Biography

As a former PhD student at the Scuola Normale Superiore, I am glad to be back in Pisa after almost eight years abroad. During this time, my research has focused on killifish, in particular Nothobranchius furzeri, investigating diapause, development, reproduction, and the mechanisms of aging.

Throughout my postdoctoral years, I trained and worked at the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing (Germany), the Medical University of Vienna (Austria), and the biotechnology company Epiterna (Spain). During this time, I integrated experimental biology with cutting-edge technologies to investigate how lifespan and healthspan can be modulated through environmental, genetic, and pharmacological interventions.

Research Focus

Our current research aims to understand how external factors, such as altered light cycles or spectral composition, as would occur on other planets, affect growth trajectories, behavioral patterns, and aging dynamics. We are also exploring how exposure to specific signaling molecules during early developmental windows can produce long-lasting physiological effects, ultimately influencing the rate of aging and the organism’s longevity. Another major line of research concerns maternal effects: how parental diet and physiological status can epigenetically program offspring lifespan and healthspan.

To support these studies, we place strong emphasis on technological innovation. Ongoing work focuses on the development of custom experimental platforms that combine electronics, 3D printing, and automation to create scalable, standardized, and welfare-conscious aquatic housing systems. These systems not only increase experimental reproducibility and reduce operator bias but also significantly lower labor demands.

Among our innovations is a modular, space-efficient aquarium system specifically designed for individual killifish housing (NothoSPAN), equipped with automated feeding, water monitoring, and video-based behavior tracking. These tools are essential to acquire continuous, high-resolution data for the analysis of behavioral biomarkers of aging, health, and disease onset.