Organization:
CNR
Degree in:
Physics
Short bio:
Elisa Palazzi, physicist with one PhD in Physical Modelling for the Environmental Protection, is researcher at the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate of the National Research Council in Torino since 2011. Her scientific interests mainly concern the study of the climate system and earth-system processes, with a particular focus on the current and expected changes in the hydrological cycle in mountain regions. This includes the analysis of precipitation, snow cover and depth as well as their changes in future decades under different greenhouse gas emission scenarios. She also studies the phenomenon called “elevation-dependent warming”, i.e., the amplification of warming rates with elevation, and its consequences, both in high-altitude ecosystems and downstream, especially in terms of future availability of water resources. Her studies are performed using in-situ station data and other observation-based datasets as well as the outputs of regional and global climate model simulations, to compare models and measurements and perform process-oriented model evaluations and validation. She is currently co-coordinator of the Collaborative Programme “Changes in the Hydrological Cycle” of the European Climate Research Alliance (ECRA) and of the Global Network for observation and information on mountain environments (GEO-GNOME), an Initiative of The Group on Earth Observation (GEO)-GEOSS. She is also in the Group of Program Coordinators of the Collaborative Research Action “Mountains as Sentinels of Change” of the Belmont Forum. She is active on climate and climate change dissemination activities in schools of various degree, conferences open to the general public, festivals, radio and TV programs.
My best professional achievement:
A paper published in the journal Nature Climate Change with an international team of scientists on Elevation-Dependent Warming in the different mountain regions of the world.
My best personal achievement:
A project called #EuFactor, promoted by the European Commission and the European Parliament in Italy in 2016, addressed to young people, mainly students between 16 and 19 years old, to make them aware of the employment opportunities that exist in Europe by choosing science, technology and information technology studies. The main idea was to inspire young people through the story of 5 Italian researchers (I was one of them) who took up scientific careers at the University and are now employed in different Universities or Research Centres in Italy. The draw-life of each testimonial was created and disseminated, here is mine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q6eT49NGvo