Born in Padova in 1963.Education:1992 PhD in Chemistry at the University of Padova1988 Laurea in Chemistry 110/110 cum laude at the University of Padova.Career:Since 2002 associate professor in the Department of Chemical Sciences of the University of Padova.From 1998 to 2002 “ricercatore” (assistant professor) at the Department of Physical Chemistry of the University of Padova.1995 - 1997 visiting scientist in the group of Prof. C. Bräuchle at the Institut für physikalische Chemie at the LMU (Muenchen, Germany).1993 - 1995 post-doctoral fellow in the group of Prof. M. D. Fayer at the Department of Chemistry of Stanford University (California, U.S.A.).1992 - 1993 post-doctoral fellow at the Max Plank Institut für biophysikalische Chemie, Göttingen (Germany), in the group of Prof. B. Dick.The research activity during the PhD and post-doc has been devoted to the study of the linear and nonlinear optical response as well as the relaxation and dephasing dynamic of organic chromophores dispersed in solid state matrices or in solution. The chromphore acts as probe of the surrounding system, therefore its spectral and temporal response to optical stimuli helped gaining information on the dynamics (e.g. vibrational and reorientational) of polymer matrices, simple and complex liquids and, confined liquids. The experimental techniques employed to this goal were: Hole Burning and CARS in the frequency domain; Photon Echo, Pump and Probe and Time Resolved Fluorescence with ultrafast laser sources in the dime domain.Currently Prof. Ferrante research interests are focused on two main topics:i) optical characterization of the behaviour of simple fluids and solutions in microfluidic devices suitably modified with micro- and nano-structures generated by direct laser writing. Recently she started a collaboration with a team of biologists of the Padova University to exploit microfluidic devices as model system for cell growth under exposure of flowing drug/nanoparticles. Time resolved fluorescence microscopy techniques are developed to observe/characterize these devices;ii) investigation of the nonlinear response and the photopysics of homo- and hetero-dimers and molecular aggregates dispersed in solution and solid state matrices excited by ultrafast laser sources, as model systems for artificial antennas;Author of forty papers on international journals, she has also attended many national and international conferences.She received founding as: local coordinator of a Prin2006 project, principal investigator of a project financed by the Padova University, and local coordinator of the PROMO project financed by C.N.R.- I.N.S.T.M. Consortium.
