Nicola is a postdoc and carries out experimental research in the flow laboratory at IEEF. In the context of the energy transition, he is investigating the fluid mechanics of carbon sequestration in the subsurface, as well as strategies for large-scale underground hydrogen storage. Recently, he has also been studying how microplastics are being mixed and dispersed in the ocean water, with the goal of developing new strategies to separate and collect the plastic particles from the water. This builds on previous work on multiphase flows, including bubble and particle-laden plumes in the ocean, as well as ash plumes rising through the atmosphere during a volcanic eruption.

Owing to his engineering background, Nicola has an interest in buildings. He has studied how contaminants and droplets are transported by the ventilation in a room, using both laboratory experiments and monitoring of full-scale buildings, such as the new Royal Papworth hospital in Cambridge.