Role
Research Director of the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), Institute of Space Astrophysics and Planetology (IAPS) in Rome
Bio
After graduating in Physics from Sapienza University of Rome in 1992, she earned a PhD in Astronomy in 1997 from the IASF in Rome, the Paris Observatory, and Sapienza University of Rome. In 1996, thanks to a CNR scholarship, she spent a year at the Institute for Space Astrophysics. In 2001, she became a permanent researcher at the CNR; following the merger of space facilities into the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), she continued her work at the Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology (IAPS) in Rome, where she currently serves as Research Director.
His interests include minor solar system bodies, planetary surfaces, the thermal evolution of icy bodies, and the development of instrumentation for space missions . He has analyzed data from telescopic, space, and laboratory observations to study the composition of comets, asteroids, the Moon, Mars, and Mercury.
He has developed imaging spectrometers and multispectral cameras for the study of solar system objects, taking on important international scientific responsibilities. He has collaborated on various imaging instruments (such as VIRTIS for the ESA Rosetta mission, Simbio-Sys for the joint ESA-JAXA BepiColombo mission, MAJIS for the ESA JUICE mission), is Principal Investigator of the VIR spectrometer for the NASA Dawn mission, of the Ma_MISS instrument aboard the Rosalind Franklin Rover mission for the exploration of Mars, of MoonIS for the RASHID 3 mission for the exploration of the lunar poles, and has also contributed to significant scientific work on Ceres, Vesta, and comets.
She is the author of over 350 publications in prestigious international journals, including the book "Heat and Gas Diffusion in Comet Nuclei," is chief editor of Planetary and Space Science, and serves on the editorial boards of specialized scientific journals. She has received prestigious awards from ESA and NASA, including the NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal in 2017; asteroid 17899 Mariacristina was named in her honor.