Main Focus
My research interest lies in understanding the fitness consequences of metabolic adjustments in response to different types of challenges, such as extreme temperatures or intense workload. Specifically, I investigate how different stressors can alter an organism's energy balance across life-history stages, especially during growth, and what long-term consequences these adjustments may have. To address this, I measure physiological parameters, including mitochondrial bioenergetics, telomere dynamics, and redox status, in wild and captive birds with diverse life-history traits. I also consider behavioral traits and performance, such as the exploration of new environments and flight performance during homing and foraging, using remote tracking devices (GPS and accelerometers).
Curriculum Vitae
Professional positions
08/2014 - present: Research scientist. Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence (formerly Max Planck Institute for Ornithology), Department of Evolutionary Physiology (Group Hau). P.I. DFG project 2017-2018
2012-2014: Marie Curie FWO Fellow, University of Antwerp. Belgium
2008-2011: Marie Curie ERG Fellow, University of Parma. Italy
2006-2008: Marie Curie EIF Fellow, University of Groningen, Netherlands
2004-2005: Post-doc, University of Parma, Italy
2003: Post-doc, Association Ornis Italica, Rome, Italy
2000-2003: PhD student, University of Parma, Italy
Academic appointments and editorial activity
2022 - present: Associate editor of Journal of Avian Biology
2019 - 2022: Member of the Flanders Research Foundation
(FWO) board Research Funding Panel Bio 3 (Biodiversity and Ecology). FWO
Board of Trustees, Brussels