Ana-Maria Lennon-Duménil studied Biology at the University of Chile (989-1993), obtained a Master & PhD in Genetics at the Pasteur Institute (1994-1998) and performed a post-doctoral stage at Harvard University (1999-2002). In 2003, she obtained a permanent research position in France and, in 2004, she created her lab. at Institut Curie, Paris.

Her scientific career has been built on the use of multidisciplinary approaches to study dendritic cells. In 2008, she set up a consortium including cell biologist M. Piel and physicist R. Voituriez. Their goal was to apply quantitative imaging and microfluidics to the study of molecular mechanisms and physical principles governing the ability of these cells of the immune system to move. Their work has opened a still unexplored line of research into the mechanisms that allow dendritic cells to coordinate their function(s) with their migration in time and space. They have further highlighted how dendritic cells sense tissue physical cues and modify their behavior and function accordingly. Her work has given rise to >110 publications and the obtention of several fundings, including three projects awarded by the "European Research Council” (ERC starting in 2009, ERC Advanced and ERC Synergy in 2022).

Ana-Maria Lennon-Duménil has received >60 invitations to give seminars and conferences in France and abroad, has participated in and/or organized numerous international courses and conferences (>50), including Keystone, EMBO and Gordon Conferences. She has been nominated member of SABs from different french and international institutions. Over the course of her career, she has obtained several honors, including the Thesis Award of the “French Association for Therapeutic Research” (1998), the Olga Sain Award of the “League against Cancer” (2009), the Gaston Rousseau Award from the Académie des Sciences (2012), the INSERM Research Award (2018) and the Charles Defforey Grand Prix from Institut de France (2021). She was elected member of EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organization) in 2018 and became the director of the "Immunity & Cancer" department of Institut Curie in April 2021. In 2024, Ana-Maria Lennon-Duménil was elected at the French Academy of Sciences.