Benedetta Ciardi’s research aims at understanding the processes that govern the formation and evolution of the first cosmic structures, and their interplay with the gas residing between galaxies, called intergalactic medium (IGM). Particular focus is on the impact of ionizing photons emitted e.g. by stars and accreting black holes residing within galaxies, a process which is commonly known as reionization. Benedetta Ciardi’s expertise is theoretical modelling, achieved through a variety of approaches, ranging from semi-numeric methods, to dark matter, hydrodynamic and radiative transfer simulations.