I was involved in the clinical practice since 1982I became more and more involved in clinical research and care of the critically ill patients, mainly those affected by respiratory disordersI worked abroad from 1985 till 1988 (Canada), few months in 1993 (Belgium) and in the 2006 (US)I was first trained in Pavia University where my main interests were focused on asthma and COPDI did my post-graduate fellowship at McGill University where my fields of interest were focused on the clinical importance of respiratory muscles (including pharmacology) and mechanical ventilationI moved then to Montescano, part of the Maugeri Foundation where I started to work on patients affected by acute and chronic respiratory failure. I developed together with my Colleagues the technique of non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIV), that we have applied for the first time in the world, as a weaning technique from invasive mechanical ventilationIn the year 2000 I was appointed Chief of the Respiratory Unit in Pavia, hospital part of the Maugeri Foundation, where I have continued my clinical job and my research on weaning, mechanical ventilation, clinical pharmacology, assessment of new technologies and more recently, ethics and palliative care of chronic respiratory patientsIn 2010 I moved to Bologna when direct a 35 beds unit, including 7 ICU beds. I was recently appointed full time professor of Respiratory Medicine, and I have several academic commitments as a teacher for medical students, nurses, technicians and physiotherapists. I also teach at the specialty school of Respiratory Medicine, Anesthesia and Critical Care, Gerontology, Vascular Surgery, Hemathology and Infectious Disease.I was also involved in several Scientific SocietyAmerican Thoracic Society (ATS): chairman of the critical care scientific program (2008-2009)European Respiratory Society (ERS):Actual director of Post-graduate Course Program. Previous head of Assembly n.2 (critical care)