Education
High school at Scientific Lyceum.
Vet School Degree (Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna - UniBo).
Vet M.D. License.
Ph.D. in Animal Reproduction Physiology (UniBo).
Academic Position
Since 2006: Professor (Animal Nutrition and Feeding; Medicine Veterinary School-University of Bologna- UniBo).
Since 2006: Member of the “Feed and Food Science” PhD school chair board- UniBo.
Since 2006: Scientific Supervisor of the Experimental and Didactic Dairy Cows Unit- UniBo-AUB.
Scientific boards
2001-2005: Member of the Management and Health Commission of the EAAP.
2007-2010: Member of the National Food Safety Committee.
2012-2014 : Scientific Committee of the Italian Biogas Consortium.
2016-2018 : Scientific Committee Italian Veterinary Scientific Society (SISVet)
Since 1995 : Scientific Committee of the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium.
Since 1998 : Trust board of the Department of Quality Control of Production Regulated (OCQ PR)
Scientific Societies membership Animal Production Scientific Society (ASPA).
Animal Nutrition Researcher Society (ARNA).
European Association Animal Production (EAAP).
Italian Veterinary Scientific Society (SISVet)
Italian Buiatric Society (SIB).
National Academy of Agriculture (ANA)
Main steps of Academic and Professional Career
1987: Degree in Med. Vet. (UniBo)
1991: PhD-Animal Reproduction Physiology (UniBo).
1991: Researcher (Animal Nutrition and Feeding) at the Med. Vet. Faculty - (UniBo)
1991: Guest at the Biochemical Sciences Department of the Scottish Agricultural College - Ayr – Scotland.
1986- 1992: Zootechnical responsible for the Foreign Office on the strategic development plant for the Turkish Egean Region.
1998: Associate Professor (Animal Nutrition and Feeding) of the Med. Vet. Faculty, (Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna).
2001: Professor of Animal Nutrition and Feeding (ex SSD G09 B- AGR/18) of the Med. Vet. Faculty - University of Teramo,.
2001-2002: Member of the Evaluation Center of Teramo University.
2001-2005: Responsible of the Animal Production, Nutrition and Feeding Research Unities for the Feed Science Dept. - University of Teramo.
2002-2005: Dean of the Med. Vet. Faculty of Teramo.
2015-2018: Director of Master “Health and Dairy Cow Production”.
Scientific Interests and production
Since the beginning, he was focused on the research about the relationship between nutrition, health and reproductive efficiency of cows and sows.
Being responsible of several scientific activities, closely bonded to their application, he took the chances to collaborate with different research facilities, public and private. His primary concern was to study the existing links among dairy cows nutrition and quality of milk moved to cheese making, in particular typical productions like Parmigiano Reggiano.
At the end of 2005, back at the University of Bologna, he dedicated himself to the realization of a new and unique research unity, based on the Experimental Farm and Cheese Factory. These structures are extremely useful for oral and practical lessons, as for research trials. Facilities are equipped with modern and accurate instruments, thanks to the founds obtained on scientific trials made with public or private institution; thanks to such an equipment, it is possible to obtain innovative data, evaluating animal behavior and welfare, along with milk and its derivate (cheese or yogurt).
During the last years, he established intimate collaboration relationships with Research Centers based in the US, improving the knowledge of forage and feedstuffs nutritional characterization.
Under his tutoring, a new laboratory for ruminal fermentation and microbiology was created.
He is working to develop and share cheap and useful analysis instruments, to improve the activity of the technicians and nutritionist. He works for definition and application of new Rationing Models, for the optimization of carbohydrates, nitrogen and mineral compounds for a better feeding of dairy cows, in order to reach the goal of a better farm management and their environmental impact, along with improving milk composition and technological characterization.
More recently he worked to improve the cattle meat characteristics by feeding and particularly by some new nutritional approach. In particular the activity focused on the possibility to change and improve the fatty acids profiles. He dedicated himself to those dietetic factors able to influence digestion dynamics in dairy cows and cattle, to achieve an improved wellness and prevent metabolic disorders; to reach this target, he collaborates with several specific industries, using and improving innovative farming technologies.
He collaborates with different seeding companies, for increase the quality of those plants dedicated to animal feeding, along with their concentrate use (S.I.S., Prosementi, Limagrain, Dekalb).
Responsible of several founded researches of national interest (PRIN, FISR), from public Institution (, MIPAAF, INRAN, Spallanzani, Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium, CRPA, Emilia Romagna and Lazio Regions) and private companies (Assolac, Granlatte, Elanco, Pfizer, AIFE, Lallemand, Nutristar, Alltech, Balchem, EDF&Man, LEM Carni, BTS, G.I.MA, Massa Mangimi).
He published 300 papers.
