Lecturers

Simona Secomandi is a postdoctoral fellow at the Rockefeller University in New York City. Her experience spans fieldwork, wet lab, and bioinformatics. During her undergraduate years at the University of Milan, she focused on bird ecology before shifting to genomics and bioinformatics for her PhD, with a thesis investigating barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) genomics using genome assembly, comparative genomics, and pangenomics. She went on to her first postdoctoral position at the University of Cyprus, where she investigated population genomics and demography of wild African birds. Currently, she is working on the passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) de-extinction project funded by Revive & Restore, which involves the identification of the extinct species’ genomic blueprint using a combination of pangenomics and comparative genomics, with the ultimate goal of restoring the passenger pigeon's ecological role in North America's Eastern forests.

Guido Gallo is a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Prof. Lucio Conti at University of Milan. He is currently using genomic approaches in Arabidopsis and tomato to understand how ABA signalling is integrated during vegetative to reproductive growth and how this affects yield traits, stress responses and adaptability. His previous research project focused on barn swallow genomics and pangenomics, aiming to elucidate the genomic landscape of this iconic species, in particular identifying the genetic basis of phenotypic, behavioural and phenological traits.

Chiara Barbieri is an assistant professor (RTD-B) in genetics at the University of Cagliari, affiliated with the University of Zurich, where she leads the research group “Human genetic diversity across languages and cultures”. She studies demographic signatures of human migration, diffusion and contact, with multidisciplinary studies that involve archaeology, cultural evolution, and especially linguistics. 

Claudio Ottoni is an evolutionary biologist with a research focus on ancient DNA as a tool for reconstructing the history of human and animal populations. By integrating genetic data with archaeological and biomolecular evidence, his work explores the processes of animal domestication and the evolution of ancient microorganisms. Since April 2021, he has been an Associate Professor of Molecular Anthropology at the Department of Biology of the University of Rome Tor Vergata, where his current research focuses on cat domestication. 

Clàudia Fontserè is an evolutionary biologist, currently working at the GLOBE Institute (University of Copenhagen) as a Marie Curie postdoctoral fellow. Her research has spanned multiple species, including various primates, whooping crane, and wolves, focusing on their genetic diversity, population dynamics and evolutionary history. She focuses on conservation through the use of genetic tools, assessing inbreeding levels, population connectivity, genetic load, and gene-flow in wild and captive populations. She has applied those methods to modern and historical samples (temporal series) and to non-invasively collected samples. By integrating genomics into conservation strategies, her work contributes to understanding the genetic health of endangered populations and informing measures to preserve their long-term viability. 

Elisabetta Boglich Perasti has over 26 years of experience in the design and management of European funds. In her professional activity at the University of Trieste, she specialized in research funding at the European, national, and international levels. Additionally, she has provided consultancy and support throughout all phases of European project submission (identifying relevant calls, assisting in project structuring, and drafting project budgets). Since January 2025, she has been working as a Research Manager at the University of Ferrara, where she provides consultancy in the design, management, and financial reporting of research projects funded at the national, European, and international levels.

Heidi C. Hauffe is a permanent Senior Researcher at the Fondazione E. Mach (FEM), where she also led the Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology from 2011-2021. Her group is specialized in the analysis of environmental (non-invasive) DNA, working closely with wildlife offices to apply practical conservation genetics and genomics to the management of large carnivores, freshwater fish and hunted species, as well as developing protocols to measure amphibian genetic diversity from water samples, and mammalian diet, gut flora and pathogens from faecal samples, using many of the currently available NGS technologies. Throughout her career, she has tutored PhD students and postdocs from various Italian and international Universities, including five MSCA Fellows. She has been team leader and partner in a number of EU-funded projects.

Mirko Martini is a PhD candidate enrolled in the Science of Earth, Life, and Environmental Sciences program. He studies mito-nuclear interactions and their potential relationship with aging. During the course, Mirko will guide you through the UNIX system and show you the strenghts of GitHub.

Federico Plazzi is an assistant professor (RTD-B) at the Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences. Alongside his research activity, Federico has taken part in several dissemination projects, from the publication of the comic volume The Evolution Issue to the development of the scientific board game Endless Evolution. During the Naturalistic Board Game Night, Federico will talk about how board games can be used to disseminate science and will let you try some of the most enjoyable board game with a nature theme.