Damiano Puglisi obtained his PhD in Biotechnology from the University of Catania, Italy, in 2021, including a six-month research stay at ICARDA in Morocco. He subsequently held postdoctoral positions at different CREA research centres, working on plant genetics, genomics, and bioinformatics. Since 2023, he has been a researcher at CREA-CI in Foggia, obtaining a permanent position in 2026. His research focuses on crop genetics and genomics, particularly the development and application of genomic prediction models to improve the prediction of complex agronomic traits and support genomic selection across traits and environments. His work integrates genomic data and predictive approaches to enhance breeding efficiency and facilitate informed selection decisions. In 2022 and 2026, he received the "Carlo Jucci" Award from the Italian Society of Agricultural Genetics (SIGA) for the best scientific publication in crop plant breeding.