Alberto Vecchiato graduated in Physics from the University of Padova, Italy, in 1996 and subsequently gained his PhD from the same university for a thesis on relativistic astrometry. He currently works at the Astrophysical Observatory of Torino, Pino Torinese, Italy. Dr. Vecchiato's scientific interests include general relativistic models of light propagation and astrometric measurements; high-precision tests of general relativity; alternative theories of gravity; and space astrometry. He is author of several research papers and a member of the Italian Society of General Relativity and Gravitational Physics (SIGRAV). Dr. Vecchiato has collaborated in various astronomical and astrophysical projects and proposals, he has been a member of the Gaia mission (ESA) since 2001, and in 2006 he became the coordinator of the verification sphere reconstruction pipeline of its data reduction consortium.