Prior to that he studied at the University of Rome (Italy), where he graduated with honors with a degree in Nuclear Engineering in 1987.
[3] His awards and recognitions include: 2024 John Dawson Award for Excellence in Plasma Physics Research from the American Physical Society "for pioneering the development of statistical modeling to predict, design, and analyze implosion experiments on the 30kJ OMEGA laser, achieving hot spot energy gains above unity and record Lawson triple products for direct-drive laser fusion.
"[4] 2023 Blaise Pascal Medal in Physics from the European Academy of Science "in recognition for his outstanding contributions to high temperature plasma physics with applications to nuclear fusion and for the development of the novel “shock ignition” approach to direct-drive inertial confinement fusion.
[6] 2012 recipient of the U.S. Department of Energy's Ernest O. Lawrence Award for "a series of impactful theoretical discoveries in the physics of inertial confinement fusion including seminal transformative work on thermonuclear ignition, hydrodynamic instabilities and implosion dynamics, and the development of innovative approaches to ignition and energy gains.
"[8] 2009, The Edward Teller Medal from the American Nuclear Society "for seminal contributions to the theory and understanding of hydrodynamic instabilities, implosion dynamics and thermonuclear ignition in inertial confinement fusion.