MEET THE DIBIO SCIENTIST SERIES: Clelia Gasparini

Pubblicato il: 21.06.2019 10:55

MEET THE DIBIO SCIENTIST SERIES: Clelia Gasparini

Clelia has been recently appointed as a tenure-track researcher (RTDb) at DiBio

Can you summarize in few words your research?

My research interests lie in the field of Evolutionary Biology with focus on topics related to sexual selection, mainly using fish as model species.  My current research is on post-mating sexual selection, that is the study of male and female interactions after the mating (at gametes level) in the light of evolutionary processes.

What is the most rewarding and the most challenging part of your work?

It’s probably the same thing, that is dealing with students. I love working with students on their research project, see how much they can grow scientifically in only few months, and their positive feedback is the best reward.

Tell us your story: what brings you to DiBio?

I graduated here at DiBio, where I did my Phd in Evolutionary Biology. I also did my first postdoc, and then I was lucky enough to win a Marie Curie fellowship that brought me to Perth, in Western Australia. What started as a 2 years adventure ended up in being a fantastic experience of 7 years. I’m very happy to have had the possibility of returning here to start this new chapter of my career.

What’s your favourite “toy” for research – and what can it do?

I’ve been working with gametes since my PhD, so one of the my most regular assay I perform is to measure sperm performance. Thanks to a computer assisted sperm analysis (also called CASA) this task is easy, as it automatically tracks many sperm cells at the same time, and returns, among others, sperm velocity and trajectory.

What are your interests outside science?

I love cooking. I think I inherited this passion from my mom that is an amazing cook. It is a joy for me to be in the kitchen and share the food I prepare with friends and family. I also love decorating cakes, that makes every birthday a fun party.

Clelia's personal website: https://cleliagasparini.weebly.com/