Michela Amendola

Experiência

Michela Amendola is a PhD student in Forensic Anthropology at the University of Coimbra, currently affiliated with the Centre for Functional Ecology (CFE) and the Research Centre for Anthropology and Health (CIAS).

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Salerno (2020) and a Master’s degree in Forensic Biology from the University of Florence (2022).

During her time in Florence, she worked as a research collaborator at the Institute of Applied Physics “Nello Carrara” (IFAC-CNR), where she supported data collection and analysis for multiple research projects. In this role, she further developed her expertise in artificial intelligence and machine learning, strengthening her ability to apply computational methods to real-world research problems, particularly in anthropological contexts.

She is currently pursuing a PhD in Forensic Anthropology, where her research focuses on integrating machine learning and deep learning algorithms into forensic anthropology to enhance skeletal analysis and forensic identification. Specifically, her work aims to improve the accuracy and efficiency of traditional methods of sex estimation through advanced computational approaches.

During her period at IFAC-CNR, she co-authored the book Discovering the Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs with Deep Learning, which explores the application of deep learning techniques to Egyptian hieroglyphs (Andrea Barucci; Michela Amendola; Fabrizio Argenti; Chiara Canfailla; Costanza Cucci; Tommaso Guidi; Lorenzo Python; Massimiliano Franci. Discovering the Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs with Deep Learning. 2023. URL: https://www.ifac.cnr.it/wp-content/BOOKS/BOOK/HORUS/testoHORUS.pdf).

In 2026, she published a research article applying machine learning algorithms to sex estimation and assessing asymmetry in adult individuals: Tracing Asymmetry and Sexual Dimorphism in the Adult Iliac Auricular Surface: A Geometric Morphometrics and Machine Learning Approach (Amendola, Michela; Navega, David; Barucci, Andrea; Curate, Francisco; Monge Calleja, Álvaro, M. Int J Legal Med, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-026-03726-z).