Professional experience
2024-current Biodiversity Modeller, Natural History Museum, London, UK
2018-2024 Research associate, Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Cambridge, UK
2015-2017 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellow, Geogenetics centre, Copenhagen, Denmark
2014-2015 Visiting scientist, Population genetics Group, University of Ferrara, Italy
2012-2014 Research associate, Department of Anthropology, UCL, UK
2008 Research assistant, Musée de l’Homme, Paris, France
Education
2009 – 2013 Ph.D. in Anthropology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany
2005 – 2007 MSc in Prehistoric Sciences, University of Ferrara, Italy
2002 – 2005 BSc in Cultural Heritage Technologies, University of Ferrara, Italy
Grants
- 2021-2024 Leverhulme Research Grant (co-writer and nominated researcher) ~200,000 £ (30 months).
- 2023 NERC Cross-disciplinary research for Discovery Science (co-writer) 10,000 £
- 2015-2017 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship (IF) ~200,000 € (24 months).
- 2008 MEGA Lifelong Learning project grant ~2,500 €.
Awards
- 2025 Leonardi et al. 2023 among the top 10 most cited and read papers published by Ecography in 2023
- 2024 Ireneo Ferrari award for the best oral presentation, Italian Ecological Society (SItE) congress, 700€
- 2022 Bringing to light – Scienziate per il Clima award for the project on Neanderthal Palaeoecology
- 2020 Viganò et al. 2019 shortlisted for the AHS Members’ Choice Award for the Best Article in Headache
- 2018 SIBE travel grant for the Evolution 2018 congress, Montpellier, 500 €
- 2015 Doctor Darwin prize SIBE congress, 31st August – 3rd September 2015, Bologna, Italy,1,000 €.
Archaeological fieldwork
Għar Dalam, Malta, Palaeolithic
Atapuerca (Burgos) Spain, Palaeolithic
Hohle Fels (Schleckingen), Germany, Palaeolithic
Vogelherd (Niederstoetzingen) Germany, Palaeolithic
Mochi Rockshelter (Balzi Rossi), Italy, Palaeolithic
Fumane Cave (Verona), Italy, Palaeolithic
Tagliente Rockshelter (Verona), Italy, Palaeolithic
Broion Rockshelter (Vicenza), Italy, Palaeolithic
Isernia la Pineta (Isernia), Italy, Palaeolithic
