Ricercatore

Anna Di Cosmo, former Professor of Zoology at the University of Naples Federico II, is one of the most internationally renowned figures in the field of invertebrate neurobiology, particularly cephalopod mollusks. She is the director of the OctopusCore facility at the University of Naples' Department of Biology, a cutting edge center dedicated to the study of cephalopod neuroethology, currently the only authorized center in Italy. Her commitment to recognizing animal sentience is based on decades of research on the nervous system, behavior, and chemical communication of species such as octopuses, cuttlefish, and squid. Her discoveries have highlighted the sophisticated neurophysiological organization and remarkable cognitive abilities of these animals, providing concrete evidence that they are capable of experiencing pain, stress, and learning from experience.
Based on this scientific foundation, Di Cosmo was a leading proponent of the inclusion of cephalopods in Directive 2010/63/EU, which regulates the protection of animals used for scientific purposes in the European Union. This legislative recognition marked a landmark moment: for the first time, a group of invertebrates was included in legislation recognizing their sentience, paving the way for a profound review of experimental practices and moral conceptions regarding the treatment of non-vertebrate animals.
Di Cosmo's work has not been limited to academic research: she has conducted intensive outreach, training, and advocacy, collaborating with international organizations and participating in multidisciplinary working groups to promote invertebrate welfare as a scientific and regulatory field. Her approach integrates biology, ethology, philosophy, and law, with the aim of establishing, on solid empirical foundations, a new ethic of care for living beings such as invertebrates previously ignored by the public and institutions. In this sense, her work represents a model of engaged
science, capable of influencing policies and redefining our moral responsibilities towards life forms that are often invisible but no less worthy of consideration.