Dr Chiara Spiniello

BSc, MSc (Naples); PhD (Groningen)

I did my Bachelor (in Physics) and Master (in Astrophysics and Space Science) studies at the “Federico II” University of Naples, the city where I was born and grew up. In October 2009, I was awarded a Ubbo Emmius scholarship at the Kapteyn Institute in Groningen, the Netherlands, where, after 4 years, I obtained my PhD degree with the “cum laude” distinction, the best possible grade in NL. In 2013 I became a Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics (MPA) in Garching by Munich, Germany. In 2017, I was awarded a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Astrofit2 Fellowship at the INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico di Napoli (Naples, IT). 

Since May 2020, I joined the University of Oxford and Christ Church, first as Hintze Research Fellow for three years, then as Career Development Fellow for an additional year. In 2024, I have been awarded a prestigious STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellowship to establish my own independent research. 

My biggest scientific interest is the study of the most massive galaxies in the Universe, with particular focus on their intriguing formation, mass assembly and cosmic evolution. Their role in the currently accepted cosmological model is fundamental as they account for more than half of the total stellar mass in the Universe and are responsible for most of its chemical enrichment.  

I published more than 60 papers in refereed journals, collecting, in total, more than 3000 citations. My complete bibliography can be found at: https://sites.google.com/inaf.it/chiara-spiniello/bibliography

I enjoy basketball (as a coach and player), photography and travelling.