Academic positions:
- Since September 2021, Associate Professor at the DIMEVET for the academic discipline SSD AGR/19 (Aninal Science)
- Since July 2021, vice-chair of the Examination Sub-Committee of the ECAWBM-AWSEL (Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law subsection of the European College of Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law).
- Appointed as Delegate for the International Relations on the DIMEVET on May 5th, 2021
- From August 2019 to November 2019 I carried out a visiting period / professional internship worked at Wageningen University and Research (Netherlands), in collaboration with Dr. Marc Bracke. Main activities: 1) publication on toilet behavior and pen soiling in pigs; 2) collaboration with the European reference Centre for Animal Welfare (EURCAW-pigs) on a dossier on pig transport; 3) overview on mutilations (castration, dehorning/disbudding) and welfare of calves.
- Since September 2018 I work as a Senior assistant professor (fixed-term researcher) at the Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences (DIMEVET) on the research topic "Animal welfare and product quality in certified food systems".
- From December 2015 to August 2018 I worked as Fixed-term assistant professor (fixed-term researcher) at the DIMEVET, on the research topic "Animal welfare and product quality in certified food systems"
- From February 2013 to July 2015: Postdoctoral research fellowship (research assistant) within the project “Environmental sustainability and animal welfare in the pig production chain to improve profitability and guarantee sustainability of the sector”, for the task “Study on wooden materials that could be used as innovative environmental enrichment tools capable to improve the welfare of Italian heavy pigs intended for ham production. Advisor: Prof. Giovanna Martelli.
- Academic years 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015: teaching tutor for the second-cycle degree (two-year master) in Safety and Quality in Animal Production – University of Bologna.
- From February 2013 to present: research assistant at the Department of Medical Veterinary Sciences – University of Bologna for the project: “Study on wood materials as environmental enrichments tools capable to improve the welfare of heavy pigs”. Tutor: Prof. Giovanna Martelli.
Memberships:
- Since 18/03/2016 I am diplomate and de facto member of the European College on Animal Welfare and Behavioural Medicine, sub-specialty Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law (ECAWBM-AWSEL).
- Member of the Italian Association for Animal Science and Production (ASPA), http://www.aspa2.unitus.it/
Education and professional experience:
- CAE (Cambridge Advanced Exam) passed on April 17th, 2021, passing grade: A (Level C2 of the CEFR)
- Years 2020-2021: Lecturer (12+6 hours) for the "First/Second International Summer School on Animal Centered Computing" - St. Petersburg (Russia) LETI ELECTROTECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
- Since 15/10/2021, ISA expert (Individual Scientific Advisor) for the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (call EOI/EFSA/2020/01 - Scientifc and Technical Support)
- April 2013: I achieved the title of Ph.D., defending the dissertation “The impact of swine welfare on some qualitative traits of meat and long cured animal derived products”. 3-year postgraduate doctoral course in “Food science, animal nutrition and food security” (ISCED 6) - Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna (Italy) – DIMEVET. Advisors: Prof. Luca Sardi, Dr. Luigi Faucitano.
- From March to December 2011: period abroad of the Ph.D. This period was spent In Canada, where I took part in two research projects, collaborating both with the Dairy and Swine Research and development Centre (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada – Sherbrooke, QC) and with the Department of Animal and Poultry Science of the University of Guelph (ON). Advisor: Dr. Luigi Faucitano.
- From July to December 2009: Voluntary Graduate Assistant at the Department. of Veterinary Morphophysiology and Animal Production (DIMORFIPA) - Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bologna (Italy)
- November 2008: I graduated in Veterinary Medicine (Single cycle degree/Combined Bachelor and Master - ISCED 5) “summa cum laude” (110/110 e lode) at the University of Bologna discussing the thesis “Water requirements of italian heavy pigs: effects of water restriction on production and behavioural traits”. Advisor: Prof. Luca Sardi.
Prizes and scholarships:
- In 2014 I received the “Archimede Mordenti award” and in 2015 I received the “Pierfilippo Guadagnini award” for two research papers on pig welfare. The prizes are yearly given “to young scientists who, with their research activity, gave a valuable contribution to the scientific and technical advance in pig production”.
- I was awarded with the first prize in the Poster Competition at the International Congress of Meat Science and Technology - ICoMST (Montréal, 12-17 August 2012) for the poster entitled “The effect of water sprinkling on blood lactate and meat quality of market hogs transported during summer”.
- Year 2011: Marco Polo scholarship to protract the research on swine welfare and meat quality carried out in Canada.
Training and workshops:
- January28-29-30 and February 4-5-11-12, 2020: Course on the use of animals for scientific and educational purposes [“Corso di formazione per il personale abilitato in materia di impiego degli animali ai fini scientifici ed educativi – Livello 2”] (DIMEVET + ASL) .
- From 26/03/2020 to 18/06/2020: LEA Course (Language Empowerment for Academics) - level C1 (CLA-Centro Linguistico di Ateneo), Course 206 (24 hours), Teacher: Thomas Murphy
- Multivariate statistical analysis. ASPA, Sassari (Italy), 21-23 September 2016.
- One Day Summer School “In silico/in vitro approaches for food science” EFSA, Parma (Italy), 9 September 2016.
- Statistics for animal science. Pisa (Italy), 14-18 September 2015.
- Pre-Conference Graduate Course in Meat Science (ICoMST Montréal, 9-11 August 2012);
- Improving animal welfare: a practical approach - Lazise (VR), 27-28/11/2012.
Activity as a reviewer for international journals:
Since 2013 I served as a reviewer for the following journals: PLoS ONE, Animal, Animals, Italian Journal of Animal Science, Annals of Animal Science, General and Comparative Endocrinology, Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.
Participation in international conferences:
- Chair of the "Workshops track" for the Seventh International Conference on Animal-Computer Interaction - 10-12 November 2020, Milton Keynes, UK
- International scientific-practical conference “Innovative technologies of production and processing of animal production” – Vinnytsia (Ukraine), 25th-26th October 2018 (invited speaker).
- First Annual Meeting of the European Congress of Behavioural Medicine and Animal Welfare (ECVBMAW) 27th - 29th September 2018 Berlin, Germany.
- ACI2017 - Fourth International conference on Animal-Computer
Interaction. November 21-23 2017, Milton Keynes, UK e Workshop
“FarmJam2017: Designing Enrichment for Farm Animals” (invited speaker)
- Joint DCAW and NordCAW Animal Welfare Conference. October 3-4 2017, Copenhagen, DK
- 7th International Conference on the Assessment of Animal Welfare at
Fam and Group Level (WAFL), Ede, The Netherlands, 5-8 Settembre 2017
- XXII Congress of the Animal Science and Production Association (ASPA). Perugia, 13-16 June 2017
- VIII Dry Cured Ham World Congress – Tolosa (France) 25-26 June 2015.
- International Conference on Pig Welfare “Improving pig welfare: what are the ways forward?” - Copenhagen (Denmark) 29-30 April 2015.
- 6th International Conference on the Assessment of Animal Welfare at Farm and Group Level -WAFL2014- Clermont-Ferrand (France) September 3-5, 2014.
- 8th International symposium on the Mediterranean pig, Ljubljana (Slovenia), 10-12 October 2013.
- XX Congress of the Animal Science and Production Association (ASPA). Bologna, 11-13 June 2013.
- Improving animal welfare: a practical approach - Animal Welfare Workshop, Lazise (Verona) 27-28 November 2012.
- 58th International Congress on Meat Science and Technology (ICoMST – Montréal, Canada, 12-17 August 2012).
- Pre-Conference Graduate Course in Meat Science (ICoMST - Montréal, Canada, 9-11 August 2012)
- 5th International Conference on the Assessment of Animal Welfare at Farm and Group Level (WAFL), Guelph (Canada), 8-11 August 2011.
