My main interest is understanding how clusters of galaxies and galaxies in clusters evolve from an
observational point of view and using Bayesian methods that I
teach
(so far at 13 universities spread in 7 countries).
My top three most cited papers address the mass dependency
and scatter of the stellar and gas fractions, the scaling between richness and mass, and the evolution of faint galaxies on the red-sequence.
I discovered the galaxy cluster at the second highest redshift known,
JKCS041 at z=1.803 (the most distant for over a decade).
I was one of the first astronomers using artificial intelligence tools (neural networks,
self organizing maps) for photometric redshift and object detection at the end of the 90's
and, starting from 2005, bayesian methods for many astrophysical applications (luminosity
and mass function, velocity dispersion, quenched fraction, galaxy and cluster scaling
relations, x-ray and optical analysis of galaxy clusters, etc). I'm lead author of
Bayesian Methods for the Physical Sciences book.
I'm presently deeply involved with the
Euclid mission (awarded Euclid Builder status in 2023 for
"extraordinary efforts on activity critical to the success of Euclid"
mission).
In 2016,
I awarded the status of IAA fellow. Listed in the Italian Top Scientists and in the
2023 list of Highly Cited Researchers by
Elsevier.
