MARTA CAVAGNARO

POSITIONS
2012 - present: Associate Professor in Electromagnetic Fields (ING-INF/02) at Sapienza University of Rome
2000 - 2012: Assistant Professor in Electromagnetic Fields (ING-INF/02) at Sapienza University of Rome
1997 – 2000: Research Fellow, Dept. of Electronic Engineering of Sapienza University of Rome
1993: Scholarship from Alenia Spazio SpA to develop a theoretical model of the coupling of electromagnetic fields within a triaxial cable.

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
Marta Cavagnaro scientific activity is mainly devoted to dosimetry of electromagnetic fields. Her interests include medical applications of electromagnetic fields, as, e.g., interstitial techniques for therapeutic use of microwave energy, hyperthermia, and UWB radar techniques for the remote monitoring of breath activity. Both numerical and experimental studies are conducted with the aim of modelling the electromagnetic field and temperature close to radiating antennas in near field applications. The numerical studies have been conducted both with custom-made codes and commercial full wave software. Studies on the electrical and thermal characterization of biological tissues are performed also, measuring dielectric and thermal properties with different techniques and considering influencing factors as e.g., the temperature. Antenna design is tackled also.

PUBLICATIONS
Marta Cavagnaro published more than 170 scientific works in international publications with anonymous peer-review, including chapters in books, scientific journals and congresses.

Since 2002 she is anonymous reviewer of several scientific journals (e.g. IEEE Transaction on Biomedical Engineering, International Journal of Hyperthermia, Physica Medica, Bioelectromagnetics, IEEE Transaction on Antennas and Propagation, IEEE Transactions on Electromagnetic Compatibility, IEEE Transaction on Microwave Theory and Techniques, etc) and since 2014 member of the Technical Program Review Committee of BioEm Conference, eHPWAS, ISMICT, MobilHealth, and EuCAP.

AWARDS, COMPETITIONS, AND PARTICIPATION IN EXPERT COMMITTEES
2021 – : Participant of the ASME effort on Lexicon and physical properties of tissues measurement techniques standardization; co-coordinator of the group on thermal properties
2017: Appointed eligible as Full Professor in Electromagnetic Fields (SSD ING-INF/02).
2010 - 2012 Member of the SCIII - Standing Committee on Physics & Engineering of ICNIRP (International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection).
2007 - 2012 Invited member of the working group PT 62232 of IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) TC106, devoted to the development of the IEC standard Determination of RF fields in the vicinity of mobile communication base stations for the purpose of evaluating human exposure.
2001: Young researchers’ competition funded by MURST.
1996: Young Scientist Award from International Union of Radio Science (URSI).
1993: Qualification for the engineering profession.

SCIENTIFIC SOCIETES PARTICIPATION
Marta Cavagnaro is a member of Italian and international scientific societies as ICEmB (italian centre for the interaction between electromagnetic fields and bio-systems), SIEm (Italian society for electromagnetism), IEEE, EBEA (European Bio-Electromagnetic Association), ESHO (European Society for Hyperthermic Oncology), ASME (the American Society of Mechanical Engineers).

PROJECTS
2020: Coordinator of a research unit and WG Leader of PRIN BEST-FOOD Project (Broadband Electromagnetic Sensing Technologies for Food quality and security assessment).
2018: Partner in the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network EMERALD (ElectroMagnetic imaging for a novel genERation of medicAL Devices) – Kick-off date May 2018.
2018: Italian representative and co-leader of WG2 of the European funded COST action COST17115 MyWAVE “European network for advancing ElectroMagnetic hyperthermic medical technologies” (https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA17115).
2013-2016: Participant in the Italian PRIN ARTEMIDE Project (Autonomous Real Time Embedded Multi-analyte Integrated Detection Environment).
2011-12: Work-package coordinator in the project “Nimurra” funded by the Italian Space Agency;
2008-11: Scientific coordinator of the project “TAM – TermoAblazione a Microonde”, funded by FILAS;
2001-04 Participant in the Italian project “Salvaguardia dell'uomo e dell'ambiente dalle emissioni elettromagnetiche“ funded by MIUR;
2001-02: Participant in the Italian PRIN "Impatto ambientale dei sistemi radiomobili e di broadcasting", for the aspects related to numerical dosimetry;
1999–2001: Coordinator of the Italian part of the project “‘Rational Assessment of Health Effects Related to the Use of Mobile Phones” funded by MURST under the “Joint Research and Technology Programme 1999 – 2001”, involving researchers from Italy and Greece;
1996-99: Participant in the CEPHOS Project, funded in the framework of the EU IV Framework Programme (dosimetry studies on mobile phones);
1996-97: Participant in the Italian CNR ST74-WWLAN Project (development of a WLAN system at millimetre waves), for the safety aspects of electromagnetic fields;
1995-96: Coordinator of the Italian part in a project funded by MURST - British Council on measurements of electromagnetic fields in biological tissue (Italy-England)
1994-96: Coordinator of 1 task on numerical code comparison in the EU funded COST244 Project;

ORGANISATIONAL ACTIVITIES
2025 – Associate Editor of Sensors (MDPI)
2024 – Guest Editor of the Special Issue on Microwaves for Biomedical Applications and Sensing, , Sensors, Section "Biomedical Sensors". MDPI (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sensors/special_issues/1Z9B82DR90)
2020 – Guest Editor of the Special Issue on Measurements Techniques of Biological Tissues Dielectric Properties, Updated Data and Current Applications, Sensors, Section "Biomedical Sensors". MDPI (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sensors/special_issues/dielectric_measurements)
2018 – Co-Editor of the Special issue on The use of accurate tissue and body models in RF and MW medical applications, of the International Journal of RF and Microwave Computer-Aided Engineering (Wiley Online Library), vol. 28, no. 3, March 2018.
2016 – present: Associate Editor of Bioelectromagnetics, the offcial journal of the Bioelectromagnetics Society (BEMS) and of the European BioElectromagnetics Association (EBEA).
2015 – present: Member of the Editorial Board of International Journal of Antennas and Propagation (Hindawi Publishing Corporation)
2009: Organizer and Chairman of the session Women in Engineering in the 2009 European Microwave Week.

TEACHING ACTIVITIES
Marta Cavagnaro teaching activities include teaching of a course on Biomedical Instrumentation for the Biomedical Engineering Master Degree (since 2010), a course on Antennas and Propagation (since 2014) for the Communication Engineering Master Degree, and a module in the course Microwaves (in English) for the Electronic Engineering Master Degree (since 2018), plus several lecturers on the FDTD method, electromagnetic dosimetry and antennas in medical applications.

Since 2002 she is a member of the Board of the PhD Course in Electronic Engineering of Sapienza University. In 2012 the Electronic Engineering PhD course merged in the PhD School of Information and Communication Technology (ICT); Marta Cavagnaro joined the ICT PhD Board within the curriculum Applied Electromagnetics.
She tutored several Master degree thesis as well as PhD students.