She graduated in Biological Sciences from the University of Siena in 1977, and worked as a research biologist and marine ecologist at the Anton Dohrn Zoological Station in Naples, at the current Ischia Marine Center, from 1983 to 2021, coordinating the Ischia team for some periods. Since 2021 she has been an associated researcher at the National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics - OGS in Trieste, she is also associated with ISPRA-Rome (September 2023) and the Polar Scientific Institute of the CNR in Messina (May 2024). She has worked in the field of ecology of benthic biota, and coastal benthic ecosystems, with particular focus on the taxonomy and ecology of polychaete marine worms, and the ecology of seagrass systems, especially Posidonia oceanica. She has also worked in coastal polar environments, participating between 1989 and 2006 in 6 oceanographic expeditions to Antarctica and sub-Antarctica within the PNRA and the German and Spanish programmes, coordinating the research group of the SZN team in Ischia. For over 20 years she has been studying the effects of climate change on the benthos, in relation to both the increase in temperature (heat waves, alien species) and ocean acidification. In this later topic she is studying the ecology and eco-physiology of the benthic biota, including seagrasses, which live in particular coastal hydrothermal systems characterized by CO₂ emissions from the seabed (vents) and natural acidification of the waters both at Ischia and in the Aeolian islands. She has supervised approximately 36 master's theses, 11 PhDs and 4 post-docs. She has served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal Marine Ecology (Wiley; 2005-2013) and has published over 300 scientific papers and 4 books. Passionate about classical and popular music, she completed regular flute studies at the R. Franci music school of Siena.

She is a PhD student in Polar Science at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. Her PhD project is focused on the analysis of organic compounds and trace elements present in ice cores to reconstruct the evolution of the anthropogenic footprint. In April 2021, she successfully graduated in Environmental Sciences following international curriculum “Global environmental change” at the same university. During her master thesis, she worked on paleofire reconstructions through the analysis of organic compounds present in traces within an Australian stalagmite.

2016-2019: Master Degree in Marine Biology (110/110 cum laude) at the Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna - Ravenna Campus. Thesis title: "Bioaccumulation of legacy and emerging contaminants in tuna species".
2020-in progress: PhD in Polar Science at Ca' Foscari University of Venice. My PhD project focuses on the analysis of persistent organic pollutants (regulated and emerging) in marine sediment cores collected in the Kongsfjorden-Krossfjorden fjord system (Svalbard Archipelago, Arctic), in order to: 1) evaluate the concentration levels and temporal trends of target contaminants in the sediment cores; 2) understand the temporal variability and fluxes of contaminants in the Arctic marine environment; and 3) define the sources of contamination in the investigation area.
In 2021 I spent two months (from the end of August to the end of October) at the Arctic Station 'Dirigibile Italia' in Ny-Ålesund, during which I took part both in the sampling activities of the sediment cores that were analysed for my PhD project, and in the management activities of the research station, working together with the station leader in charge at the time. In 2022 I spent 20 days (September) in Ny-Ålesund, thanks to an Arctic Field Grant, during which I sampled surface marine sediments in Kongsfjorden and Krossfjorden.

Education and previous professional experience. PhD in Chemistry from the University of Milano (2003). Degree in Chemistry from the University of Milano (2000)
Senior researcher at the Institute of Polar Sciences of the National Research Council of Italy (ISP-CNR), August 2019 – present. Researcher at the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate of the National Research Council of Italy (ISAC-CNR), July 2011-July 2019. Visiting scientist at the Finnish Meteorological Institute, February 2011- March 2011. Researcher at the Joint Research Center of the European Commission, October 2007-September 2010. Researcher at the University of California San Diego, July 2005-September 2007. Researcher at the University of California Davis, February 2004-July 2005. PhD in Chemistry from the University of Milano (2003) Degree in Chemistry from the University of Milano (2000)
International activities. Editor for "Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics" (since 2013). Editor for "Aerosol and Air Quality Research" (since 2011). Guest Editor for "Atmosphere" special issue on Aerosol Mass Spectrometry (2017). Referee for scientific papers: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Atmospheric Environment, Environmental Pollution, Environmental Science and Technology, Journal of Geophysical Research. Italian expert in the “Expert Group on Black Carbon and Methane” of the Arctic Council (since 2019). Working group leader for organic aerosol source apportionment of the COST Colossal project (2017-2021).
Area of scientific interest: Chemical and physical characterization of atmospheric aerosol with particular attention to the carbonaceous components, their chemical composition, microphysical properties, climate-relevant properties, and formation mechanisms. Cloud - aerosol interaction. Impact of air quality and climate change on fog formation.
Author of 58 publications in peer review journals and 5 chapters in books (h-index 21 – web of science)

Scopus - Author ID: 6602523027    http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7312-5571    WoS Researcher ID: P-1283-2014    Google Scholar