Denise G. Ferravante is a psychologist, psychotherapist and adjunct professor at Sapienza, University of Rome, Faculty of Medicine, and Psychology, Postgraduate School in Psychological Assessment and Counselling. She is a researcher at ENEA, Antarctic Technical Unit, which every year organises the Expeditions to Antarctica for PNRA (Programma Nazionale di Ricerca in Antartide). 

She graduated in Psychology at Sapienza, University of Rome and has several specialisations in Clinical Psychology and Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, in Work Psychology and Organisational Transactional Analysis. She also specialised in the use of personality and projective tests, Rorschach test among others, for the assessment of personality characteristics that facilitate better adaptation in isolated and confined environments. She is responsible for psychological selection, training, and psychological support during the winter expeditions at Concordia Station in Antarctica. She participated in the selection for the assessment of the psychological aspects of the last class of European astronauts.

Denise G. Ferravante research interests are focused on human adaptation in isolated and confined environments such as Space and South Pole Missions. She’s involved in the study of the effects of isolation on coping strategies, mood, social structure and group dynamics, individual and group performance, decision-making mechanisms. She’s also interested in studying the impact that stressors such as alterations in the sleep-wake rhythm, sensory deprivation, and other factors have on psychological conditions. She has published numerous articles in psychology and science journals.

Denise G, Ferravante has participated in several research projects in Antarctica, at Concordia, and in facilities simulating long-duration missions in space.

In recent years, she has been an expert member of several ESA groups:

Life Sciences Working Group (LSWG) 2021-2023,

ESA Space Isolation Focus Team (ESIFT) 2021-2022,

ESA Isolation and Confinement Expert Group, 2024-current.