Research fellow

Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms Department

tel. 340.5394279

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Short CV

I earned my PhD in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology in 2024 from Sapienza University of Rome and the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, specializing in invertebrate zoology and, in particular, the evolution of corallivory in gastropods. I have gained extensive experience in molecular biology, data analysis, phylogenetics, metabarcoding, and microbiome studies, working in academic and museum research settings in Italy and abroad.
During my postdoctoral studies, I held several research fellowships at the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, the Smithsonian Institution, and Sapienza University of Rome. I have worked on projects on marine biodiversity, trophic specialization, benthic communities, and international scientific cooperation, working in multidisciplinary environments and often collaborating with international research groups. I have actively participated in conferences, workshops, and training activities, presenting oral and poster presentations and exploring advanced methods such as eDNA, metabarcoding, and phylogenetic techniques. I have had the opportunity to collaborate with natural history museums, particularly the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris, where I worked on modern and historical malacological collections. Throughout my career, I have received numerous awards and competitive funding to support my research projects in evolutionary biology and malacology, as well as recognition in the field of scientific dissemination. In addition to my research, I have taught as a zoology tutor for students.
My skills include laboratory techniques (DNA extraction and sequencing, phylogenomics, microbiome analysis) and bioinformatics tools (R, QGIS, Geneious).

Work Tasks

Research fellow for the project “Assessment of the molecular diversity of benthic taxa (brachyurans, bivalves, and corals) on Inhaca Island, Mozambique.” PI Maria Vittoria Modica

Publications

Nocella, E., Fassio, G., Lemarcis, T., Zaharias, P., Tamagnini, D., De Leo, N., Puillandre, N., Modica, M.V., & Oliverio, M. (2026). A phylogenomic and morphometric reassessment of Ovulidae highlights host-related shell shape evolution. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 108545..

Baikova, L., Nocella, E., Mancini, G., Di Giulio, A., Mendoza, A. C., Luna, J. O., Marconi, M., Di Marco, M., Vecco Giove, C. D., Mancini, E. (2025). Unveiling the Genetic Structure and Ecological Niche Diversification of the Stingless Bee Tetragonisca angustula (Meliponini) in Peruvian Amazon. Journal of Biogeography, e70107.

Fassio, G., Nocella, E., Di Ganci, R., Cardone, S., Farina, F., Mancini, G., & Casoli, E. (2025). Dynamics and population genetics of Pinna rudis in the Tyrrhenian Sea: exploring the potential link to the local extinction of Pinna nobilis. Marine Environmental Research, 107626.

Benvenuti, C., Fassio, G., Russini, V., Modica, M. V., Oliverio, M., Davolos, D., & Nocella, E. (2024). A metabarcoding approach for investigating the stomach microbiota of the Corallivorous Snail Coralliophila Meyendorffii (Muricidae, Coralliophilinae) and its venomous host, the sea-anemone Parazoanthus axinellae (Zoanthidea, Parazoanthidae). Microbiology Research, 15(4), 2341-2357.

Nocella, E., Fassio, G., Zuccon, D., Puillandre, N., Modica, M. V., & Oliverio, M. (2024). From coral reefs into the abyss: the evolution of corallivory in the Coralliophilinae (Neogastropoda, Muricidae). Coral Reefs, 43(5), 1285-1302.

Nocella, E., Zvonareva, S. S., Fassio, G., Pica, D., Buge, B., Villa, R., Modica, M. V., & Oliverio, M. (2024). Spicy food for the egg-cowries: the evolution of corallivory in the Ovulidae (Gastropoda: Cypraeoidea). Frontiers in Marine Science, 10, 1323156.

Russini, V., Fassio, G., Nocella, E., Houart, R., Barco, A., Puillandre, N., Modica, M. V., & Oliverio, M. (2023). Whelks, rock-snails, and allied: a new phylogenetic framework for the family Muricidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda). The European Zoological Journal, 90(2), 856-868.

Fassio, G., Russo, P., Bonomolo, G., Fedosov, A. E., Modica, M. V., Nocella, E., & Oliverio, M. (2022). A molecular framework for the systematics of the Mediterranean spindle-shells (Gastropoda, Neogastropoda, Fasciolariidae, Fusininae). Mediterranean Marine Science, 23(3), 623-636.

Nocella E. & Alleva E. (2021) Fatti e misfatti del concetto di adattamento biologico. Il Ponte, Anno LXXVII n. 6 novembre-dicembre 2021. Pag: 82-92.

Nocella E. & Alleva E. (2021). Storia naturale della distanza. Roma come stai?: il Dipartimento di architettura e progetto si interroga sul futuro della città. DIAP PRINT/TEORIE 26, Quodlibet editore, Macerata.