Erika Conti's area of specialization is 20th-century Italian literature, with a focus on personal narratives and collective memories of Fascism and World War II. Her research and teaching also explore Italian food culture, specifically examining food studies during the fascist regime and the war period. Her course A Taste of Italy: Food and Culture is offered in the 'World Arts and Letters' Integrated Inquiry that fulfills the A&S integration requirement.

A native of Italy, Dr. Conti grew up in the Piedmont region and received her laurea from the University of Milan, where she studied English, Spanish, and German languages and literatures. After receiving her PhD in Comparative Literature with a Certificate in American Culture Studies from Washington University, she joined the RLL department, where she teaches all levels of Italian language, literature, cinema, and food culture. She serves as the Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies in Italian and is a member of the WashU Fulbright Committee and the Academic Integrity Board (AIB). She has been serving as a Four-Year Advisor for students in Arts & Sciences since 2019 and as a Progress Counselor since 2023. She also enjoys offering translation support (Italian to English and English to Italian) to students, faculty, and staff across the Danforth Campus and the School of Medicine.