About myself 

I worked as a waiter and bartender for over ten years while completing my studies. I had graduated from a tourism‑oriented vocational high school--the lowest tier of Italy's secondary system and not designed for university‑bound students. Despite this unconventional start, I transitioned to university and thrived academically. Statistically, my path is extremely rare: out of 47,000 students in my cohort, only 11 vocational‑school graduates earned a bachelor's degree with honors in three years, and only 7 out of 19,000 earned a graduate degree with honors. (source: anagrafe.miur.it)

"Mens sana in corpore sano."  I have been a "tapascione" for as long as I can remember. A few days after earning my PhD, I completed my first marathon in just under 4 hours. Over the years I've practiced Krav Maga, karate, and mountain biking through the Monferrato countryside. I still run regularly, and when I'm not running, I'll happily switch to anything--basketball, swimming, rollerblading, or road biking.

Since the age of 20, I've lived with a permanent 12k Hz tinnitus. It is a constant background noise that disrupts focus, sleep, and occasionally slows down my speech or makes me lose the thread of the argument. If you are curious and want to know what it sounds like, try this link. Despite this challenge, I've learnt to manage it and live a full, productive life. If you are a researcher, or aspire to become one, feel free to reach out for sharing coping strategies or just chat about it.

I love learning new languages. Besides Italian, English, and French, I have basic proficiency in German (intermediate a few years ago). In the past I studied some Swedish and Japanese. I have been practicing Spanish too as self-taught. I grew up hearing Piedmontese, a regional language that UNESCO classifies as endangered. It was Pope Francis' first language, and as an Occitan language with Germanic influences, it sounds closer to Provençal or Gascon than to Italian.

Road trips and camping. Growing up in Italy, road trips and camping weren't really part of my routine, but I completely caught the bug from my wife. Our last big adventure started in Billings, brought us through breathtaking routes, passing by Mount Rainier, Astoria, and Portland, before looping back through Yellowstone National Park. Here is the map! And, of course, we drove with 70s, 80s, and 90s rock music blasting in the background.

I believe in small acts with an actual impact. Beyond my research, I try to impact the world with small personal steps. I have been donating blood since I was about 18. I am registered bone marrow and organ donor. Donating blood abroad can be difficult due to local rules or sometimes you simply want to challenge yourself differently; so, in 2018, I began growing my hair to donate it. I know this is not for everybody, but think about this: while you help someone else, you get to see a different version of yourself -- men who get longer hair, or women who get shorter hair after the cut. It can be a fun experiment for a great cause! (always double-check the legitimacy of the association you help; e.g., in Italy, you check the official registry)