Prof. Maria Giovanna Belcastro | Biological Sciences | Women Researcher  Award

Prof. Maria Giovanna Belcastro | Biological Sciences | Professor at Università di Bologna | Italy

Prof. Maria Giovanna Belcastro is a distinguished scholar in Physical Anthropology and Bioarchaeology whose career reflects sustained academic leadership, rigorous methodological innovation, and internationally recognized research excellence. Prof. Maria Giovanna Belcastro completed her higher education and doctoral training in Physical Anthropology at the Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, where she ultimately advanced to the position of Full Professor, contributing significantly to the development of osteological, bioarchaeological, and palaeopathological research. Across her academic trajectory, Prof. Maria Giovanna Belcastro has accumulated extensive professional experience through long-term research collaborations, supervision of archaeological and forensic investigations, and participation in major international projects examining population history, disease evolution, skeletal biomechanics, and lifestyle reconstructions in ancient communities. Her research interests encompass entheseal morphology, ageing estimation techniques, palaeopathology, dental anthropology, human skeletal variation, and the bioarchaeology of past populations, with her contributions consistently informing both theoretical frameworks and applied methodologies used in contemporary anthropological analysis. Prof. Maria Giovanna Belcastro possesses strong research skills in skeletal analysis, forensic identification methods, quantitative morphology, standardized scoring system development, and interdisciplinary integration of anthropological, archaeological, and biomedical data. She has produced a substantial body of peer-reviewed work indexed in Scopus and other leading databases, supported by a citation record exceeding 5000 citations with an H-index of 35 and an i10-index of 79, underscoring her influence in the global research community. Her awards and honors include recognitions for her contributions to anthropological sciences, leadership in collaborative excavation projects, and impact on advancing bioarchaeological methodology. She has also held various academic and scientific service roles, including involvement in editorial activities, conference participation, and international network collaborations that promote innovation within the discipline. Her future research trajectory demonstrates strong potential for leading integrative studies that combine osteobiography, paleogenetics, high-resolution imaging, and computational approaches to further enhance understanding of human adaptation, biological stress markers, and health transitions across historical periods. Overall, Prof. Maria Giovanna Belcastro’s sustained scholarly productivity, international research presence, and commitment to advancing anthropological science firmly establish her as a leading expert in her field and a highly deserving candidate for academic recognition.

Academic Profile: ORCID | Scopus | Google Scholar

Featured Publications:

1. Mariotti, V., Facchini, F., & Belcastro, M. G. (2007). The study of entheses: Proposal of a standardised scoring method for twenty-three entheses of the postcranial skeleton. 431 citations.

2. Mariotti, V., Facchini, F., & Belcastro, M. G. (2004). Enthesopathies: Proposal of a standardized scoring method and applications. 399 citations.

3. Cameriere, R., Ferrante, L., Belcastro, M. G., Bonfiglioli, B., Rastelli, E., et al. (2007). Age estimation by pulp/tooth ratio in canines by peri-apical X-rays. 348 citations.

4. Milella, M., Belcastro, M. G., Zollikofer, C. P. E., & Mariotti, V. (2012). The effect of age, sex, and physical activity on entheseal morphology in a contemporary Italian skeletal collection. 236 citations.

5. Belcastro, G., Rastelli, E., Mariotti, V., Consiglio, C., Facchini, F., et al. (2007). Continuity or discontinuity of lifestyle in central Italy during the Roman Imperial–Early Middle Ages transition: Diet, health, and behavior. 211 citations.