ALESSIA NAVA

CURRENT POSITION
March 2023 Associated Professor at Sapienza University of Rome, Department of Odontostomatological and Maxillo-Facial Sciences, PI of the ERC StG project MOTHERS (GA N. 101077348).

WORK EXPERIENCE
2022 Post-doctoral researcher at the Geochronology and Isotope Geochronology Laboratory in Kraków Research Centre, Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków (Poland).
2020-2022 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship – Human Osteology Lab, Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury (UK).
2019-2020 Post-doctoral researcher at DANTE - Diet and ANcient TEchnology Laboratory – Department of Oral and Maxillo Facial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
2017-2018 Post-doctoral research fellow at Museo delle Civiltà di Roma co-funded by Royal Holloway, University of London and Sapienza University of Rome.
2003-2014 Field anthropologist and Consultant Bioarchaeologist at Museo delle Civiltà di Roma and Italian Archaeological Superintendences of Rome, Ostia, Puglia, Salerno, Avellino Benevento, Marche.

EDUCATION AND DEGREES
2025 Italian National Scientific Abilitation (ASN) for Full Professor in Anthropology (professore universitario di Prima Fascia 05/B1 – ANTROPOLOGIA E ZOOLOGIA).
2023 Italian National Scientific Abilitation (ASN) for Associated Professor in Anthropology (professore universitario di Seconda Fascia 05/B1 – ANTROPOLOGIA E ZOOLOGIA).
2022 Italian National Scientific Abilitation (ASN) for Associated Professor in Archaeology (professore universitario di Seconda Fascia 10/A1 – ARCHEOLOGIA).
2018 Teaching qualification (24 CFU) in Communication Techniques, Learning Psychology and Educational Methods – University of Benevento.
2014 – 2017 PhD in Physical Anthropology - Sapienza University of Rome. Thesis title: “ Hominin dental enamel: an integrated approach to the study of formation, maturation, and morphology”.
1999 – 2003 5 years master degree in Biology - Sapienza University of Rome, with a dissertation in the histomorphometrical analysis of a series of archaeological deciduous and permanent teeth from an Imperial Roman Italian necropolis.

PROJECT LEADING
2025- PI of the project Progetti di Ricerca Grandi Sapienza, MIHI - Molar Incisor Hypomineralization: PioneerIng an Exposomic Approach to Unravel its Aetiology for Mother-Offspring Preventive Strategies.
2023- PI of the BANDO INCENTIVAZIONE PI 2023 Sapienza IMPACT, Identification of heavy Metal Pollution in AnCient and modern Teeth.
2023- PI of the ERC StG project MOTHERS (GA N. 101077348), MOdelling THe Evolution of the mother-infant RelationshipS (https://www.erc-mothers.eu/).
2018 Directorship of the peer reviewed project “A metà del cammino di Homo, evidenze dalla Dancalia eritrea”, funded by the Italian Ministry of the Foreign Affair, approval N.0093336/47 del 28/05/2018.
2018 PI of the peer reviewed project “Pre-natal and early post-natal life history in Krapina Neandertals: dental enamel microstructural analysis through virtual histology of the deciduous dentition”. Awarded with 12 shifts of beamtime (96 hours) at Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, proposal number 20180099.
2017 PI of the peer reviewed project “Virtual histological reconstruction of dental enamel microstructures of Oreopithecus bambolii”. Awarded with 9 shifts of beamtime (72 hours) at Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, proposal number 20170342.
2017 Directorship of the peer reviewed project “A metà del cammino di Homo, evidenze dalla Dancalia eritrea”, funded by the Italian Ministry of the Foreign Affair, approval N.0115591/42, 23/06/2017.
2016 Directorship of the peer reviewed project “Virtual histological reconstruction of dental enamel and dentine microstructures in human deciduous teeth”. Awarded with 9 shifts of beamtime (72 hours) at Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, proposal number 20160352.
2016 Directorship of the peer reviewed project “A metà del cammino di Homo, evidenze dalla Dancalia eritrea”, funded by the Italian Ministry of the Foreign Affair, approval N.0112834/45, 09/06/2016

AWARDS AND GRANTS
2025 Funding Grandi Progetti di Ricerca - Sapienza Università di Roma (30.000 €).
2024 Funding Bando Incentivazione PI 2023 – Sapienza Università di Roma (100.000 €).
2022 Funding European Research Council – ERC Starting Grant – Horizon Europe (1.499.923,00 €).
2019 Funding for postdoctoral research – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual European Fellowship – Horizon 2020 (225.000 €).
2018 Funding for the Archaeo-anthropological mission, Italian Ministry of the Foreign Affair, approval N. 0093336/47 (4.000 €).
2017 Conference prize for the best oral communication - XXII Congresso Associazione Antropologica Italiana, Rome (300 €).
2017 Funding for the Archaeo-anthropological mission, Italian Ministry of the Foreign Affair, approval N.0115591/42 (4.000 €).
2016 Funding for the Archaeo-anthropological mission, Italian Ministry of the Foreign Affair, approval N.0112834/45 (4.000 €).
2014 – 2017 Funding for postdoctoral research – PhD School Sapienza University of Rome (40.7k€).

PUBLICATIONS
1. Anczkiewicz, R, Müller,W, Mianowski,S, Dadela,M, Nava, A, Bondioli L, Matyszczak M, Jasinska A, Ostendorf J, Bakayeva S, and Yanytsky T (2025). Comparative high spatial resolution measurements of Sr isotopic composition in bio-apatite using different LA-MC-ICPMS configurations: application to faunal (sub)seasonal mobility studies, J. Anal. At. Spectrom. DOI: 10.1039/d5ja00146c
2. Higgins OA, Fontani F, Lugli F, Silvestrini S, Vazzana A, Latorre A, Sericola M, Cipriani A, Quarta G, Calcagnile L, Bondioli L, Nava A, Cilli E, Luiselli D, Benazzi S (2025). Reconstructing life history and ancestry from poorly preserved skeletal remains: A bioanthropological study of a Copper Age infant from Faenza (RA, Italy), Journal of Archaeological Science 180 (2025) 106291, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2025.106291.
3. Gigante M, Esposito C, Lugli F, Sperduti A, Cinquantaquattro TE, d’Agostino B, Nava A, Müller W, Bondioli L (2025). Where Typhoeus lived: 87Sr/86Sr analysis of human remains in the first Greek site in the Western Mediterranean, Pithekoussai, Italy, iScience, 28, 3, 111927, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2025.111927.
4. Lipson M, Ringbauer H, Lucarini G, Aouadi N, Aoudia L, Belhouchet L, Cheronet O, Dahmani AR, Genchi F, La Pastina F, Lucci M, de Lumley H, Mansouri N, Nava A, Touj F, Mallick S, Rohland N, Coppa A, Pinhasi R, Reich D (2025). High continuity of forager ancestry in the Neolithic period of the eastern Maghreb. Nature 641, 925–931. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08699-4
5. Mutin B, Zazzo A, Bondioli L, Coppa A, Garbé L, Müller W, Nava A, Quivron G, Tombret O, Vidale M, Didier A (2025). New radiocarbon dates of human tooth enamel reveal a late appearance of farming life in the Indus Valley. Scientific Reports 15, 11345. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-92621-5
6. Ringbauer H, et al (2025) Punic people were genetically diverse with almost no Levantine ancestors. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08913-3
7. Cecconi V, Nava A, Lugli F, Mittnik A, Sawyer S, Gadeyne J, Brouillard C, Pinhasi R, Reich D, Sperduti A (2025). A short and sickly life. Multi-indicator analysis of an infant from a late antique Italian burial site (Piano della Civita, Artena, 3rd-5th cent CE), International Journal of Paleopathology, 49, pp 93-103, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.03.004.
8. Esposito C, Higgins OA, Galbusera A, Gigante, M, Lugli, F, Müller, W, Madgwick, R, Coppa, A, Benazzi, S, Bondioli, L, Nava, A. (2024) NOthing goes to WAste (NOWA): A protocol to optimise sampling of ancient teeth. Journal of Archaeological Science 171:106087. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2024.106087
9. Müller W, Lugli F, McCormack J Evans, D., Anczkiewicz, R, Bondioli, L, Nava, A. 2024. Human Life Histories. In: Treatise on Geochemistry 3rd edition
10. Higgins OA, Modi A, Cannariato C …. Nava, A,….et al (2024) Life history and ancestry of the late Upper Palaeolithic infant from Grotta delle Mura, Italy. Nature Communications 15(1):8248. doi:10.1038/s41467-024-51150-x
11. Nava A, Lugli F, Lemmers S et al. (2024) Reading children’s teeth to reconstruct life history and the evolution of human cooperation and cognition: the role of dental enamel microstructure and chemistry. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 163:105745.
12. Riga A, Profico A, Mori T, Frittitta R, Nava A, Mancini L, Dreossi D, Radovčić D, Rice H, Bondioli L, Marchi D (2024) The Middle Pleistocene human metatarsal from Sedia del Diavolo (Rome, Italy). Scientific Reports 14(1):6024. doi:10.1038/s41598-024-55045-1
13. Magri S, Higgins OA, Lugli F, Silvestrini S, Vazzana A, Bondioli L, Nava A, Benazzi S (2024) Enamel histomorphometry, growth patterns and developmental trajectories of the first deciduous molar in an Italian early medieval skeletal series. PLoS ONE 19(12): e0304051. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0304051
14. Nava A (2024) Understanding the maternal-infant nexus from dental histology and high-resolution compositional biogeochemistry: implications for bioarchaeological research. Bulletins et Mémoires de la Société d’Anthropologie de Paris 36(1). doi:DOI 10.4000/bmsap.0000
15. Antonio ML, Weiß CL, Gao Z,…, Nava A,…., et al. (2024) Stable population structure in Europe since the Iron Age, despite high mobility. eLife 13:e79714. doi:10.7554/eLife.79714
16. Anczkiewicz R, Nava A, Bondioli L, Müller W, Spötl C, Koziarska M, Boczkowska M, Wojtal P, Wilczyński J. (2023). High spatial resolution Sr isotope and trace element record of dental enamel mineralization in a woolly mammoth tooth: Implications for paleoecological reconstructions. Quaternary Science Reviews, 313. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108191
17. Peripoli B, Gigante M, Mahoney P, McFarlane G, Coppa A, Lugli F, Lauria G, Bondioli L, Sconzo P, Sineo L, Nava A. (2023). Exploring prenatal and neonatal life history through dental histology in infants from the Phoenician necropolis of Motya (7th–6th century BCE). Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 49, 104024. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2023.104024
18. Kowalik N, Anczkiewicz R, Müller W, Spötl C, Bondioli L, Nava A, Wojtal P, Wilczyński J, Koziarska M, Matyszczak, M. (2023). Revealing seasonal woolly mammoth migration with spatially-resolved trace element, Sr and O isotopic records of molar enamel. Quaternary Science Reviews, 306, 108036. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108036
19. Kubat J, Nava A, Bondioli L, Dean MC, Zanolli C, Bourgon N, Bacon A, Demeter F, Peripoli B, Albert R, Lüdecke T, Hertler C, Mahoney P, Kullmer O, Schrenk F, Müller W (2023). Dietary strategies of Pleistocene Pongo sp. and Homo erectus on Java (Indonesia). Nature ecology & evolution, 7, 279-289. doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-022-01947-0.
20. Mahoney, P., McFarlane, G., Loch, C., White, S., Floyd, B., Dunn, E. C., Pitfield, R, Nava, A, Guatelli-Steinberg, D. (2022). Dental biorhythm is associated with adolescent weight gain. Communications Medicine, 2(1), 99. doi:10.1038/s43856-022-00164-x
21. Lugli, F., A. Nava, R. Sorrentino, A. Vazzana, E. Bortolini, G. Oxilia, S. Silvestrini, N. Nannini, L. Bondioli, H. Fewlass, S. Talamo, E. Bard, L. Mancini, W. Müller, M. Romandini and S. Benazzi (2022) Tracing the mobility of a Late Epigravettian (~ 13 ka) male infant from Grotte di Pradis (Northeastern Italian Prealps) at high-temporal resolution. Scientific Reports 12(1): 8104.
22. Cerrito P, Nava A, Radovčić D, Borić D, Cerrito L, Basdeo T, Ruggiero G, Frayer DW, Kao A, Bondioli L, Mancini, Bromage TG- (2022) Dental cementum virtual histology of Neanderthal teeth from Krapina (Croatia, 130–120 kyr): an informed estimate of age, sex and adult stressors. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 19(187):20210820.
23. Vazzana, A., O. A. Higgins, G. Oxilia, F. Lugli, S. Silvestrini, A. Nava, L. Bondioli, E. Bortolini, G. Di Domenico, F. Bernardini, C. Tuniz, L. Mancini, M. Bettuzzi, M. P. Morigi, M. Piperno, C. Collina, M. Romandini and S. Benazzi (2022). High-accuracy methodology for the integrative restoration of archaeological teeth by using reverse engineering techniques and rapid prototyping. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 44: 103511.
24. Nava, A, Mahoney, P, Bondioli, L, Coppa, A, Cristiani, E, Fattore, L, . . . Mancini, L. (2022). Virtual histology of archaeological human deciduous prenatal enamel through synchrotron X-ray computed microtomography images. Journal of synchrotron radiation, 29(1). https://doi.org/10.1107/S160057752101208X.
25. McFarlane, G, Loch, C, Guatelli-Steinberg, D, Bayle, P, Le Luyer, M, Sabel, N, Nava, A . . Mahoney, P. (2021). Enamel daily secretion rates of deciduous molars from a global sample of children. Archives of Oral Biology, 132, 105290. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.archoralbio.2021.105290.
26. Mahoney, P, McFarlane, G, Smith, BH, Miszkiewicz, JJ, Cerrito, P, Liversidge, H, . . . Nava, A. (2021). Growth of Neanderthal infants from Krapina (120–130 ka), Croatia. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 288(1963), 20212079.
27. Hodgkins, J, Orr, CM, Gravel-Miguel, C, Riel-Salvatore, J, Miller, CE, Bondioli, L, Nava, A,……, Negrino, F. (2021). An infant burial from Arma Veirana in northwestern Italy provides insights into funerary practices and female personhood in early Mesolithic Europe. Scientific reports, 11(1), 1-13.
28. Gigante, M, Nava, A, Paine, RR, Fiore, I, Alhaique, F, Esposito, CM, Sperduti, A, Bonetto, J, Cinquantaquattro, TE, d’Agostino, B. (2021). Who was buried with Nestor’s Cup? Macroscopic and microscopic analyses of the cremated remains from Tomb 168 (second half of the 8th century BCE, Pithekoussai, Ischia Island, Italy). PloS one, 16(10), e0257368.
29. Nava, A, Fiorin, E, Zupancich, A, Carra, M, Ottoni, C, Di Carlo, G, Vozza, I, Brugnoletti, O, Alhaique, F, Grifoni Cremonesi, R, Coppa, A, Bondioli, L, Borić, D, Cristiani, E (2021). Multipronged dental analyses reveal dietary differences in last foragers and first farmers at Grotta Continenza, central Italy (15,500–7000 BP). Scientific Reports, 11:4261.
30. Nava, A, Lugli, F, Romandini, M, Badino, F, Evans, D, Helbling, AH, Oxilia, G, Arrighi, S, Bortolini, E, Delpiano, D, Duches, R, Figus, C, Livraghi, A, Marciani, G, Silvestrini, S, Cipriani, A, Giovanardi, T, Pini, R, Tuniz, C, Bernardini, F, Dori, I, Coppa, A, Cristiani, E, Dean, C, Bondioli, L, Peresani, M, Müller, W, Benazzi, S, (2020). Early life of Neanderthals. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 117 (46) 28719-28726.
31. Lugli, F, Figus, C, Silvestrini, S, Costa, V, Bortolini, E, Conti, S, Peripoli, B, Nava, A, Sperduti, A, Lamanna, L, Bondioli, L, Benazzi, S, (2020). Sex-related morbidity and mortality in non-adult individuals from the Early Medieval site of Valdaro (Italy): the contribution of dental enamel peptide analysis. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, Volume 34, Part A, 102625, ISSN 2352-409X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2020.102625.
32. Romandini, M, Oxilia, G, Bortolini, E, Peyrégne, S, Delpiano, D, Nava, A, Panetta, D, Di Domenico, G, Martini, P, Arrighi, S, Badino, F, Figus, C, Lugli, F, Marciani, G, Silvestrini, S, Menghi Sartorio, JC, Terlato, G, Hublin, J-J, Meyer, M, Bondioli, L, Higham, T, Slon, V, Peresani, M, Benazzi, S (2020). A late Neanderthal tooth from northeastern Italy. Journal of Human Evolution, 147, 102867 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102867.
33. Li Q, Nava A, Reynard L., Thirlwall M, Bondioli L & Müller W. (2020). Spatially-Resolved Ca Isotopic and Trace Element Variations in Human Deciduous Teeth Record Diet and Physiological Change. Environmental Archaeology, DOI: 10.1080/14614103.2020.1758988
34. Kowalik N, Anczkiewicz R, Wilczyński J, Wojtal P, Müller W, Bondioli L, Nava A & Gasparik M. (2020). Tracing human mobility in central Europe during the Upper Paleolithic using sub-seasonally resolved Sr isotope records in ornaments. Scientific Reports, 10:10386 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-67017-2.
35. Frayer DW, Nava A, Tartaglia G, Vidale M, Coppa A, Bondioli L. (2020). Evidence for Labret Use in Prehistory. Bull Int Assoc Paleodont.;14(1):1-23
36. Mazur M, Marasca R, Ottolenghi L, Vozza I, Covello F, Zupancich A, Cristiani E and Nava A. (2020). Different Resorptive Patterns of Two Avulsed and Replanted Upper Central Incisors Based on Scanning Electron Microscopy and Stereomicroscopic Analysis: A Case Report. Applied Sciences, 10, 3551; doi:10.3390/app10103551.
37. Antonio ML, Gao Z, Moots HM, Lucci M, Candilio F, …, Nava, A, … , Sperduti, A, Bondioli, L, Pinhasi, R, Pritchard, JK. (2019). Ancient Rome: A genetic crossroads of Europe and the Mediterranean. Science 366(6466):708-714.
38. Nava A, Frayer D, Bondioli L. (2019). Longitudinal analysis of the microscopic dental enamel defects of children in the Imperial Roman community of Portus Romae (necropolis of Isola Sacra, 2nd to 4th century CE, Italy). Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 23: 406-415.
39. Müller W, Nava A, Evans D, Rossi PF, Alt KW, Bondioli L. (2019). Enamel mineralization and compositional time-resolution in human teeth evaluated via histologically-controlled LA-ICPMS profiles. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 255,105-126, doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2019.03.005
40. Nava A, Coppa A, Coppola D, Mancini L, Dreossi D, Zanini F, Bernardini F, Tuniz C, Bondioli L (2017). Virtual histological assessment of the prenatal life history and age at death of the Upper Paleolithic fetus from Ostuni (Italy). Scientific Reports 7, doi:10.1038/s41598-017-09773-2
41. Nava A, Bondioli L, Coppa A, Dean C, Rossi PF, Zanolli C (2017). New regression formula to estimate the prenatal crown formation time of human deciduous central incisors derived from a Roman Imperial sample (Velia, Salerno, Italy, I-II cent. CE). PLoS ONE 12(7): e0180104. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0180104
42. Bondioli L, Nava A, Rossi PF, Sperduti A (2016). Diet and health in Central‐Southern Italy during the Roman Imperial time. ACTA IMEKO, vol. 5, p. 19-25
43. Benassi V, Nava A (2015). L’indagine antropologica di campo e di laboratorio. Note di scavo nella "Piazza Morta". In (M Corrente, E Zambetta, eds). Note di scavo nella "Piazza Morta". La fortezza lucerina di Monte Albano, Gelsorosso, Bari, pp. 103-114.
44. Craig O, Biazzo M, O'Connell T, Garnsey P, Martinez-Labarga C, Lelli R, Salvadei L, Tartaglia G, Nava A, Renò L, Fiammenghi A, Rickards O, Bondioli L (2009). Stable isotopic evidence for diet at the Imperial Roman coastal site of Velia (1st and 2nd Centuries AD) in Southern Italy. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 139:572-583.
45. Pantano W, Nava A, Tartaglia G (2007). Le sepolture della via Ostiense (prima tratta): evidenze antropologiche e paleopatologiche. In: (S. Pannuzzi ed) Necropoli Ostiensi. Lo scavo archeologico per la costruzione della linea elettrica a 150 kW in cavi interrati Lido Vecchio – Casal Palocco. Soprintendenza per i beni archeologici di Ostia, Roma, pp. 70-76.
46. Pantano W, Nava A, Catalano P (2007). Analisi antropologica dello scheletro della tomba a cappuccina n.1. In: L’area archeologica della via Nomentum-Eretum. Archeoclub d’Italia Onlus, Mentana-Monterotondo, pp. 12-17.
47. Nava A, Tartaglia G, Salvadei L (2007). Una deposizione in anfora (ADL 2500 US 2616). In (R Volpe, ed) Centocelle II. Roma S.D.O. Le indagini archeologiche. Rubbettino Editore, Roma, pp 83-84.
48. Salvadei L, Nava A, Tartaglia G (2007). Analisi antropologica delle sepolture intorno al sepolcro a tempietto. In (R Volpe, ed) Centocelle II. Roma S.D.O. Le indagini archeologiche. Rubbettino Editore, Roma, pp. 121-123.
49. Salvadei L, Nava A, Tartaglia G (2007). Le sepolture dell’area S.5: i dati antropologici. In (R Volpe, ed) Centocelle II. Roma S.D.O. Le indagini archeologiche. Rubbettino Editore, Roma, p. 186.
50. Salvadei L, Nava A, Tartaglia G (2007). Analisi antropologica dei resti umani rinvenuti nel sepolcro a tempietto della villa delle Terme (T.493). In (R Volpe, ed) Centocelle II. Roma S.D.O. Le indagini archeologiche. Rubbettino Editore, Roma, p. 271.
51. Salvadei L, Nava A, Tartaglia G (2007). Considerazioni antropologiche sulle sepolture di età tardoantica. In (R Volpe, ed) Centocelle II. Roma S.D.O. Le indagini archeologiche. A cura Rubbettino Editore, Roma, pp. 408-411.
52. Tartaglia G, Nava A, Salvadei L (2007). Analisi antropologica delle sepolture della villa delle Terme. In (R Volpe, ed) Centocelle II. Roma S.D.O. Le indagini archeologiche.. Rubbettino Editore, Roma, p. 281.
53. Pannuzi S, Cenciotti F, Bertolani G, Moro A, Tantucci M, Pantano WB, Nava A, Tartaglia G, Civitelli E, Piatti R, Schifi L (2006). Ostia Antica. Indagini archeologiche lungo la via Ostiense (Municipio XIII). B. Com. 107, pp. 192-216.
54. Tartaglia G, Nava A (2004-2005). I resti incinerati della tomba 8396. In: (C Pellegrino, ed) Ritualità e forme di culto funerario tra VI e V sec. A.C., Pontecagnano: la città, il paesaggio e la dimensione simbolica. Annali di Archeologia e Storia Antica, Nuova Serie 11-12, Università degli Studi di Napoli l’Orientale, Napoli, pp. 216-220.

INVITED TALKS
Nava A (2025). Investigating Childhood and the Mother-Infant Nexus in Past Human Populations Through Dental Mineralized Tissues. Child Space. Narratives and new perspectives on the bioarchaeology of children and their biosocial complexity. Budapest, Hungary (4-6 June 2025).
Nava A (2025). Bulk versus high-resolution approaches to the study of human mobility in the past. Workshop So Close and Yet So Far: A Critical Approach to Mobility in the Past. British School at Rome, Italy (2 April 2025).
Nava A (2025). Cosa rivelano i denti sull’evoluzione umana. Settimana dei Giganti. l’Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Italy (13 February 2025).
Nava A (2024). Intelligence in an evolutionary perspective. I Seminario Internacional Sobre IA y Derecho Privado Europeo, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy (14-15 May 2024).
Nava A (2023). Understanding of the maternal-infant nexus in ancient human populations: Advanced methods in dental histology and high-resolution compositional biogeochemistry. Colloque Annuel 1848es Journées de la Société d’Anthropologie de Paris, Paris, France (25-27 January 2023)
Nava A (2023). Understanding the mother-infant nexus in ancient human populations Advanced methods in dental histology and high-resolution compositional biogeochemistry. Seminar at the Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Geologiche, Univeristà di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Italy, 17 March 2023.
Nava A (2022). Modelling the evolution of the mother-infant dyad in ancient human populations. International Workshop “Darwin in Medicine: Why Evolution is relevant for research and medical practice”, Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture, Erice, Italy (17-23 April 2022)
Nava A (2019). Pre- and postnatal life history (growth, diet and health) in ancient humans proxied by dental enamel histomorphometry. International Workshop “Evolutionary Medicine: the Biocultural Perspective”. Senckenber Naturmuseum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, 07 09 October 2019
Nava A (2019). Disentangling early infancy in ancient human populations: dental enamel microstructure analysis. Senckenber Naturmuseum Frankfurt, 22 Febbraio 2019.
Nava A (2018). Una finestra sull’infanzia delle popolazioni del passato: l’analisi dei microdifetti dello smalto dentale. Dall’istologia classica all’approccio virtuale. Seminar at the Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Padua, Italy, 9 May 2018
Nava A (2018). A metà del cammino di Homo: evidenze dalla Dancalia eritrea. Invited lecturer at the XXI Borsa Mediterranea del Turismo Archeologico, Paestum, Italy, 15-18 November 2018 (oral presentation).
Nava A (2016). Human dental enamel as an individual biological archive. Seminar at the Eritrean Ministry of Sport and Culture, Asmara, Eritrea, 9 November 2016

FIELDWORK
Since 2015 Member of the scientific team of the Archaeological and Anthropological Mission in the 1 Ma Homo erectus bearing outcrop in the Eritrean Danakil (Buya sedimentary basin)
Dec 2014/Feb 2015 Member of the scientific team in the archaeological excavation led by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage of the Sultanate of Oman, at Daba, Musandam, Sultanate of Oman
2003-2011 Field bioarchaeologist and specialist in taphonomy for Archaeological Italian Superintendences with near-continuous participation in graveyards excavations. Main fieldworks: Medieval castle graveyard (Lucera); Late Antique hypogeum basilica Via Tiburtina 1435; Imperial Roman necropolises: Velia, Via Cavriglia, Casal Bertone – fullonica - San Basilio, Via Casilina, via Balzani, Gabii - Gabii Project Roma-, Via Sassonegro 18, Città dello Sport, Tor Vergata, Lucrezia Romana II, Via Paribeni, Via della Marranella di Marino 49, Piazza dei Navigatori, Via Appia Pignatelli, Torrino Mezzocammino, Trigoria, Campus Biomedico, Via Ardeatina – Santa Palomba, Aurelia Km 13 - Via della Monachina, via di S. Alessandro, Via della Massimina, Via di Quarto Peperino, Via di Grottarossa, Via di Castel Fusano - Ostia; Eneolithic graveyards: Casale Somaini, Torresina 2; Proto-Villanovian graveyard: Veio Pozzuolo.

ACADEMIC TEACHING
2021 Adjunct professor in Anthropology and Taphonomy, School of specialisation in Archaeology, University of Padua.
2013 – 2018 Teaching assistant – lectures, tutorials, and oral examination and marking in Physical Anthropology, Human Paleobiology and Paleopathology (Sapienza University of Rome)
2015 – 2018 Teaching during the field mission in the Eritrean Danakil – fieldwork, archaeological excavation, taphonomic analysis
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AND MEMBERSHIP
Reviewer for the scientific journals: PLoS ONE, American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Archives of Oral Biology, Yearbook of Physical Anthropology, Science Advance, Nature, Archive of Oral Biology, Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, iScience, PNAS, Journal of Human Evolution, International Journal of Osteoarchaeology.
Editor for the scientific journal: PLoS ONE.
Member of the Dental Anthropology Association (DAA), Associazione Antropologica Italiana (AAI), Society for the Study of Childhood in the Past (SSCIP), European Society for the Study of Human Evolution (ESHE).

PRESS RELEASES / MEDIA INTERVIEWS
2024 Partecipation to the documentary Little sapiens, broadcasted by Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
2020 Participation to the Italian radio broadcast Radio24, Darwin, l’evoluzione della scienza (09/11/2020, https://www.radio24.ilsole24ore.com/podcast-originali/darwin/podcast/20-...).
2018 Participation to the documentary Una mamma del Paleolitico, broadcasted internationally by national television RAI International
2017 Crescita “turbo” per i bambini dell’impero romano. Reported by ANSA (Italian National Associated Press Agency)
2017 Alta, giovane e muscolosa la donna di Ostuni ai raggi X. Dall’analisi del sincrotrone nuovi elementi sulla ragazza incinta di 28 mila anni fa. Morì malata con la mano sul suo feto. Reported by la Repubblica (national Italian newspaper), 26 August 2017
2017 Interview on the National broadcasting programme Unomattina (RAI1), 4 September 2017, on the Upper Palaeolithic fetus of Ostuni 1b
2017 Interview on national radio RadioRai3, 5 September 2017, on the Upper Palaeolithic fetus of Ostuni 1b
2017 Lettera da un bambino mai nato. Reported by Venerdì di Repubblica (national Italian newspaper magazine), 20 October 2017