Stefania Casagrande

Stefania Casagrande serves as Project Leader and Research Scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence's Department of Evolutionary Physiology (Group Hau) since 2014, investigating metabolic adaptations in avian species under environmental stressors.

Her academic trajectory includes:

• PhD in Biology, University of Parma (2000-2003)
• Postdoctoral research at University of Parma (2004-2005) and Association Ornis Italica, Rome (2003)
• Marie Curie EIF Fellowship, University of Groningen (2006-2008)
• Marie Curie ERG Fellowship, University of Parma (2008-2011)
• Marie Curie FWO Fellowship, University of Antwerp (2012-2014)

Her research examines how extreme temperatures and workloads disrupt energy balance across life stages, particularly during growth, using physiological metrics (mitochondrial function, telomere dynamics, redox status) and behavioral tracking (GPS/accelerometers) in wild and captive birds. This work bridges evolutionary theory with practical conservation physiology through studies of flight performance, homing behavior, and environmental adaptation.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• Marie Curie FWO Fellowship (2012-2014)
• Marie Curie ERG Fellowship (2008-2011)
• Marie Curie EIF Fellowship (2006-2008)

As Principal Investigator for a DFG-funded project (2017-2018), she secured competitive research grants while contributing to academic service as Associate Editor of the Journal of Avian Biology (2022-present) and Flanders Research Foundation board member for Biodiversity and Ecology funding (2019-2022).

She conducts research within Group Hau at the Seewiesen campus, utilizing specialized facilities for physiological measurements and field studies of avian models.