Mattia Sensi

Department of Mathematics, University of Trento. Email: mattia.sensi@unitn.it

I am a Caritro postdoctoral fellow at University of Trento. I joined Prof. Andrea Pugliese's group in March 2025.

My main research interests are dynamical systems, mathematical biology and Geometric Singular Perturbation Theory (GSPT).

I have worked on models described by Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs), Delay Differential Equations (DDEs), Integro Differential Equations (IDEs) and Partial Differential Equations (PDEs). My primary area of expertise is mathematical modelling of infectious diseases, but I have researched other topics in the past as well, and I am always interested in branching out.

If you have any question, you wish to discuss a potential collaboration, and/or you need the full text of any of my papers which are not in Open Access, don't hesitate to contact me!

You can download my detailed CV (last updated: 18/03/2025) here.

Links to my profile on:

Experience

Postdoctoral researcher

University of Trento

Working in Prof. Andrea Pugliese's group, studying epidemic models applied to avian flu as part of the Caritro postdoc project “Modelli matematici di malattie infettive più ospiti e popolazioni eterogenee: applicazioni all'influenza aviaria” (“Mathematical models of infectious disease spreading in multi-host and heterogeneous populations: applications to avian flu”).

March 2025 - present

Postdoctoral researcher

Politecnico di Torino

Working in Prof. Andrea Tosin's group, studying socio-epidemiological models as part of the PRIN 2020 project “Integrated Mathematical Approaches to Socio-Epidemiological Dynamics” (No. 2020JLWP23).

March 2023 - February 2025

Postdoctoral researcher

Inria Sophia Antipolis

Working in the group MathNeuro of Prof. Mathieu Desroches, studying multiple time scales dynamics of neural activity.

December 2021 - February 2023

Postdoctoral researcher

TU Delft

Working in the group NAS of Prof. Piet Van Mieghem, as part of the project “Epidemics over Human Contact Graphs”.

March 2021 - November 2021

Publications

Published papers
  1. A. Chizhov, L. Pujo-Menjouet, T. Schwalger and M. Sensi. A refractory density approach to a multi-scale SEIRS epidemic model. Infectious Disease Modelling, Volume 10, Issue 3, September 2025, Pages 787-801
  2. M. A. Achterberg, M. Sensi and S. Sottile. A minimal model for multigroup adaptive SIS epidemics. Chaos 1 March 2025; 35 (3): 033127
  3. L. Eigentler and M. Sensi. Delayed loss of stability of periodic travelling waves: insights from the analysis of essential spectra. Journal of Theoretical Biology, Volume 595, 7 December 2024, 111945
  4. I. M. Bulai, M. Sensi and S. Sottile. A geometric analysis of the SIRS compartmental model with fast information and misinformation spreading. Chaos, Solitons and Fractals, Volume 185, August 2024, 115104
  5. P. Kaklamanos, A. Pugliese, M. Sensi and S. Sottile. A geometric analysis of SIRS model with secondary infections. SIAM Journal on Applied Mathematics, Vol. 84, Iss. 2 (April 2024)
  6. R. Persoons, M. Sensi, B. Prasse and P. Van Mieghem. Transition from time-variant to static networks: Timescale separation in N-intertwined mean-field approximation of susceptible-infectious-susceptible epidemics. Phys. Rev. E 109, 034308
  7. M. Adimy, A. Chekroun, L. Pujo-Menjouet and M. Sensi. A multigroup approach to delayed prion production. Discrete and Continuous Dynamical Systems-B 29.7 (2024): 2972-2998
  8. M. Sensi, M. Desroches and S. Rodrigues. Slow-fast dynamics in a neurotransmitter release model: delayed response to a time-dependent input signal. Physica D: Nonlinear Phenomena, Volume 455, December 2023, 133887.
  9. R. Della Marca, A. d'Onofrio, M. Sensi and S. Sottile. A geometric analysis of the impact of large but finite switching rates on vaccination evolutionary games. Nonlinear Analysis: Real World Applications, Volume 75, February 2024, 103986.
  10. N. Cangiotti, M. Capolli, M. Sensi and S. Sottile. A survey on Lyapunov functions for epidemic compartmental models. Bollettino dell'Unione Matematica Italiana 17.2 (2024): 241-257
  11. P. Kaklamanos, C. Kuehn, N. Popovic and M. Sensi. Entry-exit functions in fast-slow systems with intersecting eigenvalues. Journal of Dynamics and Differential Equations (2023)
  12. N. Cangiotti, M. Capolli and M. Sensi. A generalization of unaimed fire Lanchester’s model in multi-battle warfare. Operational Research volume 23, Article number: 38 (2023)
  13. M. A. Achterberg and M. Sensi. A minimal model for adaptive SIS epidemics. Nonlinear Dynamics 111.13 (2023): 12657-12670
  14. S. Ottaviano, M. Sensi and S. Sottile. Global stability of multi-group SAIRS epidemic models. Mathematical Methods in the Applied Sciences, 46.13 (2023): 14045-14071
  15. N. Cangiotti and M. Sensi. Exact solutions for a Solow-Swan model with non-constant returns to scale. IJPAM, Volume 54, pages 1278–1285 (2023)
  16. S. Ottaviano, M. Sensi and S. Sottile. Global stability of SAIRS epidemic models. Nonlinear Analysis: Real World Applications, Volume 65, June 2022, 103501
  17. S. Sottile, O. Kahramanogullari and M. Sensi. How network properties and epidemic parameters influence stochastic SIR dynamics on scale-free random networks. Journal of Simulation 18.2 (2024): 206-219
  18. B. Chang, L. Yang, M. Sensi, M. A. Achterberg, F. Wang, M. Rinaldi and P. Van Mieghem. Markov Modulated Process to model human mobility. Complex Networks & Their Applications X. Studies in Computational Intelligence, vol 1015, p. 607-618, Springer
  19. N. Cangiotti and M. Sensi. Benford’s Law: a Number-Theoretical Perspective. PJM, Volume 11, No 3, 379-385 (2022)
  20. N. Cangiotti and M. Sensi. A geometric characterization of VES and Kadiyala-type production functions. Filomat, Volume 35, No 5, 1661-1670 (2021)
  21. N. Cangiotti and M. Sensi. Notes on a conformal characterization of 2-dimensional Lorentzian manifolds with constant Ricci scalar curvature. U.P.B. Sci. Bull., Series A, Vol. 83, Iss. 2, 2021
  22. T. Lorenzi, A. Pugliese, M. Sensi and A. Zardini. Evolutionary dynamics in an SI epidemic model with phenotype-structured susceptible compartment. Journal of Mathematical Biology 83, 72 (2021)
  23. H. Jardón-Kojakhmetov, C. Kuehn, A. Pugliese and M. Sensi. A geometric analysis of the SIRS epidemiological model on a homogeneous network. Journal of Mathematical Biology 83, 37 (2021)
  24. H. Jardón-Kojakhmetov, C. Kuehn, A. Pugliese and M. Sensi. A geometric analysis of the SIR, SIRS and SIRWS epidemiological models. Nonlinear Analysis: Real World Applications, Volume 58, April 2021, 103220

Preprints
  1. E. Bernardi, T. Lorenzi, M. Sensi and A. Tosin. Heterogeneously structured compartmental models of epidemiological systems: from individual-level processes to population-scale dynamics. Preprint on arXiv
  2. M. Aguiar, B. Kooi, A. Pugliese, M. Sensi and N. Stollenwerk. Time scale separation in the vector borne disease model SIRUV via center manifold analysis. Preprint on medRxiv

In preparation
  1. C. Oelen, B. Rink and M. Sensi. Non-Birkhoff periodic orbits in symmetric billiards.

Education

Università degli Studi di Trento

Ph.D. in Mathematics, cum laude
Title of the thesis: “A Geometric Singular Perturbation approach to epidemic compartmental models”, under the supervision of Prof. Andrea Pugliese.
November 2017 - January 2021

Universiteit van Amsterdam

M.Sc. in Mathematics
Title of the thesis: “Homoclinic vegetation stripes in a Klausmeier-Gray-Scott model”, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Arjen Doelman.
September 2015 - June 2017

Università degli Studi di Padova

B.Sc. in Mathematics
Title of the thesis: “Portfolio optimization for quadratic utility function with partial information”, under the supervision of Prof. Wolfgang J. Runggaldier.
September 2011 - September 2014

People

Co-authors
Colleagues
  • Daniele Avitabile, applied mathematician at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
  • Emre Baspinar, postdoctoral researcher at CNRS-NeuroPSI
  • Marco Fraccaroli, Postdoctoral Fellow at BCAM - Basque Center for Applied Mathematics
  • Annalisa Iuorio, tenure-track assistant professor at Parthenope University of Naples
  • Léo Mathis, postdoctoral researcher at Goethe University Frankfurt
  • Bob Rink, professor of mathematics at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
  • Cinzia Soresina, university assistant at University of Graz
  • Michele Stecconi, postdoctoral researcher at University Of Luxembourg
  • Maria Strazzullo, assistant professor at Politecnico di Torino
  • Halgurd Taher, postdoctoral researcher at the Brain Simulation Section of Charité Berlin
  • Alberto Valli, full professor at Università degli Studi di Trento
  • Marius Yamakou, researcher and principal investigator at University of Erlangen-Nürnberg

Friends