Since 2019 full professor of Nubian archaeology and ancient history (2014-2019 associate professor; 2008-2014 assistant professor). Previous positions: fixed term researcher in the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (1992-1993) and in the University “L’Orientale” (1999-2003). From 2020 to 2023 head of the Department of Asian, African and Mediterranean Studies of the “L’Orientale” University.
Main scientific societies: ISMEO (since 2012), Sudan Archaeological Research Society (since 2006), International Society for Nubian Studies (since 1990, member of the Board since 2018), Centro Ricerche sul Deserto Orientale (since 2011, member of the Scientific Committee since 2016).
Fieldwork: since 1991 member of the Archaeological Mission in Kassala (Eastern Sudan) and director of the same mission since 2010; since 2001 field director of the Archaeological Expedition of “L’Orientale” and Boston University at Mersa/Wadi Gawasis (Red Sea, Egypt), co-director since 2014; since 1993 member of the Italian Archaeological Expedition at Aksum (Ethiopia, in collaboration with Boston University until 2002), field director since 2000 and co-director since 2014. Other collaborations: Italian Expedition to the Egyptian Eastern Desert of “L’Orientale” University (since 2011), Eastern Tigray Archaeological Project (Ethiopia, since 2005) and Italian-Eritrean Mission at Adulis (Eritrea, since 2011).
Scientific and editorial boards: Rassegna di Studi Etiopici (since 2008, vice-director since 2017), Newsletter di Archeologia - CISA (since 2015), Aethiopica (since 2019), Dialogoi (since 2017), Aegyptologica Pisana. Distinguished Studies in Egyptology (since 2019).
Main scientific collaborations: 1) program for the publication of the research of the Centro Ricerche sul Deserto Orientale in the Nubian Eastern Desert (coordinated by W.V. Davies, Sudan Archaeological Research Society and Griffith Institute, 2016-2020); 2) program for the study of the materials from the site of Agordat (University of Florida and National Museum of Eritrea, 1994); 3) since 2017 coordinator with S. Wenig of the publication of the report of the German Archaeological Expedition to Eritrea (GAME) (Auswärtige Amt, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Universität Wien).
