I am a Mechanical Engineer with five years University experience in the UK. I started my   degree in Italy and moved to the UK in 2001 to take up the European  scholarship that I had been  awarded.  After having completed my exchange year in 2002 I obtained a  grant to work on a   9-month  research project sponsored by the IMMPETUS group (Institute  for  Microstructural and   Mechanical Process Engineering: The University of Sheffield).   The  project involved a   non-linear finite element simulation of hot rolling of an aluminium alloy   and also some innovative  experiments to validate the numerical results. After this placement I was offered a PhD scholarship by the same research group.

   The subject of my PhD was the multi-scale measurement and prediction of large deformations in hot rolling processes. It involved both experimental work with rolling and plane strain compression tests and numerical work with finite element simulations of rolling and compression tests. I also dealt with FE simulations of the behaviour of austenite and ferrite under thermo-mechanical loading (micro-modelling). Within the University of Sheffield I  gained a reputation as a competent FE modeller so I collaborated with other research groups building a range of different models (bolted beams under fire load, contact analysis of bolted plates, three-point bending test, etc). My favourite fields were FE modelling of non-linear problems, large deformation, high strain rates, contact and heat exchange. I gained experience in modelling the materials behaviour at different temperatures and strain rates and I dealt with the implementation of Fortran subroutines to enhance the commercial FE codes.

   In 2006, soon after completing my PhD, I started working for the Renault F1 Team in Enstone (now Lotus Renault GP) where I am currently working as a structural analysis engineer. My work consists of finite element modelling and stress analysis of race car components using a range of commercial codes.