From Scuola Normale to ICTP 🇮🇹 🇺🇸 🇮🇹 || Prof. Sandro Scandolo’s Journey of Science and Leadership

Decoding Phase Transitions - the DPT Podcast || Ep.7 || Feat. Prof. Sandro Scandolo In this episode of the Decoding Phase Transitions (DPT) Podcast, I sit down with Prof. Sandro Scandolo, physicist and Head of Research at the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy. Prof. Scandolo is not only an accomplished scientist with publications in Nature, Science, and other top journals, but also a leader who has successfully balanced cutting-edge research with major organizational responsibilities. Prof. Scandolo was awarded the Fellowship of the American Physical Society, the J.C. Jamieson Award, and recognized as a “Male Champion for Women in Science” (2018) for his advocacy of diversity in scientific careers. 🎙️We dive into his inspiring journey. Here's some highlights: ✨Climbing the ladder from researcher to ICTP leadership roles ✨Transferable skills from research to management ✨How to foster diversity and open scientific environments ✨Hacks and mental models that helped him overcome challenges ✨AI’s role in shaping research and PhD journeys today 📌 Whether you’re an early-career researcher, a PhD student, or simply curious about how science and leadership intertwine, this conversation offers timeless lessons. 👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to the DPT Podcast for more inspiring conversations with brilliant minds in academia and beyond. You can find all the episodes of DPT podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLK152Z45fAKnLusMqOyY5Q0zf2Fz9wiXk 🎙️ About This Episode's Guest: Prof. Sandro Scandolo is a physicist and the Head of Research at the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy. He studied physics at the prestigious Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, earned his PhD, and later carried out postdoctoral research in Trieste before being appointed at SISSA. He also spent time as a visiting scholar at Princeton University before returning to ICTP, where he has since held several leadership roles. Homepage: https://www.ictp.it/member/sandro-scandolo#biography Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=mJEVOdQAAAAJ&hl=en His Research Areas: Computational condensed matter physics, particularly in the area of materials at extreme conditions of pressure and temperature. 🔗 Resources Mentioned / Related Links: ICTP, Trieste, Italy: https://www.ictp.it Princeton University, USA : https://www.princeton.edu Global Outreach ICTP: https://www.ictp.it/home/global-outreach SISSA, Trieste, Italy: https://www.sissa.it Scoula Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy: https://www.sns.it/it Synchrotron facility, Elettra: https://www.elettra.eu Mathematics Olympiad: https://www.imo-official.org Carlo Rubbia, Nobel Laureate and Particle Physicist: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlo_Rubbia Roberto Car: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Car Michele Parinello: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michele_Parrinello Franco Bassani: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franco_Bassani Car Parinello Method: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car–Parrinello_molecular_dynamics Erio Tosatti: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erio_Tosatti Stefano Baroni: https://cm.sissa.it/people/stefano-baroni Quantum ESPRESSO project: https://www.quantum-espresso.org 👋 Connect with Sananda Biswas (Host): YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@SanandaBiswasPhD LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sananda-biswas-PhD/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sananda.biswas.phd **Chapters are below, but I recommend watching/listening the full journey for the complete context. ⏱️ Episode Chapters: 00:00 - Welcome and Introduction 03:11 – Leading and managing a research institute 06:37 – Transferable skills from research to management 09:16 – Fostering open environments at ICTP 12:13 – How Sandro became curious about physics 16:57 – Encouraging teachers in school 18:21 – School years in Italy & Scuola Normale 18:48 – First time living alone & why it wasn’t a challenge 23:26 – Experience at Scuola Normale 27:52 – Applying to Scuola Normale 30:19 – No plan B heading into a PhD 32:33 – PhD research work 41:39 – Overcoming challenges when stuck 48:17 – Postdoc in Trieste 57:05 – Princeton days 01:00:05 – Decision to come back 01:02:18 – ICTP journey to leadership 01:04:11 – Hacks to staying productive while leading 01:07:11 – Nature paper in 1 hour? 01:08:47 – How AI is reshaping research & PhD journeys 01:16:39 – ICTP’s promise for young researchers 01:23:41 – Fun trivia about Sandro 01:28:18 – Lessons from My Wife’s Scientific Journey 01:29:47 – Challenge that changed everything 01:32:34 – Final Thoughts ‼️ Correction: The pH scale is in the range of zero to 14, not minus 7 to plus 7 as mentioned in the conversation. #DPTPodcast #SandroScandolo #ICTP #ScienceLeadership #PhDJourney #AcademicLife #PhysicsPodcast #ScientificCareers #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfScience #ResilienceInScience #DiversityInSTEM #InspiringScientists #CareerInAcademia