
Work experience
- 2021-present: NASA Einstein Fellow, University of California, Berkeley
- 2018-2021: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, IL, USA
- 2019-2021: Associate Fellow, University of Chicago, IL, USA
Leadership Roles
- Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Transients and Low-redshift Cosmology working group co-chair
- DESI-II Time Domain task force co-lead
- Co-PI of “DESIRT: DECam Survey of Intermediate-Redshift Transients” (Proposals NOIRLab 2021A-0148, 2022A-388025, 2022B-297190)
- Dark Energy Survey (DES) Galaxy evolution & quasars working group co-chair
- Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) Multi-messenger/multi-band astronomy work package – Survey science team lead
Education
- Ph. D. in Astrophysics (2014-2018), University College London, UK
- Thesis: “Unveiling the unseen with the Dark Energy Survey: gravitational waves and dark matter”
- Supervisors: Prof. Ofer Lahav and Dr. Felipe Abdalla
- Master in Astronomy and Astrophysics (2011-2013), La Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
- Grading 110/110 cum laude
- Thesis: “Future constraints on cosmological parameters for DES” Supervisors: Prof. Alessandro Melchiorri and Dr. Luca Pagano
- B.S. in Physics (2008-2011), La Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
- Grading 110/110 cum laude, Advanced Course (top 10% Physics students)
- Dissertation title: “Standard Cosmological Model’s paradoxes and Inflation”
- Supervisors: Dr. Giovanni Montani and Dr. Massimiliano Lattanzi
Awards & Grants
- Partner investigator of Australian Research Council Discovery Project Grant, “A Space Odyssey: Exploring the Universe with Gravitational-Wave Sirens”, 2022
- Berkeley Physics Innovators funding for 2 undergraduate students and mentor, 2022
- Co-PI of US Department of Energy (DOE) Visiting Faculty Program, “Artificial Intelligence for Gravitational Waves”, 2021
- Fermilab Exceptional Performance Recognition Award for the innovative use of the DES data in gravitational wave standard siren measurements, 1600$, 2020
- Runner–up for Royal Astronomical Society Michael Penston Prize for best Astronomy doctoral thesis in the UK, 2018
- URA Scholar Award to do research in collaboration at Fermilab, 2016-2017
- Enrico Persico award from Accademia dei Lincei for best 2014 Astrophysics Masters in Italy, awarded by the President of Italy, 2014
- “Excellent graduated student at Sapienza” (Laureata eccellente Sapienza), 2014
- “Women, gender: Sapienza”, award to women who distinguished themselves during university career, 2014
- “Advanced Course” merit scholarship from Sapienza, Tuition fee paid, 2009 – 2011
- Erasmus scholarship from Sapienza, Erasmus integration from Laziodisu, 2010
- Merit scholarship from Laziodisu, 2010
Contact: palmese at berkeley.edu