Postdoctoral research fellow in Paleogenetics at the Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, under the ERC Sinergy Project LAST NEANDERTHALS (PI Prof. Stefano Benazzi).
January 2025 - present. Associate researcher at the Max Planck-Harvard Research Center for the Archaeoscience of the Ancient Mediterranean (Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany)
May 2024 - present. Associate researcher at the David Reich Lab (Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Boston, MA)
EDUCATION
November 2023 - December 2024. Postdoctoral researcher in Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. Tutor: Dr. Alissa Mittnik
May - June 2024. Guest researcher at the David Reich Lab, Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Oxford, MA - USA. Tutor: Prof. David Reich
November 2020 - October 2023. PhD student in Archaeogenetics, XXXVII cycle of the PhD Course in Cultural and Environmental Heritage at the Department of Cultural Heritage (DBC) - University of Bologna, Ravenna Campus. Tutor: prof. Donata Luiselli – SSD BIO/08
2017 - 2019. Master's degree in Archaeological, artistic and landscape heritage: history, protection and enhancement (Class LM-2 Archaeology) with final grade 110/110 cum laude. Department of Cultural Heritage, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Ravenna Campus. Thesis in Archaeogenetics. Supervisor: prof. Donata Luiselli
2014 - 2017. Bachelor's degree in Cultural Heritage and Activities with final grade 110/110. Faculty of Arts, Languages, Ancient and Modern Civilizations. University of Perugia
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
2021 - 2023. Lecturer at the Master's Degree in International Cooperation on Human Rights and Intercultural Heritage (University of Bologna), Crash Course Module "Cultural heritage and Human Evolution: methodologies of research and study" (10 hours)
PARTICIPATION IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATION CAMPAIGNS
2023. Participation in the archaeological excavation campaign at Grotta di Pietra Sant'Angelo (San Lorenzo Bellizzi - CS) directed by Dr. Felice Larocca (University of Bari).
2018 - 2021. Participation in the archaeological excavation campaign at Riparo del Broion (Lumignano – VI) directed by Dr. Matteo Romandini (Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna).
2020. Participation in the archaeological excavation campaign at Erimi Laonin tou Porakou (Limassol, Cyprus) directed by Professor Luca Bombardieri (University of Siena).
2019 and 2024. Participation in the archaeological excavation campaign at Grotta di Uluzzo C (Lecce) co-directed by prof. Stefano Benazzi (Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna) and prof. Enza Elena Spinapolice (Sapienza University of Rome)
2018. Participation in the archaeological excavation campaign at Madaba (Jordan), co-directed by prof. Andrea Polcaro (University of Perugia) and Dr. Douglas Clark (La Sierra University, California)
2017 - 2019. Participation in the archaeological excavation campaigns at the site of Jebel al-Mutawwaq (Jordan) co-directed by prof. Andrea Polcaro (University of Perugia) and Juan Muniz (Universidad Autonoma de Salamanca).
2016. Participation in the archaeological excavation campaign at Huejotzingo (Puebla, Mexico) as a trainee in support of excavation activities. Director prof. Sixto Rodrìguez Rosas
TECHNICAL-COMPUTER SKILLS
Application of technologies concerning the extraction and molecular characterization of ancient DNA from human, animal and plant remains. Application of methodologies for modern DNA extraction by swab-buccal. Extraction of ancient DNA with silica protocol. PCR amplification of portions of mitochondrial, nuclear and Long Range PCR DNA. Preparation of genomic libraries for Illumina sequencing platforms. Bioinformatics analysis of NGS data from massive sequencing platforms. Excellent knowledge of Windows, Mac OS and Linux operating systems. Good knowledge of packages, scripts and software for bioinformatic analysis (Paleomix, EAGER, UGENE, Mega, Plink, eigensoft) and photogrammetric processing (Agisoft Photoscan). Excellent bioinformatic analysis skills of data from ancient DNA. Good knowledge of Adobe packages.
