[DOTTORATO] Dottorandi GA (31)

Venerdì, 07 Marzo 2025 10:51

Tomei Alessio

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alessio.tomei@phd.unipi.it

Alessio Tomei is a PhD candidate in Geosciences and Environment, at the University of Pisa. Since the start of his of his studies, he has developed a passion for science, particularly chemistry, geology, biology, and environmental issues. His academic focus has been on the on degradation of cultural heritage stones and on environmental monitoring and quality assessment of water, sediments, and soil, using chemical and geochemical analyses. In his master thesis, he investigated the pollution of Chirchik and Akhangaran rivers, located in the Tahskent region, a complex and urbanized region of Uzbekistan.
His PhD project aims to develop an integrated isotopic fingerprinting method that combines hydrogeochemistry, isotope hydrology and the analysis of Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs). Particularly, CECs will integrate the analyses of 15N-NH4 and Tritium to detect groundwater contamination from on-site wastewater leakage and off-site intrusion from nearby potential pollution sources. This research could contribute to future integration of CECs and environmental isotopes in monitoring guidelines for surface and groundwater in areas with mixed sources. To explore this, he will study a wastewater treatment plant that receives waste and leachate from various sources.
B. Sc. in Natural and Environmental Sciences awarded in 2022 with the thesis: “Saline Crystallization on stones: Sodium Sulphate action on Marbles, Calcarenites and Sandstones” M. Sc. in Environmental Sciences awarded in 2024 with the thesis: “Quality assessment of Chirchik and Akhangaran river basin, Uzbekistan”. 


RESEARCH INTEREST 
  • Environmental Geochemistry
  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Isotope Hydrology
  • Water monitoring
  • Emerging pollutants

Research project: Integrated isotopic fingerprinting protocol development to recognize wastewater contamination derived from wastewater treatment plants.

Supervisors:

Professor Viviana Re (DST-UNIPI)
Dr Brunella Raco (CNR-IGG)
Dr Raffaele Battaglini (Terre Logiche s.r.l.)


Alessio Tomei

Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra
Università di Pisa
Via Santa Maria 53
56126 Pisa
Italia

Venerdì, 07 Marzo 2025 10:51

Pascucci Giulio

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giulio.pascucci@phd.unipi.it

I’m a PhD candidate in Seismology/Geophysics at the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Pisa. My research focuses on developing advanced methodologies for microseismic data analysis using Distributed Fiber-Optic Sensing (DFOS/DAS) technology. Specifically, my goal is to enhance DFOS-based microseismic monitoring techniques for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) operations. My PhD work is part of the EU-funded HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (Project name: GeoHEAT; Grant agreement ID: 101147571), under the task “AI aided processing of drilling induced microseismicity in real-time”.
During my MSc thesis, I developed a denoising algorithm for borehole DAS-recorded microseismic data, particularly in the context of the offshore Ravenna CCS project with ENI S.p.A, where I collaborated during a 3-month internship. During this time, I supported DAS data acquisition and processing efforts, gaining valuable insights into real-world project management and operations while enhancing problem-solving skills.
As an additional experience during my Master’s program, I completed another internship at SLB (Schlumberger), where I further developed my seismic data processing skills by automating workflows, such as noise attenuation, using Python scripts, and collaborating closely with a diverse, multidisciplinary R&D team.
Overall, these experiences in leading companies sparked my curiosity in research and ultimately led me to pursue a PhD.
I hold a BSc in Earth Sciences (2022) and a MSc in Exploration and Applied Geophysics at University of Pisa (Cum Laude, 2024) from the University of Pisa. My MSc thesis was titled: “Signal Enhancement of Microseismic Data with Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS): Applications in CCS Monitoring”. 


RESEARCH INTEREST 
  • Distributed Fiber-Optic Sensing
  • Seismology
  • Microseismic monitoring
  • Induced Seismicity
  • Signal Processing
  • Machine Learning

Research project: Development of new methodologies for the characterization of induced seismicity in geothermal environments.

Supervisors:

Professor Francesco Grigoli (DST-UNIPI)
Professor Stefan Wiemer (SED-ETHZ)
Dr Alice Pozzoli (ENI S.p.A)


Giulio Pascucci

Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra
Università di Pisa
Via Santa Maria 53
56126 Pisa
Italia

Venerdì, 07 Marzo 2025 10:40

Mulè Federica

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federica.mule@phd.unipi.it

My Ph.D. project aims to propose a palaeoenvironmental-palaeoclimatic reconstruction of the coastal environments of the Tuscan Pliocene through the studying of fossil record with a multidisciplinary approach.
Some scholars have proposed the Pliocene climate as an analog of that that will characterize the Mediterranean area in the (not-so-far) future. In this basin the ecosystems are dealing with a fierce variety of changes, due to a series of concauses, especially in coastal settings. As an effect of global warming, here the temperatures have increased +1.4°C since the late XIX, that is, significantly more than the global average (+1.1°C). In case of no decarbonization the temperatures are going to increase by an additional 1.5°C by 2050.
In this perspective, the study of Pliocene ecosystems might prove crucial for understanding the future patterns of Mediterranean biodiversity. The Tuscan Pliocene (central Italy) is home to a rich fossil record of vertebrates and invertebrates, mainly from the marine shallows.
Therefore, the Pliocene fossils from selected Tuscan localities (some of which are largely novel to science) are going to be studied from systematic and taphonomic points of view. Palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic inferences will be drawn based on quantitative palaeoecological methods (including geobiochemistry).
The results will be integrated with other records (sedimentology, micropalaeontology etc.) for refining the stratigraphic correlations between the Pliocene terrestrial and marine records, including a high-resolution reconstruction of the sea-level variations witnessed by the analyzed successions. Ultimately, the project promises to result in the elaboration of a reliable reference point for envisioning the future climatic and environmental evolution of the Mediterranean region, and especially of its coastal quarters, as global and regional warming progresses.


RESEARCH INTEREST 
  • Palaeoecology
  • Taphonomy
  • Paleoclimatology
  • Biochemistry
  • Zooarchaeology

Research project: : Integrated palaeoenvironmental-palaeoclimatic reconstruction of the coastal environments of the Tuscan Pliocene: implications for the future evolution of the Mediterranean region.

Supervisors:

Professor Giovanni Bianucci (DST-UNIPI)
Professor Alberto Collareta (DST-UNIPI)
Dr Luca Pandolfi (DST-UNIPI)


Federica Mulè

Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra
Università di Pisa
Via Santa Maria 53
56126 Pisa
Italia

Venerdì, 07 Marzo 2025 10:40

Halfhill Jane

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jane.halfhill@phd.unipi.it

Jane Halfhill is a PhD student in the Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra at the Università di Pisa, specializing in computational modelling, volcanic hazards, and fluid dynamics. Her current research focuses on explosive phreatic scenarios for the Campi Flegrei, a restless caldera in southern Italy with an active history including hydrothermal and seismic events. By integrating subsurface imaging, 3D multiphase numerical simulations, and fieldwork, she aims to improve hazard assessments related to explosive events. Her work involves mapping the newly identified Santa Maria Delle Grazie eruption, collecting geologic data through lab work, and refining computational models to better predict the extent of pyroclastic flows and ballistic impacts. Through this research, Jane seeks to contribute to risk mitigation strategies for the densely populated areas surrounding the caldera.
In 2023, she was awarded a nine-month grant through the U.S. Student Fulbright Open Research Program at the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia - Sezione di Pisa with Dr. Mattia de' Michieli Vitturi to develop two- and three-dimensional models of the Campi Flegrei caldera, exploring pyroclastic density currents and phreatic scenarios. She earned her Master of Science in Geosciences from the State University of New York, University at Buffalo in 2023, with the thesis, "3D Tectonic Model of the Boso Triple Junction". In 2021, she completed her Bachelor of Science in Geology at Arizona State University. Beyond research, Jane volunteers weekly with Portofranco Pisa - a nonprofit tutoring service for high school students. In her free time, she enjoys rock climbing, hiking, and knitting.


RESEARCH INTEREST 
  • Volcanology
  • Numerical Modelling
  • Fieldwork
  • Fluid Dynamics

Research project: Investigation of phreatic/hydrothermal explosive events as possible future eruptive scenarios at Campi Flegrei caldera.

Supervisors:

Dr Mattia de' Michieli Vitturi (INGV Pisa)
Professor Marco Pistolesi (DST-UNIPI)
Dr Roberto Isaia (INGV Osservatorio Vesuviano)


Jane Halfhill

Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra
Università di Pisa
Via Santa Maria 53
56126 Pisa
Italia

Giovedì, 01 Febbraio 2024 08:16

Freitas Pio De Azevedo Bruno

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bruno.piodeazevedo@phd.unipi.it

Bruno Freitas Pio de Azevedo is a PhD student in Geosciences and Environment at the Earth Sciences Department of the University of Pisa. His research is titled "Development, characterization, and application of modified zeolites for the removal of emerging contaminants from water." This research is part of the PNRR project and focuses on addressing one of the most pressing environmental issues today: water quality. In a world where clean water is essential for human health and ecosystems, finding efficient and sustainable methods for filtering emerging contaminants has become a priority.
Zeolites, a class of naturally occurring minerals, have proven to be extraordinary materials for water filtration due to their unique properties. They are highly versatile and possess a porous structure that allows them to selectively absorb pollutants. This flexibility enables them to adapt to the evolving challenges posed by new and emerging pollutants in water systems. By modifying these materials, we are able to enhance their efficiency in removing harmful substances from water, which is crucial in ensuring safe drinking water and protecting aquatic ecosystems.
The project, which is co-funded by DND Biotech, also focuses on the rapid growth and development of zeolite applications for water treatment. This collaboration between academia and industry not only advances scientific knowledge but also helps bring practical solutions to the water treatment industry. As the project continues to progress, it promises to contribute to more efficient and sustainable water purification methods, ensuring that the materials used are well-suited for integration into existing water treatment systems and capable of addressing future challenges.
Through this work, Bruno’s research not only sheds light on the potential of zeolites but also emphasizes the importance of innovation in water treatment technologies. Given the growing global demand for clean water, developing materials that are effective, adaptable, and easy to scale up is critical for securing water resources for present and future generations.


RESEARCH INTEREST 
  • Water filtration
  • Geochemical interaction
  • Contamination dynamics in the environment
  • Environmental matrices monitoring and analysis

Research project: Development, characterization, and application of modified zeolites for the removal of emerging contaminants from water.

Supervisors:

Professor Enrico Mugnaioli (DST-UNIPI)


Bruno Freitas Pio de Azevedo

Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra
Università di Pisa
Via Santa Maria 53
56126 Pisa
Italia

Giovedì, 01 Febbraio 2024 08:16

Cheli Giulia

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giulia.cheli@phd.unipi.it

I am an environmental scientist specializing in paleoclimatic reconstruction of the Quaternary period. I graduated in Environmental Science from the University of Pisa in 2022, with a thesis focused on the 4.2 ka event in the central Mediterranean area. My research involved the study of four speleothems from Sarmidda Cave and Predargiu Cave (Sardinia, Italy), Stiffe Cave (Abruzzo, Italy), and Momichek Cave (Macedonia). Currently, I am pursuing a PhD in Geosciences and Environment at the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Pisa. The title of my project is “Paleoclimatic reconstruction of the last glacial period in Eurasia through speleothems: implications for the extinction of the Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalensis)” with the main aims to reconstruct the climate of the last glacial period, specifically between 60,000 and 20,000 years ago, in the Eurasian region using proxy data from speleothems. This study is important because it offers new insights into the climate and environmental conditions that coincided with the extinction of Homo neanderthalensis, which occurred around 45,000 to 30,000 years ago. This research is part of the ERC-Synergy 2024 project "LAST NEANDERTHALS" and follows a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach. The goal is to provide new, high-resolution cultural, biological, and environmental data, offering a fresh perspective on the population dynamics of the last Neanderthals and providing a comprehensive explanation of the mechanisms behind their extinction. The study emphasizes the need for collaboration across Earth Sciences and Historical-Anthropological disciplines to understand how climate change influenced the behaviour and evolution of human communities in the past, particularly Homo neanderthalensis. The findings from past periods can also help make projections about the evolution of our species in the context of current and future global climate changes. 


RESEARCH INTEREST 
  • Isotopic paleoclimatology
  • Geochronology of continental sediments
  • Speleology and exploration of karst systems
  • Environmental geochemistry of karst systems
  • Palaeoanthropology

Research project: Paleoclimatic reconstruction of the last glacial period in Eurasia through speleothems: implications for the extinction of the Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalensis).

Supervisors:

Dr Andrea Columbu (DST-UNIPI)
Professor Giovanni Zanchetta (DST-UNIPI


Giulia Cheli

Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra
Università di Pisa
Via Santa Maria 53
56126 Pisa
Italia

Giovedì, 01 Febbraio 2024 08:16

Amabile Francesca

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francesca.amabile@phd.unipi.it

Francesca Amabile is a PhD student in Geosciences and Environment at the Earth Sciences Department of the University of Pisa. She has got many passions such as nature, animals, sports, trekking and structural-geology from meso to micro scale. Her research project is based on the reconstruction of the tectono-metamorphic history of the Variscan basement of Corsica (France), in particular in the areas of Fautea-Solenzara and Porto Vecchio. The combination of structural-geological and petrological methods with geochronological analysis will allow the P-T-d-t paths to be reconstructed for each metamorphic complex. By comparing these paths, it will be possible to reconstruct a geodynamic model for this part of the Variscan basement and compare it with another analogue portions of the basement of the southern European Variscan belt. She graduated in Geological Sciences and Technologies at the University of Pisa in 2024 with a thesis focused on tectono-metamorphic evolution of the Variscan basement of the Fautea-Favone Metamorphic Complex (Corsica, France). BSc in Earth Sciences at the University of Pisa in 2021 with a thesis titled: “Vene e mineralizzazioni nelle torbiditi delle unità liguri interne (App. Sett.): analisi isotopica e geologico – strutturale”. 


RESEARCH INTEREST 
  • Structural geology
  • High-grade metamorphic rocks
  • Variscan belt
  • Partitioning deformation
  • Ductile to brittle deformation
  • Thermodynamic modeling

Research project: The Southern Variscan belt in Corsica (France): new structural and thermo-baric constraints from the Solenzara-Fautea and Porto Vecchio complexes.

Supervisors:

Professor Chiara Frassi (DST-UNIPI)
Professor Gisella Rebay (UNIPV)
Professor Laurent Godin (Queen’s University, Ontario, Canada)


Francesca Amabile

Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra
Università di Pisa
Via Santa Maria 53
56126 Pisa
Italia

Giovedì, 01 Febbraio 2024 08:16

Zambelli Barbara

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b.zambelliazevedo@studenti.unipi.it

I'm a Brazilian hydrogeologist with a speleology background. I have worked with speleology (mostly) within environmental licensing in Brazil for almost 10 years. As a geologist, I’m very interested in interdisciplinary and applied research. This motivates me to engage with geoethics and science communication, in both national and international levels.
Since water is our most basic human need and most of the liquid freshwater is underground, hydrogeology was an opportunity to match geology with the needs of society. Thus, I’ve got involved in projects regarding gender and groundwater in Brazil (NUCAT/UNESCO), and about the inclusion of marginalised rural communities in Laos and Cambodia through sustainable groundwater access and use (IWMI). From 2022, I’m part of the Socio-hydrogeology Network (IAH) as Task Team Leader for Gender and Groundwater.
My PhD project at UNIPI is part of the project "PlasticUnderground (Integrated Cross-Sectoral Solutions to Micro- and Nanoplastic Pollution in soil and Groundwater Ecosystems)", funded under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (Project: 101072777 - PlasticUndergorund - HORIZON -MSCA-2021-DN-01). My research aims at contributing to understanding the impact of micro- and nanoplastic (MnP) contamination in groundwater and assessing the risk perception of such pollution on local communities. The project is characterised by being highly inter- and transdisciplinary. It includes the development of a stakeholder analysis and public engagement of groundwater users focused on MnP pollution. At the same time, develop a groundwater quality monitoring program to assess the occurrence of MnP at catchment scale, including sampling and measurement of major and trace elements, stable isotopes, emerging contaminants, and MnP analysis. The results will be used to develop an integrated analysis of risk perception on the actual presence of microplastics in groundwater in highly stressed aquifers.
MSc. in Geological Engineering at the Federal University of Ouro Preto (Brazil), with a sandwich year at University College Cork (Ireland), 2017. Thesis: The role of Geology in Ouro Preto’s development; Supervisor: Paulo de Tarso A. Castro.
MSc. in Groundwater Management at the Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg (Germany), 2023. Thesis: Modelling of groundwater flow to figure out groundwater productivity in the sub-catchments of the Corrente River Basil (Urucuia Aquifer System), Western Bahia, Brazil; Supervisors: Carsten Drebendstedt, Nils Hoth, Johanes Vianney.


RESEARCH INTEREST 
  • Socio-hydrogeology
  • Microplastics in groundwater
  • Hydrogeochemistry
  • Karst studies

Research project: Socio-hydrogeological assessment of MnP occurrence in groundwater.

Supervisors:

Professor Viviana Re (DST-UNIPI)
Professor Roberto Giannecchini (UNIPI)
Professor Stefan Krause (University of Birmingham).


Barbara Zambelli Azevedo

Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra
Università di Pisa
Via Santa Maria 53
56126 Pisa
Italia

Giovedì, 01 Febbraio 2024 08:16

Terranova Edoardo

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edoardo.terranova@phd.unipi.it

Ph.D. Student in Geoscience and Environment at the Earth Science Department at University of Pisa. My PhD project aims to address the delay in the preservation of paleontological geosites by professionals in the field, developing measures to enhance the "ex situ" heritage (specimens stored in museum collections) and measures to protect the "in situ" heritage (outcropping or sub-outcropping fossiliferous rocks), with the goal of integrating ex situ and in situ heritage into a comprehensive conservation and valorisation plan.
Pisa Province and its paleontological heritage represent an ideal “open-air laboratory” for the implementation of this project. The approach will include both basic research and applied palaeontology and the main research activities will focus on:
- the revision and improvement of the atlas of Palaeontological Sites of the Province of Pisa;
- the elaboration of strategies of "preventive palaeontology" aimed at the conservation of the in situ heritage using GIS software;
- the digitisation of the main fossil outcrops and the corresponding ex situ palaeontological assets using structured light scanning and drone photogrammetry;
- the promotion of palaeontological localities of prime national or international interest through the collection and analysis of new fossils and the revision of historical specimens.
My academic background has mainly focused on taphonomy, specifically the preservation of organic tissues such as feathers in fossils. This was the main topic of my B.Sc. degree and M.Sc. at “Sapienza” University of Rome, first with a thesis on “Fossil evidence of feathers origin and evolution during the Mesozoic” and then with the thesis “The fossil vulture (Gyps fulvus) from the Late Pleistocene of Alban Hills (Latium, Italy): organic tissues analysis and taphonomy”.
After the University, I worked in different museums as a collection manager. During the fellowship at MUST (Museo Universitario di Scienze della Terra) in the Department of Earth Sciences of Sapienza University in Rome (Italy), I worked in the Paleontological collection, in particular I dealt with cataloguing the quaternary mammal fossils. Then I participated in the Regional competition TornoSubito Call for the Latium Region (Italy), with a project about the conservation and cataloguing of natural history collection in Italy and the role of naturalist in XXI century and I made a Work Experience at MUSE - Science Museum Trento and at Museo Civico di Zoologia di Roma. In my last experience at the Museo Civico di Zoologia di Roma, as a volunteer inside the Servizio Civile Universale (Civil Service), I worked on the Museum collections as a collection manager and a museum conservator. I have carried out an activity of monitoring, review and updating of systematics and taxonomic information of specimens. This work took place through the consultation of different online catalogs as paleobiodb.org and gbif.org.
My additional interests include Scientific Illustration and Science communication. 


RESEARCH INTEREST 
  • Palaeobiology
  • Palaeoecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Taphonomy
  • Systematics
  • Vertebrate Palaeontology
  • Comparative Anatomy
  • Natural History Collection
  • Collection management
  • Scientific Illustration

Research project: Preventive paleontology: the Pisa Province territory as a case study for the conservation and promotion of paleontological heritage.

Supervisors:

Dr Alberto Collareta (DST-UNIPI)
Professor Giovanni Bianucci (DST-UNIPI)


Edoardo Terranova

Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra
Università di Pisa
Via Santa Maria 53
56126 Pisa
Italia

Giovedì, 01 Febbraio 2024 08:16

Rincón Duran Felipe Luis

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felipe.rincon@phd.unipi.it

Felipe Rincón is a PhD student at the University of Pisa. He holds a Master's degree with honors in Exploration and Applied Geophysics from the same university. Since 2015, he has actively contributed to various geophysical projects for mineral exploration, hydrogeology, geotechnical characterization, environmental studies. His ongoing research focuses on advancing geophysical inversion algorithms, such as Full Waveform Inversion (FWI), Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW), and Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT). Moreover, his research delves into Deep Learning methods for inverting and processing geophysical data.
BSc in Engineering Geology at National University of Colombia, 2015.
PGCert in Geological Hazards at University of Geneva, 2018. MSc in Exploration and Applied Geophysics at University of Pisa (cum Laude), 2022. Thesis: Accelerating full-waveform inversion of surface waves through a properly trained Neural Network and Discrete Cosine Transform.


RESEARCH INTEREST 
  • Inverse problems
  • Deep learning
  • Full-Waveform Inversion
  • Resistivity and Induced Polarization Inversion
  • Geophysical modeling

Research project: Use of geophysical methods, inversion techniques and machine learning for the investigation of sites characterized by high degree of risk (e.g. landslides, sinkholes, landfills, embankments).

Supervisors:

Professor Mattia Aleardi (DST-UNIPI)
Professor Eusebio Stucchi (DST-UNIPI)
Professor Andrea Tognarelli (DST-UNIPI)


Felipe Rincón

Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra
Università di Pisa
Via Santa Maria 53
56126 Pisa
Italia

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