Born in Bologna (Italy) on September 1st, 1959, graduated in Geological Sciences at Bologna University on 1983, he joined Agip S.p.A on 1986, working in the Sedimentology Unit.
Researcher at the CNR Institute of Marine Geology from 1990 to 2000; in this position he participated to several scientific projects and cruises on board of CNR research vessels in the Mediterranean Sea as scientist and chief scientist.
Since 2000 he is Full Professor of Geology at the Earth Science Department of the University of Parma (Italy) (currently Earth Science Unit of the Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability Department).
Main research interests concern the sedimentology, physical-stratigraphy, palaeoceanography and palaeoecology of Neogene Mediterranean deposits, with particular attention to the problems related to the Messinian Salinity Crisis and more generally to the terrestrial hypersaline systems, to the climatic control on high frequency cyclicity of sedimentary successions and to the relationships between tectonics and sedimentation in syn-orogenic basins.
He has been Principal Investigator of:
1) 2003 PRIN-Cofin Project "The late Messinian Lago Mare event: high-resolution stratigraphy, tectonic and climatic control on high-frequency paleoenvironmental changes related to the final stage of the Messinian Salinity Crisis of the Mediterranean area"
2) 2006 PRIN-Cofin Project "Origin, timing and facies distribution of the Messinian Salt deposits in the basins of the central Mediterranean area (Sicily, Calabria and Tuscany) and their larger-scale implications for the Messinian salinity crisis"
3) 2008 PRIN-Cofin Project "High-resolution stratigraphy, palaeoceanography and palaeoclimatology of the Mediterranean area during the Messinian salinity crisis"
In 2006 he was among the organizers of the RCMNS Interim Colloquium "The Messinian salinity crisis revisited" held in Parma on September 2006.
From 2005 to 2008 he was President of GeoSed, the Italian Association of Sedimentary Geology.
Teaching responsibility:
Introduction to Earth Sciences, Stratigraphy, Applied Stratigraphy
Academic responsibility:
He has been Coordinator of the Natural Sciences and Earth Sciences Courses at the University of Parma; he is currently President of the Earth Sciences Scientific Committee and Member of the Scientific Committee of the University of Parma.
