About me
I am an Earth scientist, experimental volcanologist, and materials scientist. My work sits at the intersection of petrology, glass science, and high-temperature/high-pressure experimental research.
I serve as Research Director at the Institute of Science, Technology and Sustainability for Ceramics (ISSMC), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), and I lead the GLASS laboratory (Gateway Laboratory of Amorphous and Structured Solids and Melts), where my group studies the structure and properties of silicate glasses, melts, and magmas across a wide range of temperature, pressure, and atmospheric conditions.
I hold an Honorary Staff position at the Bavarian Research Institute of Experimental Geochemistry and Geophysics (BGI), University of Bayreuth, Germany.
I am the Principal Investigator of the ERC Consolidator Grant (2021) NANOVOLC — Nanoscale dynamics of volcanic processes: experimental insights and numerical simulations of explosive eruptions.
Research focus
My research focuses on how the nanoscale structure of silicate melts and glasses controls their macroscopic physical properties; viscosity, thermal behaviour, and mechanical response. I combine calorimetry, Raman spectroscopy, synchrotron X-ray techniques, and high-pressure experiments to study these materials under conditions relevant to both volcanic systems and industrial processing.
Industrial applications
The same experimental approaches apply directly to the glass, ceramics, and advanced materials industry. Current applied work includes optimising melt compositions for energy-efficient glass production, developing high-value materials from natural raw resources, and reusing industrial by-products as feedstock for new glasses and ceramics.