I am a Research Fellow at CEPR, was previously full professor at CEMFI and have held visiting appointments at MIT, University of Southern California, the London School of Economics and the University College London. My research focuses on the functioning of labor markets, the analysis of business cycles, the determinants of the Italian productivity slow down and regional disparities. In these fields, I have edited books, organized academic conferences, and published several articles in top academic journals. I have participated in several research projects funded by the European Research Council, the Spanish Minister of Economics and the Ramon Areces Foundation. I have been Editor of the Journal of the European Economic Association and the Spanish Economic Review. I have been member of the European Standing Committee of the Econometric Society and served in the Executive Committee of the European Economic Association. I have been a driving force behind the launch of the Rome Master Economics (RoME), and of the Rome Economics Doctorate (RED), a PhD program that completes the graduate track starting with the RoME program. These initiatives are a token of my dedication to nurture the younger talents.