Welcome to my webpage!
I am an Assistant Professor at University Pompeu Fabra (UPF) in Barcelona, and the coordinator of the Bachelor's degree in Telecommunications Network Engineering. I was previously a Research Scientist with Nokia Bell Labs and hold a Ph.D. from UNSW Sydney. I also held research appointments at the Singapore University of Technology and Design, The University of Texas at Austin, CentraleSupelec, and Alcatel-Lucent.
I am a Distinguished Lecturer of the IEEE Communications Society, an Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications and IEEE Communications Letters, and the Wireless Communications Symposium co-Chair for IEEE ICC’22. I am a frequent organizer of IEEE international workshops, have featured in over ten IEEE industry seminars, tutorials and workshop keynotes, and am co-Editor of the book “UAV Communications for 5G and Beyond” (Wiley – IEEE Press, 2020). I am co-inventor of a dozen patents, have written for the IEEE ComSoc Technology News, and received international press coverage.
I was awarded two of the most competitive early-career research fellowships in Spain: a “la Caixa” Junior Leader (2018-2021) and a “Ramon y Cajal” (2021-2026) Fellowship. I was named an Exemplary Reviewer for the IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications in 2017 and 2018. I received the Nokia Bell Labs Ireland Certificate of Outstanding Achievement in 2017, the IEEE Communications Society Outstanding Young Researcher Award for Europe, Middle-East, and Africa in 2018, and the IEEE PIMRC Best Paper Award in 2019.
About me: I like coffee, surprises, and living by the sea. Born and raised in Sicily, I have been living across six continents for work/love/adventure. I have been inspired by great mentors and colleagues, and consider myself privileged for the opportunities I was given.
Academic Experience
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Assistant Professor (2018 – present)
Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
Wireless and Secure Communications Research Group -
Postdoctoral Fellow (2014 – 2015)
Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore
Host: Prof. Tony Q. S. Quek -
Visiting Researcher (2013)
The University of Texas at Austin, United States
Host: Prof. Jeffrey G. Andrews -
Visiting Researcher (2012)
Supélec, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Host: Prof. Mérouane Debbah
Industrial Experience
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Research Scientist (2016 – 2018)
Nokia Bell Labs, Dublin, Ireland
Department of Small Cells Research -
Research Intern (2009)
Alcatel-Lucent, Vimercate, Italy
Education
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Ph.D. Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications (2014)
The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Dissertation: Physical Layer Security for Multi-User MIMO Systems
Advisors: Prof. Jinhong Yuan and Prof. Iain B. Collings -
M.Sc. Telecommunications Engineering (2009)
Politecnico di Milano, Italy
[110/110 "cum laude"] [Best M.Sc. Thesis Award from Milan Academy of Sciences and Arts]
Advisor: Prof. Arnaldo Spalvieri -
B.Sc. Telecommunications Engineering (2005)
Università di Palermo, Italy
[110/110 "cum laude"] [Special mention for an outstanding B.Sc. academic career]
Advisor: Prof. Ilenia Tinnirello
Department of Information and Communications Technologies
Edifici Roc Boronat (campus del Poblenou)
Roc Boronat, 138
08018 Barcelona
+34 93 542 15 29