Eftychia Tzafesta

Eftychia Tzafesta

Data Science Specialist
She holds a Master’s in Ichthyology and Aquatic Environmental Sciences from the University of Thessaly and a Ph.D. from the University of Salento, where she applied innovative molecular techniques to assess biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems. Her research integrated fieldwork, laboratory analyses and data-driven approaches to explore traditional and molecular tools for understanding biodiversity changes and supporting conservation efforts. Over the years she has published several scientific articles in international peer-reviewed journals and actively contributed to conferences, seminars and workshops.
She currently works as a data scientist, specializing in developing policies and strategies for the collection, organization, storage, and accessibility of (meta)data, with a strong emphasis on harmonization, interoperability challenges, and FAIR data management. She is involved in various European projects that focus on the entire data lifecycle within environmental research.

Madeira Scauri

Madeira Scauri

Madeira Scauri holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Foreign Languages and Literatures, with a focus on Press and Cultural Journalism, from the Università degli Studi di Napoli “L’Orientale.”

With extensive experience in communication, dissemination, and outreach, Madeira previously served as the EU Project Communication, Dissemination & Outreach Manager at ENCO Engineering and Consulting. In this role, she was the Communication and Dissemination leader for projects such as MERLIN, BioSupPack, and CISUFLO, organised major EU events, and collaborated with stakeholders across various sectors. She also contributed to the European Commission’s Digital Innovation Lab at DG DIGIT, focusing on co-creation, content development, and stakeholder engagement.

Madeira is an experienced EU Project Communication Officer at LifeWatch ERIC, where she is the Communication and Dissemination leader of RESTORE4Cs and task leader of MARBEFES. She is also involved in the communication and dissemination efforts for several other Horizon EU projects, including FAIR IMPACT, ANERIS, DTO-BioFlow, DOORS, etc. Her responsibilities include content creation, social media management, and coordinating high-profile events.

Eleonora Parisi

Eleonora Parisi

EU project Training Officer, LifeWatch ERIC

Graduated in Communication and Media Studies in 2017 at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Eleonora has been working as digital project officer in membership-based organisations supporting the professional development of researchers, scholars, and school education staff across Europe. Between 2019 and 2022 at European Schoolnet she coordinated the production of monthly webinar and massive open online course (MOOCs) series, while also acting as product owner for complex learning management systems. Eleonora joined LifeWatch ERIC in 2022, where she puts into practice her expertise in continuous and digital learning by designing training strategies in Horizon Europe projects, strengthening capacities in ecosystems and biodiversity management, Earth and ocean monitoring, open science, and research software engineering.

Vanessa Marrocco

Vanessa Marrocco
EU Project Scientific Networking Officer, LifeWatch ERIC 
Graduated with honors in Environmental Sciences in 2017, Vanessa Marrocco holds a PhD in Ecology from the University of Salento. She has a strong scientific background in animal movement, spatial planning, ecological responses to climate change, and invasive species. During her PhD and post-doc with LifeWatch, she had the opportunity to work with various researchers, focusing on their needs, which has evolved into her current role.
For the past two years, as EU Project Scientific Networking Officer, she has been primarily involved in European projects, fostering collaboration between scientists and institutions.

Iria Soto Embodas

Iria Soto Embodas

Senior Scientific Manager

She is a Senior Scientific Manager at ICT-Core, where she coordinates and manages LifeWatch ERIC activities across various Horizon Europe projects. With a transdisciplinary background, her work focuses on sustainable food production, agroecology, sustainable soil management, and climate change adaptation and mitigation. She is particularly involved in the SUSSOIL, StePPFoS, GreenCop, Agroecology, and Path2Dea projects within LifeWatch ERIC.

Iria holds a PhD in Bioeconomy from the University of Leuven (Belgium), a Master’s in Biology from the University of Uppsala (Sweden), a Master’s in International Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid from the Complutense University of Madrid, and an MSc in Forest Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Madrid (Spain).

From 2015 to 2021, Iria worked at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in Seville, within the Sustainable Resources Unit. There, she evaluated the environmental and socio-economic impacts of various climate change adaptation and mitigation programs and practices. She also assessed the sustainability of biofuel production in Mali and Mexico while at the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Leuven. Additionally, Iria has managed international projects in countries such as Mexico, Lebanon, Morocco, Mali, and India, while working at the International Affairs Directorate of the Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia. In this role, she collaborated with organizations like the FAO and the World Bank. She is the author of over 20 publications and has participated in many seminars, conferences and workshop.

Main publications

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160791X24003117

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1462901118305471?via%3Dihub

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301421514007034?via%3Dihub

Javier Saura Rascón

Javier Saura Rascón

Project Executive Assistant

Master’s in Project Management, Master’s in Innovation, and a Bachelor’s in Labor Relations and Human Resources. Specialist in project management, innovation, and industrialization. He has led strategic R&D&I and industrialization plans in the aerospace and automotive sectors. His expertise includes securing funding, engaging with stakeholders, transferring research results, and managing intellectual and industrial property.

He has worked in the public sector, coordinating European programs such as Next Generation, URBAN, INTERREG, ESF, and ERDF, focusing on local development and employment. His achievements include leading industrialization projects in aerospace and automotive, formulating technological roadmaps, and participating in international cooperation projects in Guatemala and Guinea-Bissau.

Currently, he leads the preparation of ERDF project proposals for biodiversity impact monitoring in environmental restoration projects and the development of digital twins for protected areas. His profile blends strategic leadership, financial management, and an innovative approach to emerging technologies, with a strong results-oriented mindset.

See Publications

Xavier Rotllan-Puig

Xavier Rotllan Puig

Agricultural Engineering specialised in ecology and biodiversity conservation. His research first focused on Mediterranean endemic and threatened flora, exploring plant reproductive processes and their interactions within ecosystems, later expanding to ecological modelling and spatial data analysis.

He has worked in several research centres and protected areas in Spain and Italy, gaining hands-on experience in conservation projects and biodiversity monitoring. From 2015 to 2021, he was a data analyst, GIS developer and consultant at the Joint Research Centre (EC-JRC), contributing to projects on greenhouse gas emissions, land productivity, and environmental indicators. In 2021, he became a Project Officer at the EC-JRC, focusing on analysing extensive data sets to develop indicators related to biodiversity and agriculture. During this time, he also gained experience at the intersection of science and policy.

In 2024, he joined LifeWatch ERIC as a Data Management Specialist, where he is involved in the entire data life cycle for agroecology and soil science projects, including Agroecology, SUS-SOIL, PATH2DEA and AgroServ.

Xavier has co-authored several scientific publications, on ecology, biodiversity conservation, plant biology and ecological modelling, with a strong focus on integrating data-driven approaches. Additionally, he has developed and maintains several R packages for ecological analysis and biodiversity research.

Main publications:

  • https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X2401121X?via%3Dihub
  • https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304380020304191?via%3Dihub
  • https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X21010517?via%3Dihub

Mariela Pino García

Mariela Pino García

Holds a degree in Statistical Sciences and Techniques and a PhD in Social and Legal Sciences. She has over 15 years of experience in a multinational technology company, where she has coordinated and managed R&D&I projects at regional, national, and European levels, both individually and in consortia. Her expertise lies in data science, expert systems, digital twins, and innovation management. She has led industrialisation projects and contributed to the execution of R&D&I initiatives related to data science. Her current work focuses on managing innovation projects, ensuring their successful development and implementation. She is passionate about leveraging data science and innovation to drive technological progress and efficiency in various sectors.