Address:
Università degli Studi di Firenze,
Dipartimento di Biologia, Via Madonna del Piano, 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italia
Contact:
(+39) 055 457 4723
Bluesky: @davidbaracchi.bsky.social
Linkedin: link
Orcid ID: 0000-0003-1308-0612
David Baracchi
Associate Professor
PhD in Animal Ecology and Ethology
Social insects display intricate behaviors and remarkable cognitive abilities. I am particularly fascinated by the evolution and adaptability of these traits. Together with my research team, we investigate the neuroethological mechanisms underlying cognition in small-brained insects—primarily bees and wasps—including subtle but critical aspects of their inner world, such as emotional and motivational states that shape their decision-making and interactions with the environment. Our goal is to understand how these insects adapt to changing conditions and make strategic choices that ensure their survival.
Our research also delves into the impact of biotic and abiotic stressors on the well-being and cognition of managed and wild pollinators. We are interested in understanding how factors such as pesticide exposure, pollutants, and disease affect the health and cognitive abilities of these crucial insects. By exploring these interactions, we aim to contribute to the development of sustainable practices and conservation strategies that promote the resilience of social insect communities.
Education
2012
PhD in Animal Ethology and Ecology. University of Florence. Advisor: Prof. Stefano Turillazzi
2007
Master's degree in Behavioural Biology. Honours Summa con Laude. University of Florence. Advisor: Prof. Stefano Turillazzi
2005
Bachelor's Degree in Biological Science. Honours Summa con Laude. University of Florence. Advisor: Prof. Stefano Turillazzi
Invited Talks at Scientific Meetings
2026 XX. International Congress of the International Union for the Study of Social Insects, IUSSI, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germanyy
2026 8th European Society for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Meeting, ESCAN, Roma, Italy
2022 European Student Conference on Behaviour and Cognition ESCBC, Trento, Italy
2022 XIV International Congress Neuroethology, ICN, Lisbon, Portugal
2018 XI European Congress of Entomology, ECE,Naples, Italy
2016 IFE-GDR Meeting, Paris, France
2015 SFECA Strasburg, France
2014 EURBEE Murcia, Spain
Professional History
2021 - Present
Associate Professor (Bios-03/A, Zoology) University of Florence, Italy
2018 - 21
Montalcini Research Fellow (RTDb). Assistant Professor. University of Florence, Italy
2015-18
Postdoctoral Researcher, Université Paul Sabatier III, CNRS, France. Prof. Martin Giurfa's Lab
2015-18
Postdoctoral Researcher, Université Paris13, France. Prof. Patrizia d'Ettorre's Lab
2013-15
Marie Curie Research Fellow, Queen Mary University of London, UK. Prof. Lars Chittka's Lab
Principal Funding
2023-2025 National Funding Scheme PRIN-2022 (Role: PI) (€284.000)
2023-2025 National Geographic (Role: Partecipant) (€95.000)
2021-2023 Eva Crane TRUST Grant (Role: PI) (€35.000)
2017-2021 Rita Levi Montalcini Fellowship (Role: PI) (€214.000)
2013-2015 Marie Sklodowska - Curie Fellowship IEF (€221.000)
2009-12 PhD Scholarship Italian Ministry of Research and Education
Flavia Di Cesare (PhD student)
I''m a Master's graduate in Ecology and Ethology, passionate about wild and managed pollinators, and interested in studying the factors that cause their decline, such as the use of synthetic pesticides. My research focuses on the study of bacterial biopesticides, a new frontier in plant protection products, which, although they represent an improvement in terms of toxicity, are still inadequately tested. It is therefore important to study these products in order to understand their true safety. To this end, in addition to acute and chronic lethal effects, I am also investigating a wide range of sub-lethal effects, particularly those related to behaviour and cognitive abilities. These aspects are crucial for survival, especially for social insects like honey bees and bumble bees.
Mathilde Lacombrade (Foundation Fyssen Research Fellow)
I am an eco-ethologist specializing in the behavior and cognition of nectar-foraging social insects such as bees, bumblebees, hornets, and wasps. My research focuses on the interactions between these insects and their environment: how they exploit it through foraging, and how environmental pollution resulting from anthropogenic activities could affect their ecology. Supported by the Fyssen Foundation and conducted in Dr. Baracchi’s lab, my current project investigates how polystyrene, the most widely used plastic, affects individual cognitive performance and foraging efficiency, potentially leading to colony fitness loss. This study focuses on Polistes dominula, a nectar-foraging wasp and wild ecosystem service provider, to better understand how plastic pollution impacts insect populations and ecological stability.
Marina Alma (Visiting Researcher)
I am a behavioural ecologist studying how environmental stressors associated with global change affect the ecology, physiology, and behaviour of social insects. My research integrates behavioural ecology, pollinator health, and pest management, using honeybees and leaf-cutting ants as primary model systems. My previous work has focused on the costs and benefits of social living, particularly how individual and cooperative behaviours influence colony performance under varying environmental conditions. More recently, I have expanded my research to investigate the effects of microplastic pollution on honeybee behaviour and health, as well as the development of sustainable, non-insecticidal strategies for managing social insect pests.
Former Lab Members
Former Postdoctoral Researchers
Dr. Luigi Baciadonna (2023-2025) (now Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Newcastle)
Dr. Giulia Ricciardi (2023-2024) (now Lab Technician Product Safety)at Ecol Studio Life analytics)
Dr. Massimo de Agrò (2021-2022) (now Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Trento)
PhD Alumni
Dr. Federico Ferrante (2022-2026)
Former Postgraduate Students and Research Assistants
Dr. Elisa Pasquini (2021-2022) (now PhD student at the University of Trento)
Dr. Eleonora Mannino (2021)
Dr. Stefania Smargiassi (2019) (now Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Turin)
Dr. Daniele Carlesso (2019) (now Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Konstanz)
Former Visiting Researchers and Exchange Students
Dr. Panagiota Santikou (2026) (Erasmus+ Programma)
Dr. Harbhajan Singh (2026) (Tropimundo Erasmus Mundus)
Dr. Daniela Alejandra Torres Garcia (2025)Research Internships BEPE, Universidade de São Paulo)
Dr. Natalia Berrazueta (2024-2025) (Tropimundo Erasmus Mundus)
Dr. Rafael Carvalho Da Solva (2024) (Sorbonne University)
Dr. Noorhidayah Binti Mamat (2024) (Universiti Malaya)
Prof. Nurul Ashikin Binti Abdullah (2024) (Universiti Malaya)
Dr. Mirela Dragan (2023) (University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Bucharest)
Prof. André Rodrigues de Souza (2023) (University of São Paulo)
Dr. Eva La Costa Morcillo (2023) (Erasmus+ Programme)
Dr. Maria Theocharidou (2022) (Erasmus+ Programma)
Dr. Narmin Ilgar Beydizada (2022) (Masaryk University)
Dr. Keteoglou Makrina (2022) (Erasmus+ Programme)