During my Bachelor's degree in biotechnology at the University of Padova, I was fascinated by genetics and virology. This led me to continue my studies with a Master's degree in Medical biotechnologies. My thesis was focused on third generation lentiviral vectors for the delivery of a Cas9-gRNAs construct to target the proviral DNA of HIV-1. This work allowed me to better understand retroviruses and gain vital experience in a laboratory setting.

I am conducting my PhD in Kofler's group and I will focus on the invasion dynamics of transposable elements. I will perform in vivo experiments obtaining data from novel invasions in Drosophila populations and in silico by designing and running simulations. I aim to improve our overall understanding of transposable element's evolution and their interaction with host defence mechanisms, in particular piRNAs.