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Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich

Winterthurerstrasse 190
CH-8057 Zurich
Switzerland

eMail: cinzia.fornai@iem.uzh.ch
Phone: 0041 44 635 05 30

Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna

Althanstraße 14
1090 Vienna
AUSTRIA

eMail: cinzia.fornai@univie.ac.at
Phone: 0043-1-4277-54729
Fax: 0043-1-4277-9547

Cinzia Fornai, PhD



Short Curriculum Vitae


Current & Previous Positions


from November 2015 Post-doctoral fellow at the Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, advisor Dr. sc. nat. Dr. med. Martin Häusler (SNF156299 and SNF176319)
from January 2017 Scientific consultant for VieSID, Vienna School of Interdisciplinary Dentistry, Klosterneuburg, Austria
April 2014 - March 2016 Assistant and tutor for the project “Dental wear in historical populations” through the Department of Anthropology, University of Vienna, sponsored by “Sigfried Ludwig - Rudolf Slavicek Stipendienstiftung, Wien”. Project number FA547016. Reference person: Prof G. W. Weber
March 2011 - March 2014 Assistant for the project “3D Craniometry for Dentistry” (3d-dentistry.org) through the Department of Anthropology, University of Vienna, sponsored by “A.E.R.S. Dental Medicine Organisations GmbH”. Reference person: Prof G. W. Weber
From September 2011 Assistant for the EVAN Society (evan-society.org) for the online support to members and for the workshops on EVAN Toolbox (ET; software for 3D Geometric Morphometrics)
January 2010 - April 2010 Early stage researcher employment at the Department of Anthropology, University of Vienna, under the NSF project “Collaborative Research: Integrative analysis of hominid feeding biomechanics”. Director: Dr D. Strait. Supervisor in Vienna: Prof G. Weber
September 2009 - December 2009 Early stage researcher employment at the Department of Anthropology, University of Vienna, through the pre-doctoral Marie Curie Research Training fellowship (European Virtual Anthropology Network, EVAN) in quantitative morphology of hominoid teeth. Supervisor: Prof. G. Weber
January - June 2004 Collaboration with the Animal and Human Biology Department, University of Rome La Sapienza “Preservation and evaluation of human osteological collections.” Supervisors: Prof. G. Manzi and Prof. G. Spedini
October - December 2002 Collaboration with the Animal and Human Biology Department, University of Rome La Sapienza in researching and teaching. Supervisors: Prof. G. Manzi and Prof. P. Passarello


Teaching Experience


from March 2016 Teaching at the Medical University, Master for Prostodontics. Subjects: Geometric Morphometric-based articles on skull morphology and development, critical reading of scientific and clinical articles.
from 2014 At Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna. SS: “300154 UE - 3D Image data processing, landmarking and template building”; WS: “300318 UE - Virtual Image Manipulation and Segmentation”; “300033 VO Virtuelle Anthropologie - Einführung in digitale 3D-Verfahren”, by Prof. Gerhard Weber.
11 November 2017 Invited lecture at Congresso dell'Associazione Italiana Funzionalisti Orofacciali, Florence, Italy. Title: “Evolution and ‘regression’ of the dental occlusion in modern humans”
24-25 November 2017 Invited lecture at Swiss Society of Anthropology (SGA), Zurich, Switzerland. Title: “Geometric Morphometrics for the investigation of dental morphology”
September 2017 Invited lectures at Medical University of Vienna for the Master in Prosthodontics: Review of clinical papers with cross-reference evaluation
July 2017 Invited lecture at the Vienna Summer School, Forum for Science in Interdisciplinary Dentistry (VieSID): “Critical review of primary research articles on occlusion and temporomandibular disorders”. Chairing the Anthropology session.
March 2017 Invited lectures at Medical University of Vienna for the Master in Prosthodontics: The role of occlusion in temporo-mandibular disorders
July 2015 Invited lecture at the Vienna Summer School, Forum for Science in Interdisciplinary Dentistry (VieSID): “Human molar morphology”
July 2014 Invited lecture at the Vienna Summer School, Forum for Science in Interdisciplinary Dentistry (VieSID): “Combining Occlusal Fingerprint Analysis and Finite Element Methods for the investigation of the masticatory apparatus”
June 2013 Invited lecture at the Vienna Summer School, Forum for Science in Interdisciplinary Dentistry (VieSID): “Bipedalism in the light of evolution”, “Functional aspects of the hominin masticatory apparatus”
June 2012 Invited lecture at the Vienna Summer School, Forum for Science in Interdisciplinary Dentistry (VieSID): “Dental Morphometrics”.
January-February 2005 Teaching at the Civic University, Andrea Sacchi, in Nettuno, Rome: course title “Physical Anthropology and Human Evolution” (theoretical and practical lessons)

Education


2015 PhD in Biology, through the Department of Anthropology, University of Vienna
2009 MSc by research in Paleoanthropology. School of Anatomical Sciences and Institute for Human Evolution, Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
2002 Laurea (Degree) in Natural Sciences (Paleo-biology). University of Rome La Sapienza
1993 Certificate in Accountancy, Rome

Current Research Interests


Cinzia Fornai is trained as an evolutionary anthropologist and has worked in the field of virtual anthropology for the last several years.
In particular, she applies methods of virtual anthropology in which models from 3D image data are used for quantitative investigation of shape and form of eso- and endostructures.
Her main topics of research are dental morphology, the evolution of the modern pelvis, as well as the virtual reconstruction of fossils.
In addition, she has established a scientific collaboratation with dentists and orthodontists. Of particular interest to her is the understanding of occlusion in relation to temporo-mandibular disorders.

Publications

Úry, E., Fornai, C., Weber, G.W. (accepted). Accuracy of transferring analogue dental models to a virtual articulator. The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry

Hershvokitz, I., Weber GW, Quam R, Duval M, Grün R, Kinsley L, Ayalon A, Bar-Matthews M, Valladas H, Mercier N, Valladas H, Mercier N, Arsuaga JL, Martinón-Torres M, Bermúdez de Castro JM, Fornai C, et al. (2018). The earliest modern humans outside Africa. Science 359, 456-459.

Eckstein, M., Vaeth, M., Fornai, C., Vinu, M., Bromage, T. G., Nurbaeva, M. K., Sorge, J. L., Coelho, P. G., Idaghdour, Y., Feske, S. & Lacruz, R. S. (2017). Store-operated Ca2+ entry controls ameloblast cell function and enamel development. JCI Insight, 2(6), 1-15

Fornai, C., Benazzi, S., Gopher, A., Barkai, R., Sarig, R., Bookstein, F., Hershkovitz, I., Weber, G. (2016). The Qesem Cave hominin material (part 2): A morphometric analysis of dm2-QC2 deciduous lower second molar. Quat. Int., (398), 175-189

Hershkovitz, I., Weber, G. W., Fornai, C., Gopher, A., Barkai, R., Slon, V., Rolf, Q., Sarig, R. (2016). New Middle Pleistocene dental remains from Qesem Cave (Israel). Quat. Int., (398), 175-189

Sarig, R., Gopher, A., Barkai, R., Weber, G. W., Fornai, C., Sella-Tunis, T., Hershkovitz, I., (2016). How Did the Qesem People Use their Teeth? Analysis of Dental Wear Patterns. Quat. Int., (398), 136-147

Weber, G. W., Fornai, C., Gopher, A., Barkai, R., Sarig, R., Hershkovitz, I., (2016). The Qesem Cave hominin material (part 1): A morphometric analysis of the mandibular premolars and molar. Quat. Int., (398), 159-174

Lauc T., Fornai C., Premužic Z., Vodanovic M., Weber, G. W., Mašic B., Rajic Šikanjic P. (2015). Dental stigmata and enamel thickness in a probable case of congenital syphilis from XVI century Croatia. Arch Oral Biol, 60 (2015), 1554-1564

Fornai C., Bookstein F.L., Weber G.W. (2015) Variability of Australopithecus second maxillary molars from Sterkfontein Member 4. J Hum Evol. 85 (2015) 181-192

Fornai C., Benazzi S., Svoboda J., Pap I., Harvati K., Weber G. W. (2014) Enamel thickness variation of deciduous first and second upper molars in modern humans and Neanderthals. J Hum Evol. 76, 83-91

Benazzi S., Panetta, D., Fornai C., Toussaint, M., Gruppioni, G., Hublin, J.-J. 2014. Guidelines for the digital computation of 2D and 3D enamel thickness in hominoid teeth. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 153, 305-313.

Benazzi S., Fornai C., Buti L., Toussaint M., Mallegni F., Ricci S. Gruppioni G., Weber G.W., Condemi S., Ronchitelli A. 2012. Cervical and crown outline analysis of worn Neanderthal and modern human lower second deciduous molars. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 149(4):537-46

Benazzi S., Douka K., Fornai C., Bauer C.C., Kullmer O., Svoboda J., Pap I., Mallegni F., Bayle P., Coquerelle M., Condemi S., Ronchitelli A., Harvati K., Weber G. W. 2011. Early dispersal of modern humans in Europe and implications for Neanderthal behaviour. Nature 479, 525-528

Benazzi S., Fornai C., Bayle P., Coquerelle M., Kullmer O., Mallegni F., Weber G.W. 2011. Comparison of dental measurement systems for taxonomic assignment of Neanderthal and modern human lower second deciduous molars. J Hum Evol. 61: 320-326.

Ricci F, Fornai C, Tiesler Blos V, Rickards O, di Lernia S, Manzi G. 2008. Evidence of artificial cranial deformation from the later prehistory of the Acacus Mts. (southwestern Libya, Central Sahara). International Journal of Osteoarchaeology 18(4):372-391

Fiori O, Fornai C, Manzi G. 2004. Ai Confini del Gaudo. Una riconsiderazione dei resti scheletrici umani provenienti dai siti eneolitici di Cantalupo Mandela e Valvisciolo (Lazio meridionale). “To the border of Gaudo. A reconsideration of the human remains from the Eneolithic sites of Cantalupo Mandela and Valvisciolo (Southern Latium).” Origini XXVI:121-154

Ricci F., Fornai C., Passarello P., Vecchi F., Manzi G., 2002. Human skeletal remains from Wadi Tanezzuft: inventory, documentation, and description. In S. Di Lernia, G. Manzi (Eds), Sand, Stones, and Bones. The Archaeology of Death in the Wady Tanezzuft Valley, p. 217-250. Edizioni All’Insegna del Giglio: Firenze