About me

As a seasoned Electromagnetic Solutions Developer at Altair Engineering, I am adept at crafting cutting-edge algorithms for the comprehensive computational electromagnetic software Altair Feko. My proficiency in C++ and CUDA programming languages complements my expertise in GPU development.

Prior to joining Altair, I honed my skills as a Research Fellow at the Polytechnic University of Turin, Italy, where I designed efficient and dependable algorithms—accelerated on GPUs—for computational electromagnetic code in biomedical and industrial applications. Earlier in my career, I served as a Research Assistant at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College, USA, delving into High-Performance Computing algorithms for a multi-modal image guidance system to enhance the precision of prostate biopsy and disease staging.

I hold a Ph.D. in Electronics and Communications Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Turin.

Download my resume as a PDF 📎

Education 🎓

Ph.D. Electronics and Communications Engineering, Polytechnic University of Turin, Italy, 2008 – 2011

Dissertation: Computational Methods for Microwave Imaging. Biomedical Applications.

M.Sc., (Laurea Specialistica), Biomedical Engineering Polytechnic University of Turin, Italy, 2005 – 2007

Microwave Tomography for Breast Cancer Detection.

B.Sc., (Laurea Triennale), Software Engineering University of Palermo, Italy, 2001 – 2004

Noise Reduction in Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Employment History 💼

Senior Developer-Electromagnetic Solutions at Altair Engineering GmbH, Germany, July 2014 – Present

Discontinuous Galerkin Method for Integral Equations tackling non-conformal non-overlapping meshes (link).
Engineered efficient, rapid, and dependable preconditioners for solving sparse matrix equation systems, achieving a 15x acceleration compared to sequential code using Intel MKL.
Implemented GPU-based ray tracing acceleration for electromagnetic optics, resulting in a performance increase of up to 20 times compared to a single core.
Developed novel algorithms for modeling metamaterial objects within Altair Feko’s Finite Element Method (FEM) solver.
Enhanced the performance of the time-based solver, achieving a measured speedup of up to 10x relative to a sequential solver.
C++ evangelist.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Polytechnic University of Turin, Italy, July 2013 – June 2014

I successfully developed and deployed rapid and dependable algorithms for computational electromagnetic code in biomedical and industrial applications, leveraging GPU acceleration. A portion of the algorithms I created was incorporated into the MICENEA project.

Researcher at Istituto Superiore Mario Boella, Turin, Italy, January 2011 – June 2014

I designed, simulated, and built RF devices and antennas in complex media. My main contribution was on a joint project with an industrial third party: RADIODRY.

Early company member at NE Scientific LLC, Boston, MA, USA, January 2011 – December 2013

At NE Scientific LLC, I developed a GPU-based sparse linear solver in medical imaging. The solver was up to 8 times faster than Intel PARDISO MKL on the sequential core (see published paper).

Research Assistant at Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA, January 2011 – August 2011

My research pursuits centered on high-performance computing algorithms tailored for a multi-modal image guidance system that is aimed at enhancing the precision of prostate biopsy and disease staging. Primarily engaged in a project funded by an NIH Grant (Project Number: 1RC1EB011000-01), I successfully developed algorithms that substantially accelerated various aspects of the aforementioned imaging system by up to 20x, utilizing multiple GPUs (see published paper, Bioimpedance group).

Publications 🗞️

Download the list of my publications 📎

Published on Conferences

VAN TONDER J., SCHOEMAN M., LE ROUX D., JAKOBUS U., ATTARDO E.A., MAEUER C., CATEDRA F., DELGADO C., GARCIA E., SAMARAS K. (2024) – New Features in Altair Feko 2023, 2024 International Applied Computational Electromagnetics Society (ACES) Symposium, May 19-22, 2024, Orlando, Florida, USA.
VAN TONDER J., JAKOBUS U., ATTARDO E.A., MAEUER C. (2023) – Challenges Faced in Commercial CEM Development, IEEE MTT-S International Conference on Numerical Electromagnetic and Multiphysics Modeling and Optimization (NEMO’2023).
SCHOEMAN M., ATTARDO E.A., SOLER CASTANY J., (2019) – Recent Advances to the Feko Integrated Cable Harness Modeling Tool, EMC Europe, Barcelona, Spain, September 2019.
ATTARDO E.A., JAKOBUS U., BINGLE, M., VAN TONDER J., (2019) – Auxiliary Space-based Preconditioner for High Order Finite Element Method, IEEE APS/URSI Atlanta, Georgia, USA, July 7-12.
JAKOBUS U., VAN TONDER J., SCHOEMAN M., ATTARDO E.A., LONGTIN, K., BINGLE, M., (2019) –Recent Improvements in Feko, Applied Computation Electromagnetics (ACES).
JAKOBUS U., AGUILAR A.., ATTARDO E.A., VAN TONDER J., SCHOEMAN M., (2018) – Review of selected new features in FEKO 2018, Applied Computation Electromagnetics (ACES) March 25-29.
ATTARDO E.A., BINGLE, M., JAKOBUS U., (2016) – Anisotropic Material Modeling in FEKO with Hybrid FEM/MoM, International Workshop on Finite Elements for Microwave Engineering, 13th workshop.
JAKOBUS U., VAN TONDER J., SCHOEMAN M., ATTARDO E.A., (2016) – Review of the latest feature additions to the electromagnetic solver FEKO, Applied Computation Electromagnetics (ACES) March 13-18.
JAKOBUS U., ATTARDO E.A., VAN TONDER J., SCHOEMAN M., MARCHAND R., FUTTER P., MARITZ A., (2016) – Latest extensions of the electromagnetic field solver package FEKO, Applied Computation Electromagnetics (ACES), Davos, Switzerland, April 10-15.
ATTARDO E.A., et al. (2015) – Design and modeling of a microwave imaging system for breast cancer detection, European Conference on Antennas and Propagation (EuCAP), Lisbon, Portugal.
ATTARDO E.A., VECCHI G., CROCCO L., (2014) – A Finite Element Based Hybrid Source-Type Scheme for Microwave Imaging, IEEE APS/URSI Memphis, Tennessee, USA, July 6-12.
BORSIC A., HOFFER E., ATTARDO E.A. (2014) – GPU-Accelerated Real Time Simulation of Radio Frequency Ablation Thermal Dose, the 40th Northeast Bioengineering Conference, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
ATTARDO E.A., CROCCO L., VECCHI G., (2013) – A New Hybrid FEM-IE Inversion Method for Helmholtz Scalar Problems, IEEE APS/URSI Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA, July.
ATTARDO E.A., FRANCAVILLA M. A., VECCHI G., CROCCO L., (2013) – Multiresolution Finite Element Contrast Source Inversion Method, IEEE APS/URSI Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA, July.
ATTARDO E.A., CERQUERA M. P., ANDRIULLI F. P., VECCHI G., SCAPATICCI R., BUCCI O.M., CATAPANO I., CROCCO L., (2013) – Full Wave assessment of Feasibility Guidelines for 3-D Microwave Imaging of Brain Strokes, IEEE APS/URSI Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA, July.
ATTARDO E. A., CROCCO L., VECCHI G., (2013) – An Innovative Inverse Scattering Technique for Critical Applications, European Conference on Antennas and Propagation (EuCAP), Gothenburg, Sweden, April.
MEANEY P.M, GRZEGORCZYK T., ATTARDO E.A., PAULSEN K.D., (2012) – Ultrafast 3D Microwave Tomography Utilizing the Direct Dipole Approximation –In: ICEAA-IEEE APWC, September, Cape Town, South Africa, pp. 838-839, doi: 10.1109/ICEEA.2012.6328750.
ATTARDO E.A., BORSIC A., (2012) – GPU Acceleration of Algebraic Multigrid for Low-Frequency Finite Element Methods – IEEE Ant. and Prop. Symp. / URSI. Chicago, IL, USA, July, doi: 10.1109/APS.2012.6348988.
ATTARDO E.A., VECCHI G., (2012) – Microwave Tomography via Domain Decomposition for Finite Element Methods – IEEE Ant. and Prop. Symp. / URSI. Chicago, IL, USA, July, doi: 10.1109/APS.2012.6348973.
ATTARDO E.A., PEREZ CERQUERA M.R, ANDRIULLI F.P, VECCHI G., (2012) – 3-D Optimization of Magnetic Field Shimming in MRI by Convex Programming Approach –IEEE Ant. and Prop. Symp. / URSI. Chicago, IL, USA, July, doi: 10.1109/APS.2012.6349162.
ATTARDO E.A., BORSIC A., HALTER R. (2011) – Jacobian Optimization for 3D Electric Impedance Tomography via GPU acceleration, In: 12th International Conference on Electrical Impedance Tomography, University of Bath, Bath, UK, May 4-7 2011.
ATTARDO E.A., BORSIC A., HALTER R. (2011) – A Multi-GPU acceleration for 3D Imaging of the Prostate, In: ICEAA-IEEE APWC, September 12-17 Turin, Italy, pag. 1096-1099, doi: 10.1109/ICEAA.2011.6046501.
ATTARDO E.A., BORSIC A, MEANEY P.M., VECCHI G (2011) – Finite Element Modeling for Microwave Tomography. In: IEEE Ant. and Prop. Symp. / URSI. Spokane, Washington, USA, July 3-8, pag. 703-706, doi: 10.1109/APS.2011.5996809.
ATTARDO E.A., PEREZ CERQUERA M.R., ANDRIULLI F.P., ISERNIA T., VECCHI G. (2011) – Controlled-Polarization Magnetic Field Shimming in MRI with SAR Limitation: 3D optimization. In: IEEE Ant. Prop. Symp. / URSI. Spokane, Washington, USA, July 3-8.
BORSIC A., ATTARDO E.A., MEANEY P.M., VECCHI G. (2011) – FEM Based Image Reconstruction For Microwave Imaging of the Breast. In: IEEE APS/URSI. Spokane, Washington, USA, July 3-8.
ATTARDO E.A., VECCHI G., ISERNIA T., (2010) – Field Synthesis in the inhomogeneous medium: amplitude, polarization, and SAR control for MRI applications, In: RiNEm, 1st URSI Commission B, Benevento, September 2010.
ATTARDO E.A., VECCHI G, ISERNIA T. (2010) – Magnetic Field Shimming with Controlled Polarization and SAR limitation. In: IEEE APS/URSI. Toronto, Ontario, Canada, July 11-17, 2010, pag. 1-4, doi: 10.1109/APS.2010.5560945.
FRANCAVILLA M. A., ATTARDO E.A., VIPIANA F., VECCHI G., (2010) – A GPU acceleration for FFT-based fast solver for Integral-Equation. In: European Conference on Antennas and Propagation, EuCAP. Barcelona, Spain, April.
PAGANA G., LEPORE E., PUGNO N., ATTARDO E.A., VECCHI G., (2009) – Microwave Imaging: from soft towards hard tissue monitoring. In: IEEE Isabel 2009. Bratislava, November, doi: 10.1109/ISABEL.2009.5373608.
PAGANA G., PUGNO N., BALBI V., ATTARDO E.A., VECCHI G., (2009) – New Target for Microwave Imaging. In: Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. Frascati, Italy, October.
SALVADOR S.M., VECCHI G., PAGANA G., CACCIATORE C., MAGGIORA R., ATTARDO E.A. (2008) – A comparison between two algorithms for microwave breast cancer detection. In: IEEE APS/URSI, Chicago, Illinois USA.

Published on Journals

ATTARDO E.A., VECCHI G., CROCCO L., (2014) – Contrast Source Extended Born Inversion in Noncanonical Scenarios via FEM Modeling, IEEE Transaction on Antennas and Propagation, doi: 10.1109/TAP.2014.2336259.
ATTARDO E.A., BORSIC A, VECCHI G, MEANEY P.M, (2013) – Whole-System Electromagnetic Modeling for Microwave Tomography, IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters, doi: 10.1109/LAWP.2013.2237745 (extended version here).
ATTARDO E.A., M. A. FRANCAVILLA, F. VIPIANA, G. VECCHI (2012) – Investigation on Accelerating FFT-Based Methods for the EFIE on Graphics Processors, International Journal of Numerical Modelling: Electronic Networks, Devices and Fields, doi: 10.1002/jnm.1867
BORSIC A., ATTARDO E.A., HALTER R. (2012) – Multi-GPU Jacobian Accelerated Computing for Soft Field Tomography, Physiological Measurements, Vol.33, 1703, doi: 10.1088/0967- 3334/33/10/1703
MEANEY P.M., ZHOU T., GOODWIN D., GOLNABI A., ATTARDO E.A., PAULSEN K.D. (2012) – Bone Dielectric Property Variation as a Function of Mineralization at Microwave Frequencies, in International Journal of Biomedical Imaging, Vol.12, doi:10.1155/2012/649612.
ATTARDO E.A., T. ISERNIA, G. VECCHI (2011) – Field Synthesis in Inhomogeneous Media: Joint Synthesis Control of Polarization, Uniformity, and SAR in MRI B1-field, Progress in Electromagnetic Research (PIER), Vol. 118, 355-377, 2011. doi:10.2528/PIER11051910.

Elia A. Attardo, Ph.D.