... obtained her Physics degree and PhD at the University of Bari. Since 2008, she has worked at CERN full time and finds herself at the forefront of efforts to obtain data under the ALICE experiment.

"Besides my fascination with research and discovery, what I enjoy most about Particle Physics is the opportunity to travel and live the life of the big laboratories. If you have never experienced it, you cannot possibly imagine what it means. Even as a PhD student, I did a great deal of travelling, seen so many new, exciting places, and met interesting people wherever I went. I even had the chance to meet Nobel Prize-winners, and see them eat at our canteen - the "main restaurant" in CERN slang - and sometimes they would put down their lunch tray or coffee at my same table. The world of physics thrives on dialogue, openness, and high-spirited discussions that would be unthinkable in any other context. CERN is a melting pot of famous scientists and young researchers, physicists and technicians, Hebrews and Palestinians, Muslims and Buddists. That is what makes it truly unique."