Our Scientists
PROJECT LEADER
Prof. Elena Pettinelli
Manage all financial, organizational and scientific aspects. She will be responsible of reporting, scheduling, budget, conflict management, troubleshooting, travel organization and meeting organization, as well as design and managing lab experiments and coordination of the different scientific/technical aspects of the WPs activities. Full Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Physics at Roma Tre University, she conducts research in planetary geophysics, with a focus on the electromagnetic characterization of Martian soil simulants and radar data inversion techniques. She has received numerous international awards and published 115 scientific works, including 4 in Science and 3 book chapters. She is the Director of the Master's program in Science Communication and Scientific Research (COMRIS). She has contributed to several projects, including the ESA JUICE (JUpiter ICy moons Explorer) mission, launched in 2023.
COORDINATOR LABORATORY ACTIVITY
Ph.D Barbara Cosciotti
Technician responsible of the laboratory, will coordinate the laboratory activity in all WPs activities of the SWIM project. Barbara Cosciotti graduated in Physics (110/110) at the University of Roma Tre in 2010 and obtained PhD in Physics, with excellent judgment, in 2014 at the University of Roma Tre. Technician in the EPPLab (Earth Planetary and Physics Lab) of the Mathematics and Physics, University of Roma Tre. Consolidated experience on intense experimental activity in the laboratory and in the field. Wide specialization in dielectric and magnetic spectroscopy (20 Hz – 6.5 GHz) of geomaterials simulating terrestrial and planetary analogues such as ice with dusts, salts and acids, rock materials, magnetic materials (hematite and magnetite), clays and meteorites as a function of temperature up to cryogenic conditions, in the framework of planetary mission.
CO-SUPERVISOR
Prof. Elisabetta Mattei
Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Physics at Roma Tre University, her research focuses on dielectric and Raman spectroscopy for the characterization of materials simulating the crusts and surfaces of bodies in the solar system. She is a member of several scientific teams involved in ESA and NASA space missions (MRO, ExoMars, and JUICE), contributing through the measurement and modeling of the electromagnetic properties of simulants, the development of new radar systems, and the interpretation of data acquired by operational radars. She has received several awards for her scientific work and is the author of approximately 90 publications, the most significant of which is related to the discovery of liquid water beneath the south polar ice cap of Mars.
CO-SUPERVISOR
Prof. Sebastian Emanuel
Lauro
Co-supervision of cells design, implementation and testing (WP1 and WP2) and dielectric modelling (WP3 and WP4). Associate Professor at the Department of Mathematics and Physics, University of Roma Tre. His research focuses on the analysis of radar signals in terrestrial and planetary contexts, through the development of electromagnetic inversion methods for studying the subsurface of Earth, the Moon, Mars, Venus, and Jupiter's icy moons. He also works on the development and implementation of techniques for measuring the electromagnetic properties of materials in the frequency domain. He is a member of scientific teams involved in various ESA and NASA space missions (MEX, MRO, JUICE, ENVISION). He has received several awards for his scientific work and is the author of approximately 80 publications. Among his most notable contributions is the discovery of liquid water beneath the southern polar ice cap of Mars.
CO-SUPERVISOR
Prof. Fabio Cammarano
He will focus on thermal models of the subsurface at both local and broader scales. Associate Professor of Geophysics at the Department of Sciences, Roma Tre University, he employs an interdisciplinary approach combining seismological and geophysical data, mineral physics, and geodynamics to study the interior of the Earth and other planetary bodies. His research has been conducted at prestigious institutions (PhD and IEF Marie Curie Post-doc at ETH Zurich, post-doc at the Berkeley Seismological Lab, Associate Professor and Sapere-Aude Danish Foundation Research Leader at the University of Copenhagen), and he has participated in numerous international projects. He has published 45 scientific papers, which have received 1,845 citations (source: SCOPUS, Google Scholar: 2,477 citations).
CO-SUPERVISOR
Prof. Paola Gallo
Co-supervision of Simulations: of aqueous solutions/ice interface and aqueous solutions phase diagram for WP2 and of brine rejection for WP3. Full Professor of theoretical condensed matter physics at the Department of Mathematics and Physics of the University Roma Tre where she leads the group of simulations on liquids, disordered systems and soft matter. Her research activity is in computer simulations of simple and complex fluids, glasses, soft matter and disordered systems and especially water under extreme conditions: supercooled, superheated, under pressure, and in confinement and in solutions. During her career she has contributed to the understanding of the dynamical and thermodynamical behavior of this fascinating liquid. She is author of more than 130 publications. She has published papers on high impact factor journals like Science and Nature Communications and she has co-authored a book "Physics of Liquid Matter", Ed. Springer (2021). She has presented the results of her research as invited speaker in more than 50 conferences, schools and workshops and she has organized as chairperson several scientific workshops and congresses on water under extreme conditions. Several of her former alumni and post-docs now hold research positions or research-related positions of different kind in Europe and USA. She is and has been member of national commissions (ASN and GEV-VQR).
CO-SUPERVISOR
Prof. Laura Lupi
Co-supervision of molecular dynamics simulation of aqueous solution/ice interface and phase diagram modelling. (WP2 and WP3). Associate Professor at the Department of Mathematics and Physics, at Roma Tre University. Her research activity focuses on the study of condensed matter through molecular dynamics simulations, path sampling techniques and free energy calculations. In particular, her research topis span from nucleation and growth of ice in bulk and in solution, to structure and dynamics of supercooled water in bulk and in solutions, and to the study of soft matter for drug delivery. She is author of approximately 30 publications, one of which in Nature. Among the most important contributions the discovery that nucleation through stacking disordered ice is faster than through hexagonal ice, with significant implications in clouds modelling.
Dissemination and communication
Prof. Marta Perrotta
Dissemination and communication. Together with the Principal Investigator Elena Pettinelli, Marta Perrotta will be responsible of the dissemination and communication aspects of the project (WP5), with three main goals: encouraging STEM Careers, particularly among girls; raising awareness about publicly funded research on space exploration; enhancing the project's visibility and utility through open-access publications, conferences, and reports. Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy, Communication and Performance at Roma Tre University, she researches digital media and broadcasting cultures, with a focus on sound media and science communication. She has numerous publications on contemporary radio and television to her credit. She directs Roma Tre Radio, a web station of Roma Tre University. She is the Rector's Delegate for Communication and Institutional Promotion. She has participated in several European projects including WePod, (www.wepodproject.eu), funded by Creative Europe, and coordinates the research network Donne in onda, which investigates the relationship between women and the radio medium (www.donneinonda.eu).
POST DOC
Gabriele Turchetti
PhD candidate at Roma Tre University. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Physics from Roma Tre University and his Master’s degree in Astrophysics from the Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna. Hs research focuses on the characterization of the dielectric properties of the analogues of the crust of Jovian icy moons at radar frequencies. He also works on the development and analysis of thermal models of the internal structure of icy crusts of Jovian satellites.
PhD Student
Flavia Cimbolli Spagnesi
PhD student. Flavia Cimbolli Spagnesi obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics (2022) at La Sapienza University of Rome and in Physics (2024) at Roma Tre University, where she also earned a Master’s degree in Physics (2025). Her work is focused on combining micro-CT images with dielectric measurements at low/high frequencies to assess the radar properties of pure water ice.
POST DOC
Benoît Jabaud
Benoît Jabaud received the Planetology and Space Exploration degree from Paris Saclay University (France) in 2020, and the Ph.D. in Planetary Sciences from Nantes University (France) in 2023. He obtained a postdoctoral position with Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS, France) in 2024, and became a postdoctoral fellow at Roma Tre University in 2025. His research activity is primarily focused on the study of various properties of water ice in the context of the Solar System exploration, mainly the surface of the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn. Through the development of experiments and instruments measuring mechanical properties of water ice in planetary conditions (low temperature), and by simulating surface and sub-surface icy materials to obtain precise laboratory characterisation, he aims at a better global understanding of the properties of the icy crust of the moons. These laboratory activities are related to the interpretation of previous and future orbital or in situ data acquired on icy planetary bodies of the Solar System. His work is rooted in the dynamics of ongoing space missions, notably JUICE and Europa Clipper, which will provide valuable data for understanding the crusts of the icy moons and will require accurate models in order to be correctly interpreted.
PhD student
Dario Galleana
PhD student, Dario Galleana curates the project’s dissemination through scientific podcasting. His research focuses on scientific and educational podcasting, with a specific interest in empowering young women in STEM careers through participatory academic podcasting. His methodology integrates ethnography and audience studies within a feminist and reflexive framework. As a sound artist and podcast producer, he researches immersive audio to empower marginalised voices through participatory action research. Dario is a PhD candidate in Cultures, Practices and Technologies of Cinema, Media, Music, Theatre and Dance at Roma Tre University. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Intercultural Communication and a Master’s degree in Sociology from the University of Turin. He is currently enrolled in the II-level Master’s course in Science and Scientific Research Communication (ComRis) at Roma Tre University. He is a member of several international associations for sound studies, among which are FKL Forum Klanglandschaft and the Sound+ Network.
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