In 1991 he obtained his Laurea in chemistry, at the University of Milan, Italy, working on the stereoselective 1,3 dipolar cycloadditions of nitrones to chiral allyl ethers.
In 1994 he completed his doctoral studies on the stereoselective synthesis of β-lactams through condensation of imines to titanium, tin and β-boron enolates of pyridylthioesters, under the supervision of prof. Mauro Cinquini, at the University of Milan.
In 1995, he was the recipient of a N.A.T.O./CNR postdoctoral fellowship and joined the group of prof. Jay. S. Siegel, at the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department of UCSD, University of California, San Diego where he worked for two years on the stereocontrolled synthesis of supramolecular structures, like double helicates, racks, and grids, useful intermediates for the construction of not trivial topological structures.
In 1997 he moved back to Milan, where he worked as postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Organic and Industrial Chemistry, University of Milan, developing the stereoselective synthesis of polymer supported small organic molecules.
In 2000 he became assistant professor at Department of Organic and Industrial Chemistry, University of Milan and in 2006 associate professor at the University of Milan.
In 2006 he was promoted to Associate Professor at the University of Milano.
After obtaining the habilitation in 2013, he was promoted in 2015 to Full Professor in Organic Chemistry at the Department of Chemistry, University of Milano, Italy.