Riccardo Conte

Researcher RTD-B

Dipartimento di Chimica

Università degli studi di Milano

Room 12S Corpo B
via Golgi 19, Milano 20133, ITALY
Tel: +39 02 503 14255
Email: riccardo.conte1@unimi.it


I got my MSc in Chemistry from Università di Pisa and the Diploma in Chemistry from Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa. I received a PhD in theoretical Chemistry from Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa.

My postdoctoral training abroad includes an appointment at the Weizmann Institute of Science (Israel), in the group of Prof. Eli Pollak, a term at Beijing Normal University (China), and a fellowship at Emory University (USA), in the group of Prof. Joel Bowman. In November 2015, I have joined the group of Prof. Michele Ceotto at Università degli Studi di Milano. In October 2019 I started as a Researcher (RTD-A) at the Department of Chemistry of Università degli Studi di Milano.

Main research interests

  • Development of new theories and methodology in semiclassical (quantum) and QCT molecular dynamics
  • Development of new semiclassical approaches for calculation of vibrational spectra, rate constants, and dissipative systems.
  • QCT scattering and development of energy transfer models.
  • Creation of innovative and efficient PES-fitting techniques.


Select Publications

  • A. Rognoni, R. Conte, and M. Ceotto “How many water molecules are needed to solvate one?”, Chem. Sci. 2021, 12, 2060.
  • R. Conte, C. Qu, P.L. Houston, and J.M. Bowman “Efficient Generation of Permutationally Invariant Potential Energy Surfaces for Large Molecules”, J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2020, 16, 3264.
  • F. Gabas, G. Di Liberto, R. Conte, and M. Ceotto “Protonated glycine supramolecular systems: the need for quantum dynamics”, Chem. Sci. 2018, 9, 7894.
  • M. Ceotto, G. Di Liberto and R. Conte “Semiclassical Divide-and-Conquer Method for Spectroscopic Calculations of High Dimensional Molecular Systems”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 2017, 119, 010401.
  • R. Conte, C. Qu, and J. M. Bowman “Permutationally Invariant Fitting of Many-Body, Non-covalent Interactions with Application to Three-Body Methane-Water-Water”, J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2015, 11, 1631-1638.
  • R. Conte, A. Aspuru-Guzik, and M. Ceotto “Reproducing Deep Tunneling Splittings, Resonances, and Quantum Frequencies in Vibrational Spectra From a Handful of Direct Ab Initio Semiclassical Trajectories”, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2013, 4, 3407-3412.
Click here for a complete list of publications


Short Curriculum Vitae

2019 - present
Researcher (RTD-A), Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Milano.
2015 - 2019
Postdoctoral Fellow, Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Milano.
2013 - 2015
Postdoctoral Fellow, Chemistry Department, Emory University, Group of Professor Joel Bowman.
2009 - 2012
Postdoctoral Fellow, Chemical Physics Department, Weizmann Institute of Science, Group of Professor Eli Pollak.
2008
Ph. D. in Chemistry, Classe di Scienze, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Advisor: Prof. Giovanni Paolo Arrighini, Thesis Title: “A dynamical approach to the calculation of thermal reaction rate constants”.
2003
Diploma in Chemistry, Classe di Scienze, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Thesis Title: ”The Bachelet-Bassani model developed by means of the forced oscillator method”.
2003
M. Sc. in Chemistry, Università di Pisa Advisor: Prof. Giovanni Paolo Arrighini, Thesis Title: “The forced oscillator method applied to the study of properties of atomic clusters”.

Accolades and Awards

2018 - present
Co-PI of 4-year Project “QURE” funded by MIUR under the “FARE” program.
2017 - 2018
Marie S. Curie Seal of Excellence in the field of Semiclassical Dynamics and Spectroscopy - Project “QURE”.
2010
Fellowship to attend the ACAM (Atlantic Centre for Atomistic Modelling) meeting in Dublin, Ireland.
2007
Scholarship at CNR-IPCF, Pisa Group of Dr. Alessandro Fortunelli.
1998
5-year scholarship in Chemistry at Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa.
1997
National finalist in Mathematics and Physics Olympiads.
1997
Ranked 6th at Mathematics Contest Città di Padova.