Paolo Perona

Paolo Perona is a Full Professor at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), affiliated with the School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC) and the Laboratory of Environmental Hydraulics (PL-LCH). He holds the title of Professeur titulaire and serves as the Academic Director of the PL-LCH. His roles also include membership in the ENAC Faculty Council.

His research focuses on the eco-morphodynamics of rivers, integrating fluid mechanics, ecology, and environmental engineering. Key areas include riparian vegetation dynamics, sediment transport, hydropower management, and sustainable water allocation. He examines how vegetation interacts with flow and sediment, particularly in restored river corridors and alpine environments.

His recent publications reveal a strong trend in experimental and modeling work on vegetation uprooting, flow-vegetation interactions, environmental flow optimization, and the ecological impacts of hydropower. These studies span disciplines such as hydrology, geomorphology, ecology, and environmental engineering, often using a combination of laboratory experiments, field data, and stochastic modeling.

• Scientific Awards: No specific awards were mentioned in the provided text.

Perona has advised several PhD students, including Katharina Maria Edmaier, Lorenzo Gorla, Amin Niayifar, and Samuel Vorlet. He teaches courses such as Water Resources Engineering and Management, River Eco-Morphodynamics and Bioengineering, and Irrigation and Drainage Engineering. He leads a research group focused on environmental hydraulics and river restoration, contributing to both fundamental science and practical water management solutions.