Short presentation

My research interests are in observational geodynamics. I constrain forward and inverse quantitative models with geological/geophysical observations, to advance our understanding of the spatial/temporal patterns of key forces controlling the dynamics of the coupled plates/mantle system.

BSc and MSc projects are available in Observational Geodynamics. Projects can have a global or a regional perspective. Depending on the student’s inclination, projects may be carried out, for instance, within the Geophsyics group, between the Geophysics and the Geochemistry groups, or in collaboration between the Geophysics group and GEUS.

CV

Education

12/2007: PhD in Geophysics (summa cum laude), Ludwig–Maximilians University Munich, Germany.

01/2003: MSc in Physics (summa cum laude), University of Rome "La Sapienza", Italy.

Employment history 

Since 01/06/2015: Associate Professor in Solid Earth Geophysics, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

01/02/2010 – 31/05/2015: Assistant Professor in Geophysics (permanent appointment), Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Australia.

15/01/2008 – 14/01/2010: Reginald A. Daly Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, USA.

Awards and honours 

2017: Elected member of the Young Academy of Europe (partner of Academia Europaea).

2012–2013: Panel member of the Australian Academy of Science Early/Mid–Career Researcher Forum.

2010: Ringwood Fellowship at the Australian National University.

2007: Thompson Postdoctoral Fellowship at the School of Earth Sciences, Stanford University (relinquished).

2007: Reginald A. Daly Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University.

2005: Elite Netzwerk PhD scholarship of the Bavarian Government.

Research management 

Since 2005, I participated to research projects awarded a total equivalent of DKK 9,720,000 in funding. These grants have been awarded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark (previously, the Danish Council for Independent Research) – Natural Sciences, the National Science Foundation – USA, the Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (CONICYT, Chile), the Australian National University, the Australian Research Council, Geoscience Australia (Australian federal geological survey), DAAD (German federal agency for academic exchanges) and Bavarian Ministry of Research.

Since 2016, I have been appointed by the Geocenter Denmark to the position of chairman of the steering committee of DanSeis – Danish National Center for Seismic Instrumentation for application to terrestrial and marine environments.

Supervision of students research

6 PhD theses (4 ongoing, 2 completed), 2 MSc theses, 8 BSc projects

Teaching activities

Courses taught at the University of Copenhagen: Mathematics for Geoscientists (since 2016, BSc curriculum), Introduction to Solid Earth Geophysics (since 2017, BSc curriculum, co-lecturing with Prof. Lars Nielsen), Solid Earth Geophysics part 2 (since 2015, MSc curriculum), Plate kinematics and dynamics from the paleomagnetic to the geodetic time–scales (2017, PhD curriculum, co-lectured with with Prof. Eric Calais and Prof. Charles DeMets).

Courses taught at the Australian National University: Geophysics (2010, BSc curriculum), Plate tectonics and mantle dynamics (2010 - 2014, MSc curriculum), Physics of the Earth (2011 - 2014, BSc curriculum), EARTH: the physics and chemistry of our planet (2012 - 2014, BSc curriculum).

International relations

Invited lectures: 2017 Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen. 2016 University of Oslo, University of ROMA TRE, University of Concepcion (Chile). 2015 Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Utrecht University. 2014 Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris. 2013 University of Oslo, Monash University (Australia), University of Helsinki, Macquarie University (Australia), University of Liverpool, ETH Zurich, University of ROMA TRE, University of Copenhagen, Ecole Normale Superieure de Paris, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich. 2012 University of Oxford, Monash University (Australia), Simula Research Laboratory (Norway). 2011 Imperial College London, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich. 2010 INGV Rome (Italian national geological survey), Christian–Albrechts University of Kiel, Geoscience Australia (Australian federal geological survey). 2009 The Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics (Italy), Université du Québec a Montréal, McGill University, Australian National University. 2008 Princeton University, Norwegian Geological Survey (NGU), Purdue University (USA), Cardiff Universit (UK), University of Rennes (France), Australian National University, University of Sydney, INGV–Bologna (Italian national geological survey). 2007 University of Toronto, Stanford University, Harvard University. 2006 Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris.

Conference attendance: over 20 invitations to deliver keynote presentations/lectures at major international conferences (e.g., American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, European Geoscience Union General Assembly, International Geological Congress).

Services to the scientific community

Associate editor of Journal of Geophysical Research – Solid Earth (since 2014) and Geosphere (since 2013).

Past Associate editor of Annals of Geophysics.

Member of PhD thesis evaluation committees at the University of Copenhagen, the Australian 

National University University and Purdue University.

Member of the Postdoctoral Fellow Recruitment Committee and of the Marketing and Outreach Committee – Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University.

Invited session–convener at the European Geosciences Union General Assembly and at the 34th International Geological Congress.

Reviewer of scientific articles submitted for publication to major international journals (Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems, Geology, Geophysical Research Letters, Journal of Geophysical Research, Lithos, Nature, Nature Geoscience, Science, Tectonophysics).