Who am I

I am an Associate Professor of Solid and Structural Mechanics at the University of Brescia, with over 20 years of academic experience, including nearly 15 years in tenured academic positions. I have been qualified as a Full Professor through the Italian National Scientific Qualification (ASN) in the disciplinary sector CEAR-06/A - Mechanics Of Solids And Structures.

My research focuses on strain-gradient and size-dependent plasticity, generalized continuum mechanics, mechanics of composite materials, advanced constitutive modelling of geomaterials, and multiphysics simulations, including fluid–structure interaction and ionic polymer–metal composites (IPMCs).

I am the author or co-author of 39 papers published in indexed international journals and three books. My work has appeared in journals including the Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, the International Journal of Solids and Structures, Géotechnique, and Proceedings of the Royal Society A. I have also delivered numerous invited presentations at national and international scientific conferences.

I have been scientifically responsible for contract research and technical-scientific consultancy projects for public and private clients, and have also participated in industry-funded research activities, with applications in geotechnical, seismic, and industrial fields.

I collaborate with researchers at TU Delft, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, ETH Zürich, Politecnico di Milano, and the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.

I have served as Review Editor for the Mechanics of Materials section of Frontiers and as a reviewer for more than 20 indexed international scientific journals. I have also reviewed a competitive research proposal for the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG).

I have extensive teaching experience and have held full teaching responsibility for undergraduate and graduate courses in Solid and Structural Mechanics across Civil, Mechanical, and Building-Architecture Engineering programmes. I regularly supervise Bachelor’s and Master’s theses and have also been involved in the supervision of PhD research.

Alongside my research and teaching activities, I have held a range of academic and institutional roles, including membership of PhD boards, departmental committees, and governing bodies. I previously served on the Disciplinary Board of the University of Brescia and currently serve on the Disciplinary Board of the University of Verona.