Manuela obtained her BSc in Biological Science and an MSc in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology both with Summa cum Laude Honours, from the University of Milano – Italy with a one-year internship at the University of Galway – Ireland. Her passion for parasites was reflected in her thesis, which focused on the use of parasites as biocontrol agents of slugs.
After her studies, Manuela worked for an NGO in Mozambique as an Assistant Project Manager on a food security project, focusing on reducing malnutrition in pre-school children from rural villages. Her interest for parasitic diseases was reinforced during this time, as she witnessed first-hand the effects of tropical infectious diseases and the impact they can have on rural populations. On returning to Italy, Manuela worked as a high school science teacher. She began her doctoral studies at NRI in 2018 on a project that described and quantified the close-range approach and landing behaviour of host-seeking malaria mosquitoes. In particular, she explored the responses to host-associated stimuli such as thermal, visual and odour features. During her PhD she won the Judges Award at the University level, and the People’s Choice Award at the UK Nationals of the 3 Minute Thesis competition.
For her thesis, Manuela was awarded the Vice-Chancellor PhD prize for “student of the year”. In 2022, she worked as a Professional Teaching Demonstrator at the University of Greenwich, whilst also obtaining her PGCert in HE and becoming a Fellow of the HEA. Manuela returned to NRI in 2023 as a Fellow in Insect Behavioural Ecology in the Pest Behaviour Research Group, where she now works on mosquito mating behaviour and a blackfly and onchocerciasis project.
In her extracurricular time, Manuela has been extensively involved with the NRI Postgraduate Society, the University of Greenwich Doctoral Society, and the Royal Entomological Society. In 2021 she was presented with the University of Greenwich Programme Representative of the Year Award.