Stefano Blando.
Italiano

2015 — present

Experience & education

PhD in Artificial Intelligence at Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna and the University of Pisa, after statistics, finance and philosophy at Tor Vergata and La Sapienza. What follows is the whole record: degrees, roles, the awards and grants behind the work, and the methods it is done with.

Education 6

  1. 2025  —  present

    PhD in Artificial Intelligence

    Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna & University of Pisa

    Research focus
    "Learning How to Learn: Adaptive Cognitive Architectures for Economic Network Formation"

    Methods include differentiable agent-based models, LLM-based generative agents, multi-agent learning, network dynamics, and robust statistics.

  2. 2025  —  2026

    Second-Level Master in Customer Experience, Statistics, ML and AI

    University of Rome Tor Vergata

    Final Grade
    110/110 cum laude
    Thesis
    "Network Topology Analysis and Machine Learning Techniques for Systemic Risk Prediction in U.S. Equity Markets"

    Advanced program in statistics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence with SAS Academic Specialization in Advanced Data Analytics and Machine Learning Engineering.

    Selected as one of the top 3 best-performing graduates by SAS Global Academic Management for the SAS/DDI Data Lovers talent initiative.

  3. 2022  —  2025

    MSc in Financial Markets and Financial Intermediaries

    University of Rome Tor Vergata

    Final Grade
    108/110
    Thesis
    "High-dimensional Robust Portfolio Optimization Under Contamination: A Factor-Analytic Approach"
    Supervisor
    Prof. Alessio Farcomeni
    Focus
    robust statistics, quantitative finance, and factor-analytic methods
  4. 2019  —  2022

    BSc in Governance & International Relations

    University of Rome Tor Vergata

    Final Grade
    110/110 cum laude
    Thesis
    "Consumer Choice Under Uncertainty: From Homo Oeconomicus to Homo Temperatus"
    Supervisor
    Prof. Gustavo Piga
    Erasmus+ Exchange
    University of Paris Est-Creteil (Aug 2021 - Feb 2022)
  5. 2021  —  2023

    YUFE Student Journey

    Young Universities for the Future of Europe (European University Alliance)

    Selected for the competitive Tor Vergata cohort (top 30 students university-wide) in the European University Alliance. Completed German coursework (A1/A2, University of Bremen) and cross-institutional academic training across partner universities.

  6. 2015  —  2017

    BA in Philosophy (not completed)

    University of Rome La Sapienza

    Coursework in logic, epistemology, philosophy of science, philosophy of language, semiotics, theoretical philosophy, ethics, political philosophy, aesthetics, and history of philosophy.

Experience 2

  1. 2025  —  present

    PhD Researcher

    Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna Pisa, Italy

    Research at the intersection of AI, agent-based modeling, and economics, within the National PhD Program in AI (Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna & University of Pisa).

    • Differentiable agent-based models and LLM-based generative agents for economic simulation.
    • Statistical model checking of agent-based models - work published at MARS @ ETAPS 2026.
    • Robust and high-dimensional methods for financial, socio-economic, and textual data.
  2. 2020  —  2025

    Academic Tutor

    University of Rome Tor Vergata Rome, Italy

    Provided academic support across the Data Processing Center, university library, and Supply Chain Management course activities.

    • Supported students with statistics, study planning, and course selection.
    • Assisted teaching and supervised student project work.

Awards & grants 9

Methods & tools

Programming & Scientific Computing

  • Python
  • PyTorch & JAX
  • R
  • MATLAB
  • SQL & SAS
  • LaTeX & Git

Machine Learning & AI

  • Agentic Systems & Multi-Agent Orchestration
  • Deep Learning & Transformers
  • Graph Neural Networks (GNN)
  • LLM Fine-Tuning & RAG
  • Differentiable Programming
  • Explainable AI (XAI)

Simulation & Agent-Based Modeling

  • Agent-Based Modeling (ABM)
  • Statistical Model Checking (SMC)
  • Differentiable Simulation
  • Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning
  • Counterfactual & Scenario Analysis

Statistical Methods & Econometrics

  • Robust Statistics & Factor Models
  • High-Dimensional Inference
  • Time-Series Econometrics
  • Universal & Causal Inference
  • Monte Carlo Methods

Complex Systems & Networks

  • Network Science & Topology
  • Financial & Economic Networks
  • Contagion & Cascading Dynamics
  • Community Detection

NLP & Text Analytics

  • Text Mining & NLP
  • Semantic Network Analysis
  • Topic Modeling & Sentiment Analysis
  • Multilingual Validation Frameworks

Quantitative Finance & Risk

  • Portfolio Optimization
  • Systemic Risk Modeling
  • Stress Testing & Scenario Analysis
  • Bloomberg Terminal & LSEG Workspace

HPC & Infrastructure

  • HPC Clusters & SLURM (CINECA Leonardo)
  • GPU Computing
  • MLOps / LLMOps

Languages

Collaboration

15 co-authors, 9 institutions Explore the network →