About Me

Work experience

  • 2022-present: Assistant Professor, Carnegie Mellon University, PA, USA
  • 2021-2022: NASA Einstein Fellow, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
  • 2018-2021: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, IL, USA 
  • 2019-2021: Associate Fellow, University of Chicago, IL, USA

Leadership Roles

  • PI (with Igor Andreoni) of the DECam GW follow-up survey during the LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA O4 run (2023B-851374, evolved from allocated standard programs 2022B-715089, PI Palmese and 2022B-922046, PI Andreoni & Palmese): GW-MMADS: Gravitational Wave Multi-Messenger Astronomy DECam Survey
  • 2021-2024: PI (with Lifan Wang) of “DESIRT: DECam Survey of Intermediate-Redshift Transients” (Proposals ID NOIRLab 2021A-0148, 2022A-388025, 2022B-297190,2023A-881453, 2023B-735801)
  • 2022-present: Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Multi-messenger astronomy and cosmology Topical Group co-lead
  • 2019-2022: DESI Transients and Low-redshift Cosmology working group co-chair
  • 2021-2023: DESI-II Time Domain task force co-lead
  • 2019-2022: Dark Energy Survey (DES) Galaxy evolution & quasars working group co-chair
  • Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) Multi-messenger/multi-band astronomy work package – Survey science team lead

Education

  • Ph. D. in Astrophysics (2014-2018), University College London, UK
    • Thesis: “Unveiling the unseen with the Dark Energy Survey: gravitational waves and dark matter”
    • Supervisors: Prof. Ofer Lahav and Dr. Felipe Abdalla
  • Master in Astronomy and Astrophysics (2011-2013),La Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
    • Grading 110/110 cum laude
    • Thesis: “Future constraints on cosmological parameters for DES” Supervisors: Prof. Alessandro Melchiorri and Dr. Luca Pagano
  • B.S. in Physics (2008-2011), La Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
    • Grading 110/110 cum laude, Advanced Course (top 10% Physics students)
    • Dissertation title: “Standard Cosmological Model’s paradoxes and Inflation”
    • Supervisors: Dr. Giovanni Montani and Dr. Massimiliano Lattanzi

Awards & Grants

  • PI of NASA LISA Preparatory Science Grant, “Studying LISA sources using DESI and LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA”, 687k$, 2023-2026
  • PI of NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Grant: “Probing the Universe’s expansion and gravitational wave sources with ground-based optical telescopes”, $465,000, 2023-2026
  • Leonardo Da Vinci Award for Physics, Italian/Italian American early career researchers in the San Francisco Bay Area who distinguished themselves, 1000$
  • Partner investigator of Australian Research Council Discovery Project Grant, “A Space Odyssey: Exploring the Universe with Gravitational-Wave Sirens”, 2022
  • Berkeley Physics Innovators funding for 2 undergraduate students and mentor, 2022
  • Co-PI of US Department of Energy (DOE) Visiting Faculty Program, “Artificial Intelligence for Gravitational Waves”, 2021
  • Fermilab Exceptional Performance Recognition Award for the innovative use of the DES data in gravitational wave standard siren measurements, 1600$, 2020
  • Runner–up for Royal Astronomical Society Michael Penston Prize for best Astronomy doctoral thesis in the UK, 2018
  • URA Scholar Award to do research in collaboration at Fermilab, 2016-2017
  • Enrico Persico award from Accademia dei Lincei for best 2014 Astrophysics Masters in Italy, awarded by the President of Italy, 2014
  • “Excellent graduated student at Sapienza” (Laureata eccellente Sapienza), 2014
  • “Women, gender: Sapienza”, award to women who distinguished themselves during university career, 2014
  • “Advanced Course” merit scholarship from Sapienza, Tuition fee paid, 2009 – 2011
  • Erasmus scholarship from Sapienza, Erasmus integration from Laziodisu, 2010
  • Merit scholarship from Laziodisu, 2010

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