Simona Masina

Simona Masina, Ph.D., serves as Director of the Institute for Earth System Predictions at the Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change Foundation (CMCC) in Bologna, Italy. With a doctorate from Princeton University, she leads research on ocean-climate dynamics and has over 20 years of expertise in global ocean modeling and data assimilation. She holds adjunct teaching positions at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and the University of Bologna, instructing graduate-level courses in climate science.

Her research examines the ocean's role in climate systems, with focus areas including:

• Ocean-atmosphere interactions and heat flux dynamics
• Marine heatwave mechanisms and climate change impacts
• Arctic sea ice variability and polar amplification
• Development of high-resolution forecasting systems (e.g., NEMO-based operational framework)
• Earth system prediction and model validation techniques

Her publications demonstrate strong emphasis on extreme ocean events, with recent work analyzing marine heatwaves in the Mediterranean, Arctic sea ice loss, and ocean forecasting methodologies. This research advances predictive capabilities for climate-related ocean phenomena.

Dr. Masina coordinates major scientific initiatives, including the pioneering PRACE project that established CMCC's operational ocean forecasting system. She holds leadership roles in several international scientific bodies:

• Member of the Italian Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO)
• Member of NEMO Steering Committee
• Member of OceanPredict Science Team
• Chair of Scientific Board at Mercator Ocean International