My Career Adventure 

Education

16/04/2018 PhD Degree, Science and Engineering of Materials, University of Padova, Italy

Thesis title: “Development and characterization of nanostructured materials for organic and hybrid solar cells”, supervisor: Prof. Lorenzo Franco

17/07/2014 Master’s Degree, Materials Science, 110/110 cum laude, University of Padova, Italy

Thesis title: “Study of doping generated charge carriers in semiconducting polymers by means of EPR techniques”, supervisor: Prof. Marco Ruzzi

12/09/2012 Bachelor’s Degree, Materials Science, 110/110 cum laude, University of Padova, Italy

Thesis title: “Study of photoexcited triplet states of endofullerene H2@C70 by using EPR spectroscopy techniques", supervisor: Prof. Marco Ruzzi

Academic Appointments

2024 Feb - Tenure-Track Assistant Professor (RTT), Department of Industrial Engineer (DIEF), University of Florence, Italy

Material Science and Engineering (SSD CHIM/07)

2023 Nov - Global Marie Curie Fellow, Wasielewski group, Northwestern University, Evanston (IL), US

& Department of Industrial Engineer (DIEF), University of Florence, Italy

Spin photophysics of molecular qubits and CISS effect; Transient Absorption; EPR spectroscopies

2022-2023 Assistant Professor (Junior, RTD-A), DIEF, University of Florence, Italy

Photoinduced CISS effect for organic photovoltaics

2022 Postdoc researcher, University of Florence (Lab. director: Prof. Sessoli), Italy

Direct detection of CISS effect in D-A dyads via EPR; Porphyrin-based molecular qudits

2021 Postdoc researcher, University of Turin (Lab. director:  Prof. Chiesa), Italy

Direct detection of CISS effect in D-A dyads via EPR

2017-2020 ITN Marie Curie early-stage researcher, University of Oxford (Lab. director: Prof. Riede), UK

Spin processes in organic solar cells; Spin physics of molecular doping; Material engineering via thermal evaporation;

2014-2017 PhD student, University of Padova (Supervisor: Prof. Franco), Italy

Fabrication and characterization of nanostructured materials for hybrid solar cells

Research Stays

2019 Oct-Dec Visiting researcher, University of Mons (Lab. director: Prof. Beljonne), Belgium

DFT and micro-electrostatic theoretical calculations on molecular doping

2018 Oct-Dec Visiting researcher, University of Würzburg (Lab. director: Prof. Dyakonov), Germany

EDMR and ODMR spectroscopy on organic photovoltaic materials

2017 May-Jul Visiting PhD student, KAUST (Lab. director: Prof. Bakr), Saudi Arabia

Light-induced EPR on 0D perovskite materials

Individual Fellowships & Grants

2025 European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant, ERC

Proj. title: Light-driven molecular spin qubits (LIGHT-QIS)

2024 Fondo Italiano per la Scienza (FIS) Starting Grant, Italian Ministry of University and Research

Proj. title: Spin control through chirality: novel routes in organic optoelectronics (SPIROχ)

2023 Global Marie-Curie Individual Fellowship, European Commission

Proj. title: Photodriven spin selectivity in chiral organic molecules and devices (PHOTOCODE)

2022 PNRR Young Researcher Grant - Seal of Excellence line, Italian Ministry of University and Research

Proj. title: Photodriven spin selectivity in chiral organic molecules and devices (PHOTOCODE)

2014 PhD Athenaeum Fellowship, Italian Ministry of University and Research

Proj. title: Development and Characterization of Nanostructured Materials  for Organic and Hybrid  Solar Cells

Selected Awards & Distinctions

2024 “Franco Scandola” Young Investigator Award, Gruppo Italiano Fotochimico (GIF)

Prize dedicated to a scientist under 35 for outstanding research in the area of photochemistry and photophysics.

2024 BRIDGE12 Best Talk Award, International ESR Society

Best oral presentation at the Rocky Mountain Conference on Magnetic Resonance.

2024 Best Poster Award, Gordon Research Conference on Electron Donor-Acceptor Interactions

Poster award and invited talk (15 min) on the study of CISS in chiral D-A systems.

2023 Primo Levi Prize – Silver Medal, Italian Chemistry Society

Award for outstanding contribution to chemical sciences by young Italian researcher.

2023 University Research Fellowship - Reserve list, Royal Society

Recognized as one of the top candidates; Selected based on an 8-year research proposal and highly rated during the interview.

2022 “An idea for excellent science” Prize, University of Florence

Research grant awarded based on a research proposal and an oral interview to perform preliminary research for preparation of ERC Starting Grant. 

2022 Seal of Excellence for Marie-Curie Global Fellowship, European Commission

Certificate of excellence granted by European Commission (proposal#:101063484).

2019 Newton Researcher Links Grant, British Council

Full travel funding as speaker and selected participant for the UK-China workshop on Organic and Perovskite Solar Cells (Swansea, UK).

2008 “Leonardo Da Vinci” Scholarship, European Commission

Selected participant in European program to spend 5 weeks in the United Kingdom.