Prof. Arnaldo Spalvieri is an Associate Professor at the Department of Electronics, Information and Biomedical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano. He holds a degree in Electronic Engineering from the University of Ancona (1985). Prior to his academic role, he worked at Telettra (now Alcatel-Lucent) on modem design and later served as a researcher at Politecnico di Milano before becoming Associate Professor in 1998. His research focuses on digital transmission systems, channel coding, synchronization, and neural networks for pattern recognition. He has co-authored over 100 publications and patents, and co-founded the spin-off company Binary Core (2006), specializing in FPGA design for radio communication systems. Education: Bachelor's in Electronic Engineering, University of Ancona, 1985 Research Interests: His work spans theoretical and applied telecommunications, including information theory, quantum entropy models, and signal processing for MIMO systems. Recent studies explore entropy in quantum systems and phase noise mitigation in communication channels. Professional Contributions: He advises on industry projects with Alcatel-Lucent, STMicroelectronics, and others. Binary Core, his venture, develops FPGA-based modems for terrestrial radio and digital video broadcasting. Teaching includes courses like Digital Communication Systems at Politecnico di Milano. Labs/Teams: Active in Politecnico's research groups addressing FPGA implementation, signal processing, and telecommunications infrastructure.
Giuliano Grossi is an Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science, University of Milan. His research focuses on sparse representation models, signal processing, and GPU algorithms with applications in biomedical engineering and affective computing. He leads projects such as 'Stairway to Elders' for elderly wellbeing and contributes to tools like pyVHR for remote health monitoring. Grossi has supervised PhD students in areas including high-performance computing and stochastic models. Notable awards include Best Paper recognitions in 2017 and 2020. His work spans interdisciplinary fields from bioinformatics networks to facial recognition systems. Education: PhD in Computer Science (1999), University of Milan Positions: Assistant Professor (2001-2022), Associate Professor (2022–present) Research Interests: Sparse recovery methods, parallel algorithms, emotion recognition via multimodal analysis, and graph-based models for learning. Projects include EU T-NOVA for network virtualization and emotion interpretation frameworks funded by MIUR. Scientific Contributions: Over 100 publications in journals like IEEE Transactions and conference proceedings. Key contributions include GPU-accelerated algorithms, network biology analysis tools (UNIPred-Web), and frameworks for photoplethysmography (pyVHR).
Barbara Guidi is an Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science, University of Pisa. Her research focuses on Decentralized Online Social Networks, Blockchain Technology, NFTs, and the Metaverse. She is a founding member of IEEE METASIG (IEEE SIG on Metaverse) and collaborates with the IEEE Social Networks Technical Committee. Dr. Guidi has led projects like HELIOS under the H2020 initiative and serves on editorial boards for journals such as Plos One and IEEE Access. Her work explores blockchain applications in social media, economic dynamics in decentralized platforms, and bot detection in Web3 environments. Education: She studied at the Department of Computer Science, University of Pisa. Research interests include peer-to-peer networks, decentralized storage, and social network analysis. She has advised students on topics like Blockchain Technology applied to Social Media and NFT/Metaverse integration. Key contributions include frameworks like AWESOME for Web3 social media analysis and studies on Axie Infinity's economic models. She actively participates in workshops like OASIS, addressing challenges in online social networks. Her work emphasizes ethical blockchain applications and decentralized systems for social good. Labs/Teams: She contributes to the IEEE METASIG community and collaborates with institutions like the University of Bicocca - Milan on text-mining in decentralized social media.
Andrea Michienzi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Pisa. His research focuses on decentralized social networks, blockchain technology, and the metaverse, with an emphasis on improving privacy, security, and economic dynamics in Web3 environments. He has contributed to frameworks like AWESOME for analyzing Web3 social media and has explored challenges in NFT security, P2E gaming economies, and community management in decentralized systems. Teaching: He instructs the course Basi di dati e Laboratorio di programmazione Web within the Bachelor of Digital Humanities program, emphasizing practical coding and database applications. Research awards: He received a Best Paper Award in 2018 for work related to dynamic community detection in decentralized networks. His publications span topics like bot detection in blockchain games, wealth distribution analysis, and cryptographic protocols for secure messaging. His work integrates computer science, economics, and sociology to address scalability, trust, and ethical challenges in emerging decentralized platforms.
Jacopo Soldani is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Pisa, Italy. He holds Italian National Habilitation as Associate Professor in Computer Science (SSD: 01/B1) and Computer Engineering (SSD: 09/H1) from 2021-2030. His roles include editorial board membership for top journals and organizing international conferences/workshops in software engineering. Education: PhD (2017), MSc (2013), and BSc (2011) in Computer Science from University of Pisa. Research focuses on service-based software engineering, cloud-native applications, microservices architecture, and systematic literature reviews. Key interests include security smells, failure analysis, and energy-efficient deployment strategies. His work addresses challenges in cloud-IoT integration, failure root cause analysis, and explainable AI in systems. Recent publications (2023-2025) emphasize security in microservices, failure resilience, and sustainable software design. Over 140+ publications in venues like ACM Computing Surveys, IEEE Transactions, and ESOCC/ICSOC conferences. Labs/Teams: Leads research on FREEDA (failure-resilient deployment) and NEST (energy observability). Active in open-source tool development (e.g., μTOSCA toolchain, KubeHound). Collaborates with industry on TOSCA orchestration and edge computing.
Pierpaolo Degano is a full Professor at the Dipartimento di Informatica of Università di Pisa since November 1990. He served as Department Head (1993-1996) and currently chairs the Computer Science PhD program within the Galileo Galilei School of Excellence. His roles include Vice-Chair of the 'Galileo Galilei' School (since 2009), Chairman of the Italian Committee for PhD Programs in Computer Science (since 2007), and member of the Scientific Committee of CoSBi (Microsoft Research - University of Trento Centre for Computational and Systems Biology). Education: Extensive academic background inferred from his professorship and leadership roles Research Interests: Focuses on operational methods in concurrency, semantics of programming languages, security, program verification, and computational models for biological systems. His work bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications in distributed systems and formal methods. Publications: Over 200 papers on theoretical computer science, including seminal works on concurrency semantics, mobile processes, and security protocols. Recent contributions emphasize causal semantics, abstract machines for performance evaluation, and formal analysis techniques. Grants & Projects: Led national and EU projects like DEGAS (FET), SENSORIA (FET), and participated in ESPRIT initiatives. Engaged in multiple research collaborations with institutions like Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft Research. Labs/Teams: Co-director of CoSBi, focusing on computational systems biology, and leader of the Operational Methods in Concurrency research group.
Jacopo Massa is a PhD Candidate and Research Fellow at the University of Pisa and CNR-ISTI, focusing on Cloud & Fog/Edge Computing and declarative approaches for modeling and deploying applications across the Cloud-Edge continuum. As a member of the Service-Oriented, Cloud and Fog Computing (SOCC) research group, he contributes to cutting-edge research bridging theoretical foundations with practical implementations. His research spans the Cloud-Edge continuum with emphasis on distributed system architectures , resource optimization , and declarative programming models . Massa's work addresses critical challenges in deploying applications across heterogeneous computing environments, from cloud data centers to edge devices, with particular attention to latency constraints and resource efficiency. With Google Scholar citations totaling 59 and an h-index of 4 (as of October 2, 2025), his scholarly impact is growing steadily in the distributed systems community. His research has been published in venues including CISIS and GECON, with several preprints on arXiv. Best Paper Award at GECON 2024 for work on resource management at the edge Organizer of DAYstributed (May 2025), a half-day event on distributed & decentralized systems Organizer of PhD Spotlight (November 2024), connecting MSc students with PhD research Massa leads multiple significant research projects including ECLYPSE (a Python simulation framework for the Cloud-Edge continuum), dgLBF (latency-based forwarding), and DIPS (declarative approach for VNF chain requirements), demonstrating both technical depth and practical implementation skills across the research spectrum.
Luca Fontanesi is a Full Professor at the University of Bologna's Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Technologies. His research focuses on genetics, animal genomics, and food authentication, with applications in livestock improvement, environmental DNA analysis, and metagenomics/metabolomics. He leads projects on pig, cattle, and bee genomics, including EU-funded initiatives like the COST Action EU-LI-PHE and the Re-Livestock project. Fontanesi has authored over 280 publications (h-index 43), co-edits journals in animal production, and is ranked in the World's Top 2% Scientists (2024, Stanford). Education: PhD in Zootechnical Sciences (1997, University of Milan), with postdoctoral research at the University of Minnesota. Career highlights include roles as Delegate for Competitive Research Projects at the University of Bologna and coordinator of strategic projects like FAGenomicH and Selmol. Research Interests: Integrating genomics, phenomics, and environmental DNA for food traceability, conservation of local breeds (e.g., Nero d’Aspromonte pigs, Reggiana cattle), and bee population genetics. Key areas include virome analysis in livestock, metabolomic profiling of pigs, and legislative compliance in apiculture. Awards & Recognition: Sector editor of animal production journals, featured in Stanford's Top 2% Scientists list, and contributor to international genomic consortia like LaGomiCs (Lagomorph Genomics). Grants & Collaborations: Participated in >40 research projects, including 9 European initiatives (Horizon 2020/Europe). Coordinated projects like Innovagen (2011–2015) and the BEE-RER project on genomics in beekeeping.
Giuseppe Di Modica is an Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science - Science and Engineering, University of Bologna. His research focuses on cloud computing, edge/fog systems, IoT, and digital twins for industrial applications. He has contributed to frameworks like IoTwins and H2F, addressing challenges in distributed computing, microservice orchestration, and latency optimization in SDN architectures. His work spans containerized application management, geo-distributed big data processing, and security in serverless environments. Key research themes include: Cloud-edge continuum orchestration IoT service placement in fog environments SDN microservice architecture design Lightweight virtualization for Industry 4.0 Validation of performance models for microservices His publications emphasize practical implementations, such as the Torch orchestrator for multi-cloud deployments, and frameworks for fault-aware cloud provisioning. Ongoing work explores digital twin platforms for manufacturing and smart facility management, leveraging edge-cloud synergy and real-time data analytics. He holds a permanent academic position with no part-time designation noted. Contact: giuseppe.dimodica@unibo.it, +39 051 20 9 3866.
Domenico Gargano is an Associate Professor in Systematic Botany at the Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences of the University of Calabria, where he has been a permanent faculty member since 2007. He holds a PhD in Plant Biology from the same institution and has achieved national scientific qualification for both Associate and Full Professor ranks in Botany. His academic service includes teaching courses in Systematic Botany, Vegetation Monitoring, Plant Conservation, and Reproductive Biology, as well as serving on the board of the PhD program in Life Sciences and on evaluation committees for doctoral programs at other universities. His research is dedicated to understanding the processes that generate and maintain vascular plant diversity, with a strong emphasis on conservation. Key research interests include plant mating systems, population fitness, biotic interactions, and the quantitative assessment of plant conservation status using IUCN criteria. His work often involves field studies in Mediterranean ecosystems, particularly within the Pollino National Park, and focuses on rare and threatened species. He has made significant contributions to national and international conservation efforts, including the production of the Red List of Italian Vascular Flora. His recent publications reflect a consistent focus on plant systematics, conservation biology, and the impacts of global change. Key trends include the taxonomic revision of the Dianthus genus, the use of plant traits for bioindication of environmental pollution, the assessment of extinction risk for Italian flora, and the conservation of old-growth forests. His work bridges fundamental plant biology with applied conservation science. Member of the national evaluation board for the VQR15-19 as expert in Systematic Botany (2021) National Scientific Qualification as Full Professor in Botany (2016) National Scientific Qualification as Associate Professor in Botany (2012) Member of REPRISE (list of expert scientific referees of MIUR) for the section 'Base Research' (2018) Domenico Gargano has been a principal investigator on numerous research grants, primarily funded by the Pollino National Park, the Italian Ministry of the Environment, and the Calabria Region. His projects focus on establishing permanent monitoring sites for plant communities, assessing the impacts of climate change and grazing on Mediterranean grasslands, and developing methodologies for monitoring species of community interest. He has also collaborated on international projects with ETH Zürich and the IUCN. He has advised and mentored numerous early-career researchers through his participation in doctoral programs and workshops, though specific student names are not listed. He is an active member of the scientific community, serving on the editorial boards of Frontiers in Plant Science and Frontiers in Conservation Science , and as a referee for journals like Plant Biosystems and Conservation Genetics . His research is conducted within the Plant Biology Research Group (Biologia Vegetale) at the University of Calabria’s Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences. This group, led by Prof. Leonardo Bruno, is structured into three sections focusing on plant biotechnology, biosystematics and conservation, and plant taxonomy and ecology. Gargano’s work is closely aligned with the 'Taxonomy, Conservation and Plant Ecology' section led by Prof. Liliana Bernardo, and he has been instrumental in organizing workshops for the Italian Botanical Society’s Working Group for Nature Conservation, which he coordinated from 2012 to 2017.
Giulio Rossetti is a permanent researcher at the Institute of Information Science and Technologies "A. Faedo" (ISTI) of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR) in Pisa. He is a member of the Knowledge and Data Mining Laboratory (KDD Lab), a joint research group of ISTI-CNR and the University of Pisa. His academic appointments include teaching "Social Network Analysis" and "Programming for Data Science" courses within the Master Degrees in "Data Science" and "Digital Humanities" at the University of Pisa since 2018, and providing teaching support for various data science courses since 2015. His educational background includes: 2007: Bachelor Degree in Computer Science at University of Pisa 2011: Master Degree in Computer Science at University of Pisa 2015: PhD in Computer Science at University of Pisa Dr. Rossetti's research centers on algorithms for complex network analysis and data science, with a focus on modeling dynamics of and on network topologies, including dynamic community discovery and diffusion/spreading phenomena. His work also involves developing data-driven models for forecasting rare events. His research has significant applications in social network analysis, human mobility modeling, and understanding information diffusion patterns in online communities. His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on dynamic network analysis, community detection in evolving networks, and applications to social media platforms like Reddit. His work spans theoretical algorithm development and practical applications in areas such as political polarization, music preference analysis, and epidemiological modeling. The interdisciplinary nature of his research connects computer science with social sciences, public health, and urban planning. His scientific achievements have been recognized with multiple awards: ISTI Young Researcher Award (2012, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019) ISTI Young Open Science Award (2020) While the text doesn't explicitly mention PhD students he advises, Dr. Rossetti has been actively involved in teaching and mentoring through his roles in Master's degree programs at the University of Pisa. His research has been supported through various projects including SoBigData++, HumMingBird, SoBigData.eu, MineTheNet, and CIMPLEX, indicating substantial grant funding for his work in social mining and big data analytics. As a core member of the Knowledge and Data Mining Laboratory (KDD Lab), Dr. Rossetti collaborates with researchers from both ISTI-CNR and the University of Pisa. His work connects with international research communities, as evidenced by his visiting scholar position at the Pontifical Catholic University in Rio de Janeiro in 2013 and collaboration with Estonian researchers in 2014.
Giorgia Batelli is a Senior Researcher at the Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources (IBBR), part of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR), based at the Portici branch. She is a prominent scientist in the field of plant molecular biology, with a strong focus on abiotic stress responses, particularly drought and salinity, in crops like tomato and potato. Full Name: Giorgia Batelli Institution: National Research Council of Italy (CNR) Research Institute: Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources (IBBR) Division: Portici Branch Position: Senior Researcher Email: giorgia.batelli@cnr.it PhD: University of Naples, Federico II (2007) Her research interests lie in understanding the molecular and genetic mechanisms that enable plants to tolerate environmental stresses. She investigates post-transcriptional and post-translational regulation, epigenetic control, and genetic networks involved in stress tolerance, using model systems like Arabidopsis thaliana and crop species such as tomato and potato. Her work integrates forward and reverse genetics, RNA silencing, and omics technologies, including transcriptomics and single-cell analysis, to identify key genes and regulatory pathways for improving crop resilience. The trends in her recent publications show a consistent focus on the molecular basis of plant stress responses. Her work spans from fundamental studies on ABA signaling and protein phosphatases to applied research on identifying stress-tolerant genotypes in tomato landraces and wild relatives. A significant theme is the role of alternative splicing and RNA-binding proteins in stress adaptation. Her research has a strong translational component, aiming to provide genetic resources and knowledge for breeding more resilient crops in the face of climate change. Giorgia Batelli has authored or co-authored numerous scientific publications in high-impact journals such as Plant Cell , BMC Plant Biology , Frontiers in Plant Science , and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . She has also contributed to book chapters on topics like drought stress tolerance and plant adaptation to environmental stress. She has been actively involved in mentoring and collaborative research, working closely with colleagues such as Alessandra Ruggiero, Stefania Grillo, and Michael James Van Oosten. Her research has been supported by various projects focused on improving plant resilience and resource use efficiency. She is a key member of a research group dedicated to mining genetic and epigenetic resources from wild and traditional plant varieties for crop improvement.
Alessandro De Luca is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (DIETI) of the University of Naples Federico II, Italy. He has held previous positions at the University of Turku (Finland) and UQAM (Canada). PhD in Mathematical and Computer Science (2008), University of Naples Federico II MSc in Mathematics (2003), University of Naples Federico II His research focuses on combinatorics on words , with emphasis on Sturmian words, Christoffel words, pseudopalindromes, rich words, and their connections to number theory, automata theory, and discrete mathematics. Key contributions include work on well-distributed occurrences (WDO) in infinite words, aperiodic pseudorandom number generation, and the study of open/closed prefixes in Sturmian sequences. Recent publications highlight his expertise in digital segments , semi-regular continuants , and structural properties of combinatorial words . Collaborative efforts include work with Gabriele Fici (University of Palermo), Golnaz Badkobeh (Goldsmiths University of London), and Luca Zamboni (Université Lyon 1). He has participated in international conferences such as WORDS , DLT , and FLA , and is affiliated with research groups including the Centre for Combinatorics on Words and Applications (CCWA) at Murdoch University and GNSAGA (INdAM).
Nicola Sorrentino is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering of the University of Calabria since 2004. He teaches courses on Electrical Systems Engineering and Electricity Market for Management Engineering programs. A member of the Graduate School 'Archimedes' , he coordinates modules in the University Master in Energy Management and has served on technical committees for energy-related consortia. Education: PhD in Computer and Systems Engineering (1999), University of Calabria. His research focuses on electrical power systems control and management under market dynamics , particularly addressing smart grid technologies , renewable energy integration , and energy communities . Key projects include participation in COFIN, PRIN , and PON initiatives for distributed generation and grid optimization. Recent publications (2024-2025) emphasize renewable energy communities , machine learning for energy forecasting , and nanogrid control strategies . The work explores energy sharing , imbalance cost reduction , and storage optimization in decentralized systems. Scientific Award: 1999 scholarship for 'Integrated control systems for real-time control of the engines' (University of Salerno). As a co-founder of academic spin-off Crete Energie Speciali srl , he promotes renewable energy production in small municipalities through the Laboratorio di Sistemi Elettrici per l'Energia e le Fonti Rinnovabili (LASEER) , which develops power electronics , smart grid prototypes , and active filtering devices .
Massimo Iovino is a Full Professor in Agricultural, Food, and Forestry Sciences at the University of Palermo, affiliated with the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Forestry Sciences. His research focuses on soil hydrology, irrigation systems, and hydraulic properties of soils, with emphasis on sustainable agricultural practices and environmental applications. He holds office hours on Thursdays at the Viale delle Scienze campus. Research interests include soil hydraulic conductivity, infiltration dynamics, water retention mechanisms, and the impact of organic amendments on soil quality. He has extensively studied the effects of biochar, compost, and microplastics on soil properties, as well as the optimization of irrigation methods in arid regions. His work integrates experimental field studies with computational modeling, such as Beerkan infiltration experiments and Hydrus-2D/3D simulations. Recent publications highlight advancements in soil parameterization (e.g., Haverkamp model), assessment of constructed wetlands, and innovations in irrigation technology. His research contributes to improving water management strategies and mitigating environmental challenges like soil erosion and nutrient leaching. Ongoing projects involve green roof substrates, sensor-based irrigation systems, and the effects of climate change on soil dynamics. Key collaborations include experiments at the Sparacia experimental area and the Villabate open-air laboratory. He has advised on PNRR-funded projects and contributes to the University of Palermo's research initiatives in hydrology and agro-environmental engineering.
