysteroscopy of the European Society of Gynecological Endoscopy (ESGE) (https://esge.org/science/hysteroscopy/) and is a member of the SIG on Innovation in Surgery of the ESGE, directed by Prof. Becker (https://esge.org/science/innovations/).
In October 2022 she was elected Full Member of the Executive Board of the European Society of Gynecological Endoscopy (ESGE) (https://esge.org/about-us/organisation/).
She is also the author of numerous international scientific papers and has participated in the drafting of some textbooks in the field of Minimally Invasive Gynecological Surgery.
Dr. Ursula Catena is currently one of the referents of the CLASS Hysteroscopy Center of the Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli - IRCCS in Rome, the third and bigger Digital Hysteroscopic Center in the world, inaugurated in January 2021.