About us
Our history
Climate change impAct studies for RISk MAnagement (CARISMA) Research Centre was founded in 2019 at University School for Advanced Studies - IUSS Pavia and is led by Prof. Marco Gaetani.
The origins of CARISMA lie in research activities developed at IUSS Pavia within the ROSE School, originally focused on earthquake risk assessment. Over time, the research scope progressively expanded to include initially hydrogeological risks and later, the impacts of climate change on natural hazards. The integration of these research lines between 2014 and 2018 led to the creation of a dedicated research group in 2019, initially named CLIMAX. As the group expanded, its activities evolved towards a unified framework aimed at understanding and managing extreme events and climate related risks. This process ultimately resulted in the establishment of CARISMA, which brings together expertise in engineering, physics, and economics to advance research on climate related risks and to support evidence based risk management strategies.
The group currently consists of 31 members.
Our team around the world
CARISMA brings together researchers from diverse backgrounds and nationalities, fostering a truly international research environment.
Our place
CARISMA team is part of the University School for Advanced Studies IUSS Pavia, founded in 1997 in partnership with Pavia's historic merit colleges (Borromeo, Ghislieri, Nuovo, and Santa Caterina) and the Institute for the Right to Study (EDISU). Formally recognised as a university in 2005, IUSS belongs to the Federation of Italian Schools of Advanced Studies, institutions that share a common model of excellence-based, interdisciplinary advanced education.
IUSS aims to contribute to the full enhancement of talented young people, taking care of their research training. In this spirit, IUSS coordinates the National PhD Programme in Sustainable Development and Climate Change (PhD SDC), a three-year, fully English-taught doctoral programme co-funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research. The programme trains the next generation of researchers to address climate change from multiple disciplinary angles, spanning Earth system science, socio-economic analysis, law, technology, and territorial governance. CARISMA serves as the scientific backbone of IUSS contribution to this programme.
The main building of IUSS Pavia is the historic Palazzo del Broletto in Piazza Vittoria 15, a 12th-century complex and one of Pavia's most prominent medieval landmarks. You can find instead our group at Palazzo Marelli, located in Piazza Ercole Marelli, part of a contemporary urban redevelopment of the former Ercole Marelli industrial area near the city's historic centre and close to the train station, now a mixed-use district hosting residential houses, private companies, medical labs and shops.
You can then find our offices in Piazza Ercole Marelli 15 (second floor), Pavia, Italy. Follow the instructions to find us:
