Ballirano Paolo

Biography

"Paolo Ballirano, born in 1964 in Roma, has obt ained a degree magna cum laude in Geological Sciences at Sapienza University of Roma in July 1990. In June 1991 was the winner of two competitions for a ministerial three years project (Ph.D. Grants ""Earth Sciences"" and Chemical Sciences"") both at Sapienza Univ ersity of Roma. He opted for th e Ph.D. project ""Earth Sciences"" and obtained the PhD degree, in September 1994, successfully defending the thesis ""Cristal- chemistry of cancrinite-group minerals"". During the period September 1991-May 1992 was Visiting Scientist at the Depts. of Geology and Chemistry/ Biochemistry, Arizona State University, USA. In May 1992 was the winner of a NATO Travel Grant for attending the International School of Crystallography: Modern Perspec tive in Inorganic Crystal Chemistry, Erice. In June 1994 received the S.I.M.P. prize (Società Italiana di Minera logia e Petrologia) for the best Ph.D. thesis of mineralogical subject of the year. During th e period November 1994-N ovember 1996 obtained a Post Doc position at the Department of Earth Scie nces of the University of Pisa. During the period December 1996-October 1998 obtained several short research contracts with the Department of Earth Sciences of Sapienza University of Roma . In May 1997 was elected (first Italian) Active Member of the International Centre for Diffract ion Data (I.C.D.D.). In December 1997 was the winner of a Travel Grant of the European Mine ralogical Union (EMU) for attending the Modul'97 school, Budapest, Hungary. In September 1998 received the Ugo Panichi Prize from S.I.M.P. as the best Italian young researcher in the mineralogic al field for the period 1996-1998. During the period October 1998-March 1999 was in charge of the X-ra y diffraction labs of CTG S.p.A. Italcementi group, Bergamo. In May 1999 obtain ed the position of Researcher at the Department of Earth Sciences at Sapienza University of Roma. In July 2002 he obtained the suitability for the Associate Professor position at the national competition (GEO /06) at Palermo, III sessione 2001. In June 2003 was the winner of a NATO Travel Grant for attendi ng the International School of Crystallography: High Pressure Crystallography, Erice. In Septem ber 2003 was included in the ""Albo degli Esperti"" (art. 7 comma 1 del Decreto Legislativo n. 297 del 27-7-1999) with MMIUR decree n. 1543 8-9- 2003. In February 2004 was selected for the position of Associate Professor at the Department of Earth Sciences of Sapienza University of Roma. Fr om 1-1-2005 is in service as Associate Professor at the Department of Earth Sciences of Sapienza University of Roma. The principal research area is the characterization by modern anal ytical methods (X-ray powder and single-crystal diffraction, TEM, IR and Raman sp ectroscopy, calorimetry) and calculations (ab- initio structure determination, molecular dyna mics) of pseudozeolite minerals, fibres, nanomaterials, inorganic and organic materials, pi gments, and cement phases. He is also involved in the development of new X-ray diffr action techniques and their applic ation to the kinetics of phase transitions. He is the author or co-author of more than 160 papers, poster, and oral presentations. The mineral Balliranoite (Chukanov et al ., 2010: Eur. J. Mineral . 22 , 113-119) has been named in his honour because of his scientific contri bution to the crystal chemical a nd structural characterization of pseudozeolite minerals."

Research Interest

Chemistry/Biochemistry