• Geophysical modelling of the lithosphere (e.g. crustal, thermal, rheological model) on regional and global scale by estimation and integration of geophysical data
• Deformation analysis upon geodetic data

• 2009–: DFG Priority Program SPP 1257: "Mass Transport and Mass Distribution in the Earth System": Global Modelling of the lithosphere and mantle and explaning geoid signal by merging of tomography derived mantle flow models with full thermal convection models including lateral viscosity variations (IDEM)
• 2003–2004: ENTEC (ENvironmental TECtonics) research and training network and EUCOR-URGENT (Upper Rhine Graben Evolution Neo Tectonics).

Academic Degrees

• 1996: Graduation in Geological Science at the University of Naples ‘Federico II’.
• 2009: Doctor of Philosophy (Department of Tectonics, Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam)

• Apr 1999–Apr 2000: Scholarship in Volcanic Risk at the Osservatorio Vesuviano, Naples
• Jul 2000–Jul 2001: Scholarship in Geodetic Surveillance (GPS) at the Osservatorio Vesuviano, Naples
• Sep 2006–Dec 2006: Grant for doctoral candidate financed by the DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst), Potsdam
• Apr 2011–March 2013: Humboldt-scholarship, GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam

• Apr 2002–March 2003: Staff member of the European Space agency (ESA) employed under the Young Graduate Trainee Scheme and assigned to the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in the Solid Earth Unit, Earth Science Division, Earth Observation Future Programmes Department, Directorate of Earth Observation Programme. Final Report: “Deformation Analysis in the Phlegrean Fields based upon ERS InSar”. Noordwijk (The Netherlands).
• Jun 2003–Nov 2004: Employed as Scientific Assistant at the Institut für Geodäsie und Photogrammetrie, Geodesy and Geodynamics Laboratory department, ETH (Institute of Technology Zürich)
• Feb 2006–Nov 2008: Guest at the GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ) Potsdam
• Feb 2005–Apr 2009: Employed as a PhD at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in Tectonics Department. PhD thesis title: “An integrated study of the structure and thermomechanical properties of the European lithosphere”
• Jun 2009–March 2011: Employed as a Project Scientist at the GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ) Potsdam within the SPP 1257 priority program of DFG “Mass Transport and Mass Distribution in the Earth System”
• since Apr 2011: Scientific Assistant at the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Section "Earth System Modelling" (Humboldt-scholarship)

• 2011: Flinn Hart Award