Pietro Vischia, PhD
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Who am I

I am a Ramón y Cajal senior researcher at the Universidad de Oviedo and ICTEA, and Adjunct Professor at IITM. Previously I have been a postdoc at Université catholique de Louvain (Belgium, IISN postdoc and then FNRS chargé de recherche, 2018-2022), Universidad de Oviedo (2016-2018), and I got my PhD from Instituto Superior Técnico (Lisboa, Portugal) in 2016. I got my bachelor and master’s degrees from Università degli Studi di Padova (Italy).

My research focuses on the exploration of high-dimensional spaces via gradient descent, eventually powered by quantum algorithms, and on the extension of machine learning methods to realistic neurons with spiking networks, to be then implemented in neuromorphic hardware devices. I have created my research group in Universidad of Oviedo and ICTEA, focussed on this main research avenue.

I co-founded and am the coordinator of the MODE Collaboration, where we focus on experiment (cod)design powered by machine-learning-based optimization.

Within ICTEA, I aim at bridging and promoting cross-contamination between different disciplines by the development and application of state-of-the-art and novel artificial intelligence techniques.

I also apply machine learning algorithms to LHC data, within the CMS Collaboration, to study the associated production of the Higgs boson with a top quark pair (ttH) in final states with many leptons, the properties of the associated production of a W and a Z boson, and the search production of a pair of Higgs boson.

My CMS-related responsibilities include being the coordinator of the Machine Learning Group of the CMS Experiment for the years 2024-2026, member of the CMS Statistics Committee (an advisory committee on topics concerning statistics), plus other responsibilities (e.g. HWW convener) within the CMS Collaboration. From 2020 to 2024, I have been the coordinator of the CERN IML (Interexperimental Machine Learning) Working Group.

Besides being the coordinator of MODE, I am also member of the Collaboration Board of the DRD-6 (DRD-Calo) Collaboration, and member of the International Advisory Board of the USERN Organization.

For what concerns my activities in the CMS Collaboration, I joined the excellent UniOviHEP-ICTEA CMS group.

My Research Group

NeuroModelling (my main project): I am currently building my own research group. If you would like to work with me, either at the bachelor, master’s, PhD, or postdoc level, please write me an email at the address below.

I may have smaller projects to offer, suitable to interested students who want to acquire some experience or try out research work without (yet?) committing to a bachelor, master’s, or PhD thesis. Again, if you are interested please write me an email at the address below.

Current funding opportunities

If you are interested in any of the opportunities below, in particular in the periodic (usually yearly) ones, please contact me well in advance: successful applications are based not only on a good supervisee-supervisor match, but also on iterations on the detail of the project (true in particular for postdoc applications).

  • I will open very shortly (Jan/Feb 2026) a call for a PhD student on Neuromorphic Computing, within a Pathfinder Open project recently funded by the European Innovation Council
  • I can host applications to MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships: the call usually opens in May with deadline in September
  • Spanish postdoctoral Juan de la Cierva program: if you got your PhD between 1 January YEAR-1 and 31 December YEAR, you can apply for a 2-year postdoc position, deadline usually on February YEAR+1.
  • Several PhD (4-year positions) funding availabilities: if you expect to defend by September YEAR, you can apply to:
    • Private bank call, deadline usually on February YEAR
    • Regional call (Severo Ochoa), deadline usually on May YEAR
    • National call (FPU), usually deadline in February YEAR

Current Postdocs

If you got your PhD between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2024, and you are interested in a postdoc with me, please contact me a.s.a.p. using the email address at the bottom of the page. There will be a call closing on February 2025.

Current PhD students

If you are interested in applying to Spanish funding agencies for funding for a PhD with me, please contact me (email address at the bottom of the page). In particular, there is a call closing on February 2026.

  • 2025.09-present: Daniel Lanchares Álvarez, PhD thesis in Physics: “Machine-Learning Powered Estimation of parameters for Binary Black Hole Systems” (co-supervised with Luigi Toffolatti Ballarin, UniOvi, and José Antonio Font, Universidad de Valencia)
  • 2024.09-present: María Pereira Martínez, PhD thesis in Physics: “Use of machine learning techniques for the optimization of a neutron tomography system” (Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, co-supervised with Xabier Cid Vidal).
  • 2023.06-present: Sadhana Verma, PhD thesis in Physics: “Off-Shell Higgs to WW production” (IIT Madras, co-supervised with Arul Lakshminarayan)

Current Master students

For the academic year 2025-2026 I have still capacity for four or five students. Available topics include neuromorphic computing, muon tomography, equivariant networks with quantum machine learning, optimization of the TAMBO experiment, machine learning for binary black hole systems.

  • 2025.06-present: Rukshak Kapoor (Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, Patiala), Spiking Neural Networks and Neuromorphic Computing for Calorimetry

Current Bachelor students

  • 2025.09-present: Raúl Iglesias Ablanedo, Double BSc in Physics and Mathematics, Applications of Neuromorphic Computing to High Energy Physics problems (UniOvi, with Enrico Lupi, CERN and Università di Padova)
  • 2025.09-present: Diego Froilán García Campos, Double BSc in Mathematics and Physics, Neuromorphic Readout and Granularity in Hadron Calorimetry (UniOvi, with Andrea Saborido Patiño, DIPC)
  • 2025.09-present: ** Hugo Llamas García**, BSc in Physics, *Use of Artificial Intelligence Techniques for the Analysis if Radiation Maps from Biopsies of Colon Cancer Patients (UniOvi, with Jorge Pisonero Castro)
  • 2025.09-present: Guillermo González Tejedo, BSc in Physics, Application of Artificial Intelligence Techniques in the Interpretation of Radiation Maps from Biopsies of Colon Cancer Patients (UniOvi, with Jorge Pisonero Castro)
  • 2025.09-present: Enol García Fontela, BSc in Data Science and Engineering, *Machine Learning Techniques for Particle Reconstruction at the CMS Experiment** (UniOvi, with Santiago Folgueras)
  • 2025.09-present: Cesar Martínez Martínez, Double BSc in Physics and Mathematics, Artificial-Intelligence Based Study of Advanced Problems in Image Reconstruction via Muon Tomography (UniOvi, with Carlos Díez González, Muon Tomography Systems s.l.)
  • 2025.09-present: Izan Flórez García, BSc in Physics, Optimization of the Structure and Position of the TAMBO Experiment Detectors (UniOvi)
  • 2025.09-present: Ignacio González Álvarez, Double BSc in Physics and Mathematics, Equivariant Neural Networks implemented in quantum circuits (UniOvi, with Sergio Sanchez Cruz)

Current interns

  • 2025-03-present: Alberto Saborido Patiño (DIPC), Spiking Neural Networks and Neuromorphic Computing for Calorimetry

Alumni

Master

  • 2025.01-2025.09: Jacopo de Piccoli, MSc in Physics, “Study of associated top pair and Higgs production in multilepton events at 13.6 TeV with the CMS detector” (Università degli Studi di Padova, with Tommaso Dorigo).
  • 2023.12-2024.07: María Pereira Martínez, MSc thesis in Physics: “Use of machine learning techniques for the optimization of a neutron tomography system” (Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, co-supervised with Xabier Cid Vidal).

Bachelor

  • 2024.09-2025.07: Paula Granda Gutiérrez, Double BSc in Physics and Mathematics, Optimization of the response of Hodgkins-Huxley neuronal simulators with Automatic Differentiation (UniOvi).
  • 2024.09-2025.07: Álvaro Sánchez Fernández, Double BSc in Mathematics and Physics Study of equivariant neural networks for robust CP observables (UniOvi, with Clara Ramón Álvarez, University of Virginia).
  • 2024.09-2025.06: Marta de la Puente Santos, BSc in Physics, “Bias Reduction via Expectation Maximization in Artificial-Intelligence Based Optimization of a Muon Tomography System” (UniOvi, with Zahraa Zaher, Université catholique de Louvain).
  • 2024.09-2025.06: Jimena Gómez Fernández, BSc in Physics: Artificial-Intelligence Based Study of Advanced Optimization Problems in Muon Tomography Imaging” (UniOvi, with Carlos Díez González, Muon Tomography Systems s.l.).
  • 2024.09-2025.06: Juan Pérez Barrero, Double BSc in Mathematics and Physics, Study of equivariant neural networks for CP robust observables implemented in quantum circuitsÇ (UniOvi).
  • 2024.09-2025.06: Alberto Nieto Cardoso, Double BSc in Mathematics and Physics, Analysis of Cosmological Data Using Artificial Intelligence Techniques (UniOvi, with George Alestas, IFT).
  • 2023.12-2024.07: Pablo Canteli Morales, BSc in Physics: “Artificial-Intelligence Based Study of Optimization Problems in Muon Tomography Imaging” (UniOvi, with Carlos Díez González, Muon Tomography Systems s.l.)
  • 2023.12-2024.07: Samuel Álvarez Lueje, BSc in Physics: “Artificial-Intelligence Based Optimization of a Muon Tomography System for the Detection of Smuggled Material in Containers” (UniOvi, with Maxime Lagrange from UCLouvain).
  • 2023.12-2024.07: Pablo Fernández Valdés, BSc in Informatics: “Simulation of Neurons with Spatial Extension and Study of their Response Function” (UniOvi, with María José Pérez Fernández).
  • 2023.12-2024.07: Manuel Uría García, BSc in Physics: “Sentiment Analysis with Quantum Natural Language Processing” (UniOvi, with José Manuel Uría González from UriaXait s.l.).
  • 2023.12-2024.07: Santiago Vila Domínguez, BSc in Physics: “Study of CP Violation in High-Energy Physics Collisions…” (UniOvi, with Sergio Sánchez Cruz from UZH). Internships
  • 2025.06-2025.08: Gursharan Singh (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research TIFR, Mumbai), Optimization of the experimental setup of TAMBO
  • 2023.01-2023.04: Mariam Safieldin (American University of Beirut), internship: “Development of an Expectation Maximization Algorithm for muon tomography detector optimization” (UCLouvain/UniOvi, cosupervised and funded by UCLouvain’s muon tomography group)