Silvia Polettini

Silvia Polettini is an Associate Professor in Statistics at the Department of Social and Economic Sciences, University of Rome "La Sapienza". She has been with the university since 2011, achieving the rank of Associate Professor in 2020. Prior to this, she served as a Researcher at the University of Naples Federico II from 2005 to 2011, and worked at the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) from 2000 to 2005. Her academic journey began with a Statistical Officer position at the Italian Ministry of Health from 1998 to 2000.

Her educational background includes:

• 1994: Bachelor's Degree with honors in Statistical and Demographic Sciences, University of Rome "La Sapienza"
• 1999: Ph.D. in Methodological Statistics, University of Rome "La Sapienza"

Silvia Polettini's research spans several critical areas in modern statistics. Her work in Bayesian Statistical inference has produced innovative approaches for handling complex data structures. She has made significant contributions to Official Statistics, particularly in methodologies for data protection and disclosure risk assessment. Her expertise in Statistical Disclosure Risk Estimation and Microdata Protection has positioned her as a leading researcher in data privacy. The development of Bayesian Semi-parametric Modeling for Small Area Estimation represents another major strand of her work, with applications across social and economic domains. Her research on Measurement Error Models addresses fundamental challenges in data quality, while her work on Latent Variable Models and Survival Analysis extends into demographic and health applications.

An analysis of her recent publications reveals a clear trajectory focusing on addressing underreporting issues in sensitive social phenomena, particularly violence against women, using sophisticated Bayesian methods. Her work bridges theoretical statistical innovation with practical applications in social policy. The integration of small area estimation techniques with measurement error models represents another significant theme, enabling more accurate regional and demographic analyses despite data limitations.

Professor Polettini has been actively involved in numerous research projects, including several PRIN (Progetti di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale) initiatives and international collaborations. Her leadership in projects like "ESSnet on Statistical Disclosure Control" funded by Eurostat and "Data Linkage and Anonymisation" supported by the Isaac Newton Institute demonstrates her standing in the international statistical community. She has served as principal investigator for multiple research projects focused on disclosure risk estimation, small area modeling, and addressing underreporting in social data.

Her teaching responsibilities include Statistics for Political Science and International Relations students, as well as Statistics for Economic Applications for International Economic and Financial Relations students. Office hours are held on Thursdays from 10am to 12pm, available both in person and online by appointment.