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I am Associate Professor of Fluid Dynamics at Sapienza University and principal investigator of the ERC-StG project HyGate. My research is in theoretical and computational fluid mechanics of interfaces at the micro- and nano-scale. In particular, I am keen on understanding the origin of metastability in problems of engineering and multidisciplinary interest, including ion channel gating, superhydrophobicity, contact angle hysteresis, nanobubbles and cavitation inception. I obtained a MS in Mechanical Engineering from Sapienza University of Rome and the Polytechnic Institute of New York University in 2010. I hold a PhD in Theoretical an Applied Mechanics from Sapienza. In 2014 I moved to Germany to work as postdoc at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems of Stuttgart with which I still collaborate. From 2019 I am a member of the Sapienza School for Advanced Studies (SSAS).

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After graduating in Biology with a master thesis on computational evolutionary biology, I earned a PhD in Non Linear Dynamics and Complex Systems shifting my research interest to the field of biomolecular simulation. My research interests cover 3 main domains: protein folding that I addressed using coarse grained protein models; small peptides with a potential application in the diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune diseases I investigated in atomistic detail using enhanced sampling techniques like Replica Exchange Molecular Dynamics; ion channels, that represent my current research area.

I am a postdoc in the nanoCafé group working on the project of studying the structural transformations of metal nanoclusters in order to understand their friction properties on substrates in the presence and the absence of humidity. For this, we use rare event methods which allow us to sample structures that might otherwise be inaccessible with conventional Monte-Carlo or Molecular dynamics simulations. Prior to joining the nanoCafé group, I obtained my PhD in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. As part of my PhD, I focused on the atomistic modelling of the structure and the stability of Ag-Cu nanoalloys using basin hopping Monte-Carlo and heating simulations.

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I have a Bachelor's and a Master's degree from UFRGS, in Brazil, where I studied nanoparticles applied to catalysis both experimentally and theoretically. I am currently studying the interaction between nanoparticles and ion channels at Università Sapienza. My main interests are nanomaterials characterization and modelling, as well as the numerical simulation of such systems.

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During my PhD in the Slovak Technical University I focused on the interaction between clay minerals and organic molecules, employing the Density Functional Theory method. After, I continued this topic in the Slovak Academy of Sciences and the Charles University of Prague for larger structures, e.g. halloysite and imogolite nanotubular structures using Force Field methods. My previous background brought me to the nanoporous materials, where my main interest is now, especially in the intrusion/extrusion mechanism and rare events.

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I am currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at Sapienza University of Rome, specializing in the study of peptide adsorption on lipid membranes within biological systems. Prior to this, I held a postdoctoral position at Virginia Tech University, where my research focused on protein–drug interactions using atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. I earned my Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, where my doctoral research explored the adsorption behavior of polymers on surfactant aggregates.

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I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Physics (2018) and a PhD in Theoretical Physics (2025) from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. During my PhD, I worked mainly on disordered systems. At equilibrium, I used and developed various theoretical and numerical methods to study the wettability of patterned and fractally disordered systems. In the out-of-equilibrium domain, I investigated self-propelled systems arranged in lattices, which later became the main subject of my PhD thesis. This project was carried out in collaboration with ESPCI–PSL (Paris Sciences et Lettres), where I spent six months as a visiting researcher. Since November 2024, I have been studying the characteristics, wetting, and adhesion of ultra-slippery surfaces produced by liquid-like polymers grafted onto substrates as part of the nanoCAFÈ group.

I obtained my M.Sc. degree in Nanotechnology engineering at the University of Rome La Sapienza in 2023. My master thesis work focused on electron transport in peptides by means of Ab initio calculations and classical MD for protein sequencing applications. During this study I developed an interest for classical simulation methods and soft matter systems. After my graduation I joined prof. Alberto Giacomello’s group and I’m currently working under his supervision on the use of the Hamiltonian Replica Exchange technique to study nanoconfined liquids and glassy state molecular systems.

CNRS, Institut Jean Le Rond D'Alembert (Paris)
Research interests: Acoustics, liquid-gas systems, bubble, foam, soap film, surfactant, acoustic metamaterials, acoustic imaging.

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After a bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology, I obtained my master's degree in Medical Biotechnology with a specialization in Bioengineering at Sapienza University of Rome. Realized the importance of using a multidisciplinary approach in scientific research, I decided to work on my master's thesis at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering where, under the supervision of Prof. Alberto Giacomello, I studied the hydrophobic gating in ion channel atomistic models. I obtained my PhD in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics at Sapienza University of Rome working on the hERG channel gating mechanism that I studied with molecular dynamics simulations and network analyses.

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Former RTD-A for ~4 Years (Feb 2021-Nov 2024)
Current Affiliation: École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Member of the PhD Council in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics of Sapienza University
Maria Skłodowska-Curie Global Fellow (EPFL/Sapienza), Project HydroMOF

After a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, I obtained a master's degree in Nanotechnology Engineering. Due to my great interest in atomistic simulations and nanofluidics, I decide to work on my master's thesis under the supervision of Prof. Alberto Giacomello, studying the slip phenomenon at liquid-liquid interface exploiting Non Equilibrium Molecular Dynamics. I am currently a PhD student in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics at Sapienza University of Rome.

My research interests are related to the fields of soft matter and liquids, with emphasis on the study of water. I completed my PhD in Physics in 2017 on supercooled water in biological environment and glass forming liquids at Roma Tre University. I expanded these studies at Stockholm University and then I joined the NanoCafé group in June 2019. Here, I am involved in computer simulations of water solutions confined inside model nanopores aiming at elucidating the mechanisms of the hydrophobic gating.

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I am a Nanotechnology Engineer working to unravel multiphysics phenomena occurring in biomimetic nanofluidic systems. During my PhD at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, I built a theoretical and computational framework to study nanopore sensors for biological, environmental and energetic applications. The broad spectrum of spatial and temporal scale concurring in the nanoscale phenomena requires the use of different computational approaches, ranging from continuum electrohydrodynamics to all-atoms atomistic simulations. Together with the potentiality of protein engineering, I am currently employing computational methods and in-silico design to expand the potentiality of such powerful platforms.

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I obtained my MS degree in Nanotechnology Engineering at Sapienza University of Rome. My research interest is in nanofluidics and in nanoscale transport phenomena through channels and pores. During my PhD I worked on computational modeling of nanoscale flows using coarse grained approaches such as rigid body Brownian Dynamics and Dissipative Particle Dynamics, and on the development of techniques for the simulation of charged fluids.

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I enrolled in the Bachelor Course in Mechanical Engineering in 2015. The 28th of October 2021 I concluded my university studies, obtaining the master degree in Computational Mechanics with merit At Sapienza università di Roma with a thesis on superhydrophobic surfaces. In the mean time I obtained the same status in Sorbonne University in Paris, where I spent my last year of study. 

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I am a PhD Student from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Under the supervision of Prof. Carolina Brito I obtained my bachelor and master degree and in 2017 started my PhD in Monte Carlo simulations of a droplet on a textured surface. I met Prof. Alberto Giacomello on a congress in 2018 and got the opportunity to do part of my PhD in Sapienza University of Rome under his supervision. Here I use numerical simulations to understand the effect of surface parameters on the wettability of a water droplet. Also, we calculate the free energy of this system to better understand the metastable wetting states, which are known in the experiments but have not been fully explored yet by simulations.

I obtained my M.Sc in Physics from the Science Faculty of the University of Lisbon in 2020. I worked in CTFC-FCUL, a research group that covered multiple topics related to computational physics, from lasers to condensed matter physics covering topics even related with biology, transportation and networks, and my research was related with simulating synchronization phenomean using the Kuramoto Model. I'm currently a PhD student under the supervision of Prof. Alberto Giacomello, studying hydrophobic gating in ion channel.

After my degree in Communication I’ve been working as event manager, trade analyst and export manager in Italy and abroad. In 2015 I’ve started to work as a project manager at Sapienza University of Rome where I support Principal Investigators in disseminating EU Funded Research Projects on administratives and science communication aspects.