Professor in Plant Genetics at University of Verona, scientific director of Fondazione Edmund Mach in San Michele all’Adige (ItalY) and since July 2023 commissioner at CREA.

He was temporarily vice-rector for research and technology transfer of University of Verona and president of the Italian Society of Agricultural Genetics. He is founder of the Verona university spinoffs “Officina Biotecnologica” “Diamante” and “Edivite”. He is life member of the Italian Georgofili Academy and the Academy of Agriculture, Science and Literature in Verona.

He has been member of the Italian national committee for bio-security, biotechnology and life science, Working group agricultural biotechnology – Prime minister commission. Principal investigator and coordinator of national and international  projects. He has been keynote speaker, invited speaker, convener and organizer in a large variety of national and international conferences and workshops. Together with his research group he has published over a hundred scientific papers in international journals.