Research Fellow
DVM, PhD, Specialist in Applied Ethology and Animal Welfare
Gaia graduated in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Milan in 2021. During her studies, she developed a strong interest in farm animals, with particular focus on bovine neonatology and topics related to animal behaviour and welfare.
After graduation, she carried out research activities at the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences of the University of Milan within the PORCASTRO project, which focused on the evaluation of alternatives to surgical castration without anaesthesia and analgesia in pig farming, with the aim of contributing to improved animal welfare.
In March 2026, she obtained a PhD in Veterinary and Animal Sciences with a thesis focused on the application of Precision Livestock Farming technologies to assess the effects of pair housing on the behaviour and welfare of dairy calves. During her PhD, she worked within the “Vitelli CAGE-FREE – Alternative systems to individual housing of pre-weaning calves” project, aimed at evaluating the technical and economic sustainability of alternatives to individual housing and promoting farming systems based on high animal welfare standards.
In July 2026, she obtained a Specialization Diploma in Applied Ethology and Animal Welfare from the University of Milan, with a thesis focusing on the implications of pair housing from birth on the welfare of dairy calves.
Her main research interests include the behaviour, welfare and management of farm animals, with particular focus on dairy cattle and pigs. Her scientific activity focuses on the application of Precision Livestock Farming technologies for monitoring animal behaviour and welfare, with particular interest in the study of behavioural changes associated with alterations in welfare status and in the development of innovative tools to support welfare assessment in livestock farming.