Marcello Malpighi (March 10, 1628 - September 30, 1694) was an Italian doctor, who gave his name to several physiological features.

Malpighi was born in Crevalcore (Cavalcuore in old Italian), Italy, raised on the farm his parents owned and entered the University of Bologna at the age of 17. Malpighi began to study Aristotelian philosophy. When his father, mother and paternal grandmother died, he had to abandon his studies for more than two years to settle family affairs. He returned to university after two years, and became a doctor of medicine in 1653. The next year he married Francesca Massari, younger sister of his anatomy professor. She died a year later.

In 1656 Malpighi received a chair of medical practice in the university, three years after he had applied for it, and later the same year University of Pisa created a chair of theoretical medicine for him. He stayed in Pisa for three years and then returned to Bologna. In 1661 he was called to University of Messina where he stayed for four years.