Michela Corsini

Michela Corsini is a wildlife biologist currently serving as a senior researcher at the Institute for Alpine Environment at Eurac Research in Bolzano, Italy. She is an integral member of the AlpsLife team, working on projects related to Alpine biodiversity monitoring and conservation. Prior to her current position, she was a postdoctoral researcher at Boise State University (2022-2024) and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (2021-2022).

Dr. Corsini earned her Ph.D. with distinction in Natural Sciences (Biology) from the Anthropocene Biology Lab at the University of Warsaw, Poland, under the guidance of Professor Marta Szulkin in April 2021. Her academic journey began with a BSc in livestock production and wildlife management from Bologna University in Italy (2012), followed by a Master's degree in wildlife sciences and management from the University of Florence (2012-2014).

Dr. Corsini's research focuses on understanding human-wildlife interactions and developing strategies to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts. Her work spans diverse habitats from urban landscapes to natural ecosystems across multiple countries including Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Poland, and the United States. She has studied a wide array of animal species, from arthropods to mammals (such as red foxes, roe deer, american mink, and bats) and birds (black grouse, capercaillie, great tit, blue tit).

Her recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on urban evolutionary ecology, with particular attention to how urbanization affects wildlife behavior, reproduction, and adaptation. A significant portion of her work examines the impacts of anthropogenic factors such as light pollution and impervious surfaces on avian populations and other wildlife. Her research combines field observations with spatial analyses using tools like RStudio and QGIS.

• Rector award for best team in Warsaw University (2023)
• Top cited article in the Journal Evolutionary Applications 2021-2022 (2022)
• Doctoral degree with honours at the University of Warsaw (2021)
• Award for the outstanding PhD student of the 4th year (University of Warsaw) (2020)

Dr. Corsini has secured multiple research grants, including the Meg and Bert Raynes Wildlife Fund (2024), UW-NPS-Small Grants Program (2023), and the Iwanowska Fellowship funded by NAWA, Poland. Her current work as part of the AlpsLife project focuses on harmonizing transnational in-situ data and monitoring schemes in the Alps, with the goal of creating a common framework for biodiversity conservation across national borders.

As a member of the AlpsLife team at Eurac Research, Dr. Corsini contributes to the development of a comprehensive Alpine Biodiversity Data Hub and works with a network of pilot monitoring areas across the Alpine region. The project aims to establish standardized protocols for biodiversity monitoring that can be implemented across national boundaries in the Alps.