CV
Current:
01/08/2022 – present: Gliese Research Fellow at the Astronomisches Rechen-Institut, Zentrum fuer Astronomie, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany: Researcher in Astrophysics and teaching assistant of Physics and Astronomy University courses.
Past work experience:
01/12/2020 – 01/07/2022: Research Excellence Fellow at IMAPP, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Full time researcher in Astrophysics.
01/11/2015 – 01/08/2016: Research Scholarship Fellow at INAF, Rome, Italy.
Investigation of the X-ray spectra of hyper-luminous, high redshifted quasars. Supervisors: Prof. Fabrizio Fiore, Dr. Enrico Piconcelli.
17/07/2014 - 18/09/2014: Visiting Physicist at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Menlo Park, California, USA (SLAC/INFN Summer Exchange program 2014)
Analysis of the contribution of Dark Matter spatial profiles to the spectral distribution of gamma-rays observed by the satellite Fermi with the Fermi-LAT collaboration, Supervisor: Dr. Andrea Albert.
Education:
01/09/2016 – 11/06/2020: PhD in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.
Thesis: Searching for Multiple Populations in Massive Young and Intermediate Age Clusters. Supervisors: Prof. Nate Bastian, Prof. Maurizio Salaris.
01/11/2018 – 31/10/2020: ESO PhD studentship, at European Southern Observatory (ESO), Garching, Germany. Supervisor: Dr. Marina Rejkuba.
01/10/2013 – 22/10/2015: Master of Science in Astronomy and Astrophysics (cum laude), Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Thesis: The X-ray emission of hyper-luminous Quasars from the WISSH sample. Supervisors: Prof. Fabrizio Fiore, Dr. Enrico Piconcelli.
01/10/2010 – 31/09/2013: Bachelor Degree in Physics and Astrophysics (cum laude), Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Talks & Seminars:
(10/2023) Seminar at Galaxy Coffee “The origin of Globular Clusters and their anomalous stellar populations”, at MPIA, Heidelberg, Germany.
(03/2023) Talk at GECO Café Club “The origin of Globular Clusters and their anomalous stellar populations”, at Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille, France.
(11/2022) ARI colloquium, “On the origin of Multiple Stellar Populations in Globular Clusters”, Astronomisches-Rechen Institut, University of Heidelberg, Germany.
(10/2022) Review Talk on “Multiple Stellar Populations in Star Clusters” – MIAPP workshop Star-forming clumps and clustered starburst across cosmic time, Garching, Germany.
(03/2021) Seminar Research talk “Understanding the origin of multiple populations in globular clusters” at IMAPP, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
(06/2020) Talk “Is Fornax 4 the nuclear star clusters of the Fornax dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy?”at the Galactic Nuclei group meeting, MPIA, Heidelberg, Germany (online).
(11/2019) Seminar “The phenomenon of multiple stellar populations in globular clusters” at the University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany.
(11/2019) Seminar “The role of cluster age on the onset of multiple populations in globular clusters” at Planetary Tea and Stellar Coffee, ESO, Garching, Germany.
(11/2017) Seminar “The phenomenon of multiple populations in massive star clusters” at INAF, Bologna, Italy.
(09/2017) Talk “The origin of multiple population within stellar clusters – un unsolved problem” at ESO Santiago, Chile.
14 Contributed Talks at International & Domestic Conferences.
Teaching Activities & Outreach:
(2024) Teaching Assistant, AstroLab Course, University of Heidelberg.
(2023/2024) Teaching Assistant, Experimental Physics I, Bachelor Course, University of Heidelberg.
(2023) Teaching Assistant, AstroLab Course, University of Heidelberg.
(2023) Teaching Assistant, Astronomical Techniques, Master Course, University of Heidelberg.
(2022/2023) Teaching Assistant, Theoretical Astrophysics, Master Course, University of Heidelberg.
(2022/2023) Teaching Assistant, Experimental Physics I, Bachelor Course, University of Heidelberg.
(02/2022) Public Talk “A fossil of an ancient cluster of stars has been discovered in our Galaxy” at Astronomy Evening, Outreach event at Radboud University.
(2012) Lesson for first years University students about “Oscillations and Pendulum”, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
Organization of Conferences:
Member of Scientific Organising Committee at EAS meeting 2023 for the Special Session 28 “Understanding the connection between nuclear star clusters, black holes and galaxy evolution”, Krakow, Poland, July 2023.
Member of Local Organising Committee at EWASS meeting 2018, Liverpool, UK.
Prizes and Awards:
(2022) Travel Grant for MIAPP workshop “Star-forming clumps and clustered starburst across cosmic time”, Garching, Germany (880€).
(2021) Best PhD Thesis Award, The Faculty Pro-Vice Chancellor Prize, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK (100£).
(2019) Travel Grant, International Astronomical Union (250€).
(2019) Travel Grant, Lorentz Workshop (250€).
(2018 -2020) ESO PhD studentship, Garching, Germany.
(2018) Travel Grant, The Doctoral Academy – Liverpool John Moores University FET Postgraduate conference (350£).
(2012-2013) “Percorso d’Eccellenza”, Academic Excellence Scholarship, Sapienza University of Rome (3,000€).
Awarded Telescope Time and Observing Experience:
(2018-2019) 5 half nights with the FORS2 instrument at the ESO Very Large Telescope, Paranal Observatory, Chile, as principal investigator (programme ID P103.D-0248).
(2018) 8 hours with the Xshooter instrument at the ESO Very Large Telescope, Paranal Observatory, Chile, as principal investigator (programme ID P102.D-0207).
(2017) 4 half nights with the FORS2 instrument at the ESO Very Large Telescope, Paranal Observatory, Chile, as co-investigator (programme ID P099.D-0762). Principal Investigator: Dr. Hollyhead, K.
Skills:
Programming: Python; basics of R, IDL and Fortran.
Astronomical Softwares: IRAF, Astropy, Dolphot, DAOphot, CataXcorr, HEALPix, DS9, CIAO, XMM-SAS, XSPEC, FITS Viewer, ESO reflex, TOPCAT, Sextractor, ATLAS, SYNTHE, FIMS, Molecfit, ISpy3, FPOSS, ESO ETC.
Languages: Italian (Native), English (Fluent), French (Intermediate), Spanish, Dutch, German (basic).
Other Curricular Activities:
(2023 – 2024) Member of panel D (Stellar Evolution) of Observing Programmes Committee (OPC), ESO.
(2023) Science Communication Workshop (4h) – Michele Catanzaro – “How to write an effective science communication text?” – Marsilius Kolleg Heidelberg.
(2022 – present) Referee of Astronomical Journals (Nature Comms and MNRAS).
(2021 – 2022) Scientific Colloquia Organiser, Radboud University, The Netherlands.
(2021 – 2022) Outreach committee member, Radboud University, The Netherlands.
(2020) Science Communication Training, ESO Garching, Germany.
(2019 – 2020) Students’ Representative, ESO Garching, Germany.
(2019) Member of ESO environment protection team, ESO Garching, Germany.
(2019) Scientific Assistant for the ESO P104 Observing Programme Committee, Garching, Germany.
(2018) Harassment Training, ESO Garching, Germany.
(2018) Technical Assistant, KMOS@5 Workshop, ESO Garching, Germany.
(2017) Micro-Teaching Course, Liverpool John Moores University, UK.