Up to the mid '90s, my main scientific interests have been the phylogeny and taxonomy of myriapods as well as the principles and methods of biological systematics.

Since the early ‘90s, my main research interests have turned towards evolutionary developmental biology, with special regards to the origin and evolution of appendages and segmentation. Specifically, recent and current research activities include

• Evolutionary developmental biology: origin and evolution of segmentation, body axes, appendages; periodization of development; use of comparative method in the analysis of ontogenetic processes

• Developmental biology and molecular developmental genetics of myriapods

• Principles and methods of biological systematics and the comparative method in biology

• Phylogenetics, taxonomy and faunistics of Chilopoda Zoological Nomenclature