Women researchers in tunicate biology at the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn in Napoli

Abstract

The Stazione Zoologica of Napoli, abbreviated as SZN, was established in 1872 by the zoologist Anton Dohrn and carries on a longstanding tradition of studies on tunicate biology conducted by women scientists.In particular, starting from the early 1990s, Drs. Rosaria De Santis, Elisabetta Tosti, Margherita Branno, and Anna Palumbo began concentrating on these organisms, studying different aspects of ascidian biology. Their research yielded several landmark publications and fostered the training of numerous undergraduate and graduate students, several of which have remained in the field of tunicate biology. | ROSARIA DE SANTISUndoubtedly, Rosaria De Santis has been the pioneer in the use of ascidians as experimental model organisms at the SZN and she represented for many young people, over the years, the reference scientist for all Ciona studies. Rosaria graduated in Biological Sciences from the University "La Sapienza" in Roma in 1974, and one year later she moved to Napoli as a research fellow of the SZN. In 1976, she joined a project focused on gametic interaction in Ciona that had just been started by Prof.