Anna is the InnoRenew CoE Deputy director and Head of research department for materials.

She is associate professor and research associate at the Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Science and Information Technology at University of Primorska. She was previously employed at Trees and Timber Institute of Italian National Research Council, where she coordinated the Laboratory of Surface Characterization.

She has PhD in Wood Science and M.Sc. in Biology. Anna is a member of Italian Society for Near Infrared Spectroscopy, International Committee for Near Infrared Spectroscopy, International Research Group on Wood Protection, and International Society for Plant Spectroscopy. In 2012 she was appointed as IUFRO Officeholder, deputy of division 5.03.05 – Biological resistance of wood. In 2023 she was nominated by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), and joined the AcademiaNET. She also actively contributes to several COST actions, including FP1006, FP1101, FP1303, FP1407, FP1405, TU1403, CA 15216, CA16226 and CA19145.

In 2022 Anna was awarded the ERC consolidator grant for the project ARCHI-SKIN (101044468-ERC-2021-COG) to develop the novel concept of a bio-active living coating system, pushing the boundaries of traditional materials toward the development of engineered living materials. Anna is analyzing multi-scale relationship and performance of modified and functionalized bio-based materials and implementing them as new architectural elements. Her passion is to search for biomimetic solutions for design of new materials and to promote knowledge-based use of bio-inspired materials in modern sustainable buildings.