Since 2014, Maria Cefola has been a researcher at the Institute of the Science of Food Production (ISPA) of the National Research Council (CNR). From 2006 to 2010, Maria Cefola attended the PhD School on “Innovation Management in Agri-Food Systems in the Mediterranean”, dealing with the post-harvest management of fresh and fresh-cut fruit and vegetable products of the Mediterranean Region, at the University of Foggia. During her doctorate, she spent six months at the Department of Plant Science at UC Davis. In 2004, Maria Cefola obtained a Master's Degree in Food Science and Technology at the University of Basilicata. She has gained significant experience in post-harvest management of fruits and vegetables within international, national, and regional research projects and has attended several international courses and congresses. Her research activities relate to improving the quality of fresh-cut products through the application of innovative pre-treatment, packaging, and/or storage conditions; innovation in cold chain logistics; and the study of innovative non-destructive systems for quality evaluation.