Curriculum Vitae of Massimo Barbaro, updated September 2023

Full professor of Electronics since 2023

Career and Education

• 2023 - Joined the Department of Electric and Electronic Engineering, University of Cagliari, as Full Professor
• 2021 - Appointed as Member of the Quality Assurance Board of University of Cagliari
• 2017 - Awarded with National Scientific Qualification as Full Professor, scientific sector 09/E3 - Electronics (art.16 of the law 30 December 2010, n.240).
• 2015 - Joined the Department of Electric and Electronic Engineering, University of Cagliari, as Associate Professor
• 2015 - Awarded with National Scientific Qualification as Associate Professor, scientific sector 09/E3 - Electronics (art.16 of the law 30 December 2010, n.240).
• 2005 - Obtained the tenure as Assistant Professor in Electronics
• 2002 - Joined the Department of Electric and Electronic Engineering, University of Cagliari, as Assistant Professor
• 2001 - Research contract with the Department of Electric and Electronic Engineering, University of Cagliari on "Development of a prototype of a smart vision system in CMOS technology "
• 2001 - Ph.D. in Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, University of Cagliari, with a thesis entitled "Conception, development, design and realization of analog smart vision systems".
• 1999-2000 - Internship at CSEM - Centre Suisse d'Electronique et Microtechnique, Neuchâtel, under the supervision of prof. Vittoz.
• 1997 - Research contract with the Department of Electric and Electronic Engineering, University of Cagliari on "Analog circuit design"
• 1997 - Italian license to practice the profession of engineer
• 1997 - Laurea degree in Electronic Engineering at University of Cagliari, Italy, with full marks (110/110 cum laude) with a thesis on "Analysis, models and circuits for collective processing of signals in perceptive VLSI analog systems"

Scientific Activity

Research topics

Realization of an Electronic Bi-directional Interface with the Human Neural System
This ongoing research activity is aimed at the realization of an implantable electronic device to establish a bi-directional interface between the peripheral neural system and a robotic hand. The activity includes the development of a front-end for neural recording and neural stimulation and a wireless link for telemetry and power supply altogether with a hermetic housing to make the system completely implantable. First, not implantable, prototype was tested in clinical trials on amputees.

Conception and Development of Biosensors for Electronic Detection of Biomolecules
A novel approach for detection of sequences of DNA by means of electronic devices has been developed. The detection mechanism can be implemented both in standard CMOS technology and in organic electronic and was proven useful also in the detection of specific enzymes.

Sensors and Devices in Organic Electronic
This topic is aimed at the realization of novel organic electron devices and sensors. A novel low-voltage organic Field-Effect Transistor has been conceived and realized. Such device has been successfully applied to sensing of pH and pressure.

Conception, development, design and realization of smart vision systems
Bio-inspired electronic circuits for the realization of "smart" vision systems can overcome the communication bottleneck between the imager and the processing system. By shifting part of computation capabilities within the imager itself and adopting massive parallel processing architectures, a retina-like camera device can achieve better results in terms of power-consumption and frame-rate.

Development and Design of Analog Modules for Signal Processing
Novel ADC architectures based on redundant bit representation have been investigated as possible candidates for implementation of large resolution converters on modern CMOS technologies with large components mismatches.

Development of a prototype of a self-tuning switching-mode power supply.
This industry-funded research topic is aimed at the realization of a switching-mode power supply implemented on modern high-voltage, high-power technologies with sub-micron feature size. In such technologies classic analog modules can be replaced by "smart" digital blocks that can be tuned, runtime, on the characteristics of the load.

Coordination of Research Projects selected in competitive calls with Peer Review

• International Scientific Cooperation Agreement CNR/SAS (Italia - Slovak Republic) 2006-2009 - "Electronic detection of biomolecular processes in integrated biosensors"; 36 Months
• Regione Autonoma della Sardegna, L.R. 7, 7 Agosto 2007, "Piattaforma per la biorilevazione elettronica dell'espressione della telomerasi - AMBROSIA", 36 Months
• Galileo 2014-2015, Università Italo Francese, "OFFSET (Organic Field Effect Transistor for Food Security)", 12 Months
• Regional Government of Sardinia, Project "API - Smart Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Environmental Monitoring", 36 Months
• Regional Government of Sardinia, Project "ACUADORI - ICT platform for sustainable water management in quality viticulture", 36 Months

Coordination of industry-funded research projects

• Infineon Technologies Austria, "Tecniche di autoregolazione per l'alimentazione in circuiti integrati avanzati con tecnologia di alimentazione intelligente"
• Corticale, " A Phase-Locked Loop Circuit For High Bit-Rate And Low Consumption Transmission Systems "
• Sarmed, " Sviluppo di un prototipo di sensore ottico per l’identificazione di enzimi all’interno del fluido di perfusione di organi da trapiantare "
• Corticale, " Progettazione e implementazione di soluzioni hardware su piattaforma FPGA per il filtraggio in tempo reale dei dati neuronali acquisiti dalle sonde impiantabili SiNAPS "
• Paperlit, " Sviluppo di un dispositivo basato su piattaforma a microcontrollore che permetta la cattura di immagini da edizioni cartacee "

Participation to Research Projects

European Projects

• IST-FET, IST-2001-39266: "BEST - Biomolecular rEcognition by integrated Smart-sensor Technology", 12 Months, Workpackage Leader 
• FP6-2004-IST-4: Scalable software Hardware Architecture Platform for Embedded Systems (SHAPES), 42 Months, Member of the research unit
• FP7-ICT-2009-4: Methods for predictAble Design of heterogeNeous Embedded System with adaptivity and reliability Support (MADNESS), 36 Months, Member of the research unit
• FP7-ICT-2013-10: Integrated flexible photonic sensor system for a large spectrum of applications: from health to security (i-FLEXIS), 36 Months, Member of the research unit
• FP7-ICT-2013-10 (European Project), "NEurocontrolled BIdirectional Artificial upper limb and hand prosthesiS - NEBIAS", 48 Months, Workpackage Leader

National Projects

• ASI-1998, "Microsistemi ottici per la robotica spaziale - Sottoprogetto Architetture VLSI", 12 Months, Member of the research unit
• COFIN1998, "Perceptive Vision Microsystems based on Structural Processing Paradigms", 24 Months, Member of the research unit
• PRIN 2006, "SAFEHAND - Design and Experimental Analysis of a Cybernetic Prosthetic Hand", 24 Months, Workpackage Leader 
• PRIN 2008, "OPENHAND: OPEN neuro-prosthetic HAND platform for clinical trials", 30 Months, Workpackage Leader 
• Progetti di Ricerca Giovani Ricercatori, Ricerca Finalizzata 2009: "NEurocontrolled MEchatronic prostheSIS (NEMESIS)", 36 Months, Workpackage Leader 
• PRIN 2010-2011 - "Biomechatronic hand prostheses endowed with bio-inspired tactile perception, bi-directional neural interfaces and distributed sensori-motor control (HANDBOT)", 36 Months, Workpackage Leader 

Scientific Productivity Metrics

• Publications indexed by Scopus: 85
• Total number of citations on Scopus: 1340
• H-index: 22

Duties for the Scientific Community

Editorial Duties

• Reviewer for the international journals: Nature Communications, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Circuits & Systems, Journal of Solid-State Circuits, Journal of Translational Engineering in Health and Medicine, Frontiers in Neuroscience, Journal of Emerging Technologies in Computing, Electronics Letters, Journal of Neurophysiology, IET Circuits Devices and Systems, , IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks, IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, IEEE Electron Devices Letters.
• Associate Editor: Frontiers in Neuroscience

Member of Selection Boards

• 2007 - Member of the examination Board Ph.D. in Information and Communication Science and Technology, Università di Genova
• 2008 - Member of the examination Board Ph.D. in Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, Università di Cagliari
• 2012 - Member of the admission Board Ph.D. in Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, Università di Cagliari
• 2013 - Member of the examination Board for the selection of an Assistant Professor, Università degli studi di Sassari
• 2016 - Member of the examination Board Ph.D. in Biorobotics, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna
• 2017 - Member of the admission Board Ph.D. in Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, Università di Cagliari
• 2017 - Member of the examination Board for the selection of an Assistant Professor, Università degli studi di Cagliari
• 2017 - Discussion leader at Licentiate Seminar of Ph.D. candidate, Chalmers University, Sweden
• 2019 - Member of the examination Board for the selection of an Assistant Professor, Università degli Studi di Cagliari
• 2020 - Member of the examination Board for the selection of an Assistant Professor, Università degli Studi di Cagliari
• 2020 - Member of the examination Board, Ph.D. in Bioengineering and Robotics, Università degli Studi di Genova

Project peer-review activity

• 2012 - Project Reviewer for CAMPUS call, local government of Regione Campania
• 2013 - Project Reviewer of FIRB 2013 call for Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research
• 2013 - Project Reviewer of PRIN 2013 call for Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research
• 2014 - Project Reviewer for FIR (Future in Research) call, local government of Regione Puglia
• 2015 - Project Reviewer for ECOS-Sud, Ministère des Affaires Etrangères et du Développement International e del Ministère de l'Education nationale, de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche de la République Français
• 2015 - Project Reviewer for "La ricerca dei talenti", Politecnico di Torino
• 2015 - Project Reviewer for "Rita Levi Montalcini", Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research
• 2017 - Project Reviewer for ""CONSOLIDATE THE FOUNDATIONS", Università Roma Tor Vergata
• 2018 - Project Reviewer (ex-post) for FIRB 2013, Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research
• 2019 - Project Reviewer for the Call for Proposals 2019, Israeli Ministry of Science and Technology 

Technology Transfer
Co-author of international patents:

• Burgi, P.Y., Heitger, F., Barbaro, M., Mortara, A., "Method of encoding information which can be represented by vectors", EP1150250
• Barbaro M., Bonfiglio A., Raffo L., "A field-effect device for the detection of small quantities of electric charge, such as those generated in bio-molecular processes, bound in the vicinity of the surface", EP1759193A1
• PCT/EP2011/063372, Barbaro M., Bonfiglio A., Cosseddu P., Lai S., "Low voltage organic transistor"
• 19156051.5, Barbaro M., Napoli C., Lai S., "Method for Measuring the Telomerase Activity"

Awards

• 2008, Supervisor of the team ranked 2nd in Cadence Student Design Contest, CDNLive!, "Conception and Design of a Smart Vision Sensor"
• 2008, Supervisor of the team ranked 3rd at Cadence Student Design Contest, CDNLive!, "A CMOS Integrated DNA-chip for hybridization detection"
• 2014, Supervisor of a team ranked in the top 20 list of Texas Instrument's Innovation Challenge (TIIC): European Analog Design Contest 2014
• 2014, Supervisor of a team ranked at second place at the Innovation Design Contest, organized by "Selezione di Elettronica", for project "BlueThought : A Wearable and Wireless EEG interface"
• 2015, Supervisor of a team ranked at second place at the Innovation Design Contest, organized by "Selezione di Elettronica", for project "Development of a CMOS bidirectional interface for acquisition of neural signals"
• 2019, Supervisor of a team ranked at second place at the Innovation Design Contest, organized by "Selezione di Elettronica", for project " Design of an ICT platform for sustainable water management in quality viticulture and wine-making"

Teaching and Educational Duties

Academic Courses at University of Cagliari, Italy

• From 2022, ongoing: Analog Electronic Design, 50 hours, 5 ECTS, B. Sc. in Biomedical Engineering
• From 2011, ongoing: Integrated Circuits, 100 hours, 10 ECTS, M. Sc. in Electronic Engineering
• From 2019, ongoing: Mixed-signal Circuits and Systems, 60 hours, 6 ECTS, M. Sc. in Electronic Engineering
• From 2002 to 2009: Digital Electronics, 50 hours, 5 ECTS, B.Sc. in Electronic Engineering
• From 2002 to 2009: Microelectronics, 60 hours, 6 ECTS, B.Sc. and M. Sc. in Electronic Engineering
• 2009, Advanced Analog Implementation Flow, 24 hours, Ph.D. in Electronic Engineering and Computer Science
• 2010, Advanced Digital Implementation Flow, 24 hours, Ph.D. in Electronic Engineering and Computer Science

International Teaching Activity

• Master in "Ingeniería de computadores y redes", Universidad de Granada (Spagna): from 2011 to 2014: Integrated Architectures for Bioinspired Systems ("Arquitecturas Integradas Para Sistemas Bioinspirados"), (2 ECTS)
• Visiting professor at Université Paris-Diderot, Paris, France, June 2015

Supervision Activity

University of Cagliari, Italy:

• Supervisor of 50+ final projects for the course of study in Electronic Engineering
• Supervisor of 8 final projects for the course of study in Biomedical Engineering
• Supervisor of 8 Ph.D. students for the Ph.D. course in Electronic Engineering and Computer Science
• Supervisor of 2 Ph.D. students for the Ph.D. course in Bioengineering and Robotics

University of Genova, Italy:

• Supervisor of 2 Ph.D. students for the Ph.D. course in Bioengineering

Other Educational Activities

Coordination of the following lecture cycles by Visiting Professors:

• "Advanced Analog Design", Prof. P.G.A. Jespers, Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium
• "Bioelectronics (biosensors, biochips). How to interface biology and electronic", Prof. P. Mailley, Université Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France
• "Molecular biology techniques for biosensor applications", Prof. I. Barak, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
• "Design Techniques for Integrated Front-end Electronics", Prof. P.G.A. Jespers, Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium
• "Bioelectronic: from diagnostic (biosensor, biochips) and biomedical devices to bioinspired nanosystems", Prof. P. Mailley, Université Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France
• "DNA, Peptide and oligosaccharide chip", Prof. Benoit Piro, Université Paris-Diderot, Paris, France

Dissemination activities:

• 2014, Science Festival, Cagliari, "Electronics meet biology: from DNA to transistor."
• 2014, Science Festival, Cagliari, "Moving a robotic hand with thought: at the crossing point among science, engineering and sci-fiction"
• 2015, Science Festival, Cagliari, "NEBIAS project: towards a 'natural' hand prosthesis"
• 2015, Science Festival, Cagliari, "Transistors and molecules: electronic devices to read the human genetic code."
• 2017, Researchers' Night Cagliari, "Humanize an artificial prosthesis: at the crossroads among science, engineering and sci-fi."
• 2017, Science Festival Cagliari, "The NEBIAS project the challenge of technology towards disability"
• 2019, Maker Faire Rome, "ACUADORI - Wireless sensors for water management in the vineyard"
• 2020, Science Faire Cagliari, "Digital agriculture: the impact of new technologies on the production of our food"
• 2020, Researchers' Night, "ACUADORI: electronics in agriculture"

Managing Duties

For the course of study in Electronic Engineering:

• 2002 - now, Member of the Board of Professors
• 2002 - now, Responsible for 3 Erasmus agreements
• 2004 - now, Member of Erasmus Board
• 2012 - now, Member of Quality Assurance Board
• 2012 - 2015, Responsible for Quality Assurance
• 2012 - 2015, Secretary of the course of study
• 2014 - now, Member of the Advisory Board
• 2015 - 2021, Coordinator of the course of study

For the course of study in Biomedical Engineering:

• 2022 - now, Member of the Board of Professors

For the course of study in Electronic, Computer and Telecommunications Engineering:

• 2022 - now, Coordinator of the course of study

For the Department of Electric and Electronic Engineering:

• Member of the Board of the Ph.D. in Electronic Engineering and Computer Science
• Responsible of EUROPRACTICE consortium agreement for access to CAD/EDA software, design-kit maintenance, and microelectronic manufacturing
• Member of the Board for Industrial Relationships

For the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture:

• Member of the Board 
• Member of the Teaching Commission
• Coordinator of the Orientation Activities Commission

For the University of Cagliari:

• 2020-2021 Member of the Workgroup for Distance Learning Technologies in the pandemic response
• 2021-now, Member of "Presidio della Qualità di Ateneo" (Quality Assurance Committee)