Raffaela Cabriolu

Education:

Ph.D. Physics, 2012, School of Physics and Astronomy, Soft Matter Research Group, University of Leeds, UK. 

B.S. Physics Degree, 2009, SLACS, Physics Department, University of Cagliari, Italy.

Research experience:

2012~ present       Postdoctoral Researcher Employee

                              Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

                              Computational Materials Science Group, GWU, Washington DC.

2008~2009            Erasmus Studentship, Atomistic Simulation Centre, Queen’s                            

                             University of Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Publications:

Confounding the Paradigm: Peculiarities of Amyloid Fibril Nucleation

Kashchiev D., Cabriolu R., and Auer S., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 135, 1531 (2013)

Breakdown of nucleation theory for crystals with strongly anisotropic interactions between molecule

Cabriolu R., Kashchiev D., and Auer S. ,J. Chem. Phys. 137, 204903 (2012)

Size Distribution of Amyloid Nanofibrils

Cabriolu R., Kashchiev D., and Auer S., Biophys. Journal 101 , 2232, (2011)

Amyloid Fibrillation Kinetics: Insight from Atomistic Nucleation Theory

Cabriolu R., and Auer S., J. Mol. Biol. 411, 275, (2011)

Atomistic theory of amyloid fibril nucleation

Cabriolu R., Kashchiev D., and Auer S., J. Chem. Phys. 133 , 225101 (2010)

Thermodynamic properties and atomistic structure of the dry amorphous silica surface from a reactive force field model

Cabriolu R., and Ballone, P. Phys. Rev.B 81 ,1155432 (2010)

Melting of a tetrahedral network model of silica

Cabriolu R., Del Popolo M., and Ballone P., PCCP 11, 10820 (2009).

Research interest: 

Statistical mechanics and computer simulation of Nucleation processes.

Modelling of supra-molecular aggregation.

Modelling and simulation of network forming materials (silica).

Modelling of Ice and Methane Hydrates.

PhD Project:

My phd research experience was focused on the investigation of the nucleation stage in the amyloid formation process. I have used computer simulation methods such as equilibrium Monte Carlo and kinetic MC, as well as theoretical approaches such as classical and atomistic nucleation theory.

Research Experience:

During my Erasmus studentship I carried out a detailed study of melting and glass transition in silica using Monte Carlo techniques. Moreover, I investigated structural and thermodynamic properties of clean amorphous silica surfaces.

Skills:

Programming with C, C++ and Fortran 90. Extended knowledge of Windows environment and its applications. Extended knowledge of Unix and Linux environments. Experience in Latex and the most common editors and programs. Language skills: first language Italian, fluent in English, basic knowledge of French, learning Welsh.

Teaching experience:

Supervision of a university student for its final year project. 

Demonstrator for C programming module first year and Computational Project in C second year. Marking and Tutorials for fundamental modules of Physic degree course such as Quantum Physics, Condensed Matter Physics and Particle Physics.