Five research projects have been selected under the agreement between the University of Pisa and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They will be jointly developed by these two prestigious academic institutions. Research will focus on several domains in engineering and mathematics.
These five projects were selected after careful evaluation of the 19 proposals submitted, and will be funded through the reimbursement of travel and accommodation expenses for exchanges that the research groups will organize at the partner university. Direct contact between researchers aims to foster new ideas and forms of cooperation, with the purpose of developing wider-ranging projects.
The five winners of the MIT-UNIPI Project are the following:
Gianluca Fiori
Gianluca Fiori, from the Department of Information Engineering, will study the potential of biodimensional materials such as graphene and MoS2 in the field of 'next generation' electronics and in radiation detectors. He will build upon his expertise in the fields of both fabrication and simulation of nanoscale devices. His partner at MIT is Tomas Palacios.
Michele Lanzetta
Michele Lanzetta, from the Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering, aims to develop a 'gripper' (robotic hand) based on a type of magnet able to grab non-ferromagnetic objects of any size and shape. This technology is based on a combination of a magnet, a suction device and adhesive tape with the capacity to stick to and release an object at will. His partner at MIT is Karl Iagnemma.
Matteo Novaga
Matteo Novaga, from the Department of Mathematics, will carry out research in the field of calculus of variations and its applications to geometric and physico-mathematical problems. More specifically, he will focus on variational models in the treatment of images, geometric evolution and minimal surfaces. His partner at MIT is Tobias Holck Colding.
Roberto Mauri
Roberto Mauri, from the Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering, will carry out a theoretical, experimental and numerical study upon the basic level of interfacial effects relating to emulsion flows in porous mediums, with the aim of developing a predictive model which will allow them to be controlled. His partner at MIT is Ruben Juanes.
Elisabetta Rosellini
Elisabetta Rosellini, from the Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering, aims to develop 'scaffolds' which imitate natural heart tissue and which are capable of promoting the regeneration of infarcted myocardium following implantation in the patient's body. The philosophy of this project is based on a bio-inspired approach. The 'scaffolds' draw inspiration from nature at multiple levels: from chemical composition, from the architecture of the matrix and from the presence of biochemical signals, all of which are able to control the process of regeneration. Her partner at MIT is Ali Khademhosseini.
The University of Pisa holds that a further seven proposals are of particular interest and has decided to support them so as to initiate an active collaboration with research groups at MIT involved in these fields, thus laying the foundations for future projects. The selected proposals were submitted by Benedetta Mennucci (Department of Chemistry), Diego Lo Presti (Department of Energy, System, Territory and Construction Engineering (known as "Destec"); Rocco Rizzo ("Destec"), Andrea Pucci (Department of Chemistry), Monica Puccini (Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering), Luca Fanucci (Department of Information Engineering) and Marco Coccocioni (Department of Information Engineering).
A new call for the funding of new projects in collaboration with MIT is already issued.