I graduated in Pedagogy at the University of Florence, Italy, and subsequently I was awarded an MSc in Social Psychology from the London School of Economics (LSE) and a PhD in Psychology from the University of Exeter. After spending one year as a research fellow at the University of Surrey, in 1996 I joined the University of Dundee, where I am currently a professor of social and health psychology. I have held visiting positions at the Australian National University, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Bari, and the University of Queensland. I have been an associate editor of the European Journal of Social Psychology.

• Social Psychology
• Health Psychology
• Psychology of Mental Health
• Research Methods

I am interested in the influence of interpersonal relationships and group life on both physical and mental health. Over the past decade I have investigated the positive influence of subjective identification with social groups (e.g., family; friends; workplace) on various mental health dimensions, e.g. depression, anxiety, borderline personality, and substance misuse. In recent times I have also devoted attention to the factors (e.g., child maltreatment) that may impair one's ability to identify with social groups, and studied identity-related existential feelings such as sense of emptiness. 
Methodologically, I use both quantitative methods (e.g., survey/epidemiological studies) and qualitative methods such as thematic and phenomenological analyses.
Due to the interdisciplinarity of my work, my research is typically published in journals within a variety of fields, particularly social, developmental, clinical and health psychology, as well as psychological medicine and psychiatric epidemiology. 

Research Grants and Fellowships 

• F. Sani & A. Malaguti (principal co-applicants). Designing a Behaviour Change Intervention to Reduce the Risk of Overdose. Scottish Government: Drug Deaths Taskforce Research Programme. (Start and end dates: 01/08/2020 – 31/01/2022). £88,328.
• F. Sani. Working towards a research programme on the psychosocial challenges faced by Ghanaian HIV seropositive children and adolescents.  Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF); Mobility Award. (Start and end dates: 01/03/2019 – 31/09/2019). £4,963.
• F. Sani, (principal investigator), M. Norbury & V. Madhok. Health in groups: A longitudinal and cross-national study. ESRC; Ref.: ES/I038349/1. (Start and end dates: 01/11/2011 – 31/08/2015). £504,000.
• F. Sani. Perceiving collective continuity: Social psychological implications. ESRC Fellowship; Ref. RES-000-27-0185. (Start and end dates: 01/09/2005 – 31/08/2008). £ 166,530. 
• F. Sani. Perceived group historical continuity: A cross-cultural investigation. ESRC; Ref.: RES-000-22-0738. (Start and end dates: 30/06/2004 – 31/07/2005). £ 46,925. 
• S. Reicher (principal applicant), C. Cassidy, F. Sani & P. Cronin. Social immersion lab for the Tay Social Psychology Group. ESRC; Ref.: RES-474-25-0015. (Start and end dates: 01/11/2003 – 31/10/2005). £. 150,411. 
• F. Sani (principal investigator) & M. Bennett. The ingroup becomes part of the self: The genesis of children’s sense of “we”. ESRC; Ref.: RES-000-22-0494. (Start and end dates: 01/08/2004 – 31/07/2005). £ 35,085. 
• M. Bennett (principal investigator) & F. Sani. A developmental investigation of stereotype variability. ESRC; Ref.: RES-000-22-0203. (Start and end dates: 01/11/2003 – 31/07/2004).         £ 28,126.
• F. Sani. Extending the social psychological model of schisms in social groups. British Academy; Ref.: SG-35625. (Start and end dates: 01/03/2003 – 31/08/2003). £. 4,890.
• F. Sani (principal investigator) & M. Bennett.  Developmental aspects of social identity.  ESRC; Ref.: R000223776. (Start and end dates: 01/08/2002 – 31/10/2003). £ 42,661. 
• F. Sani. An empirical testing of a social psychological model of schisms within social groups. British Academy; Ref.: SG-30189. (Start and end dates: 01/05/2000 – 30/09/2000). £ 2,510.
• M. Bennett (principal investigator) & F. Sani. Developmental aspects of the process of social categorization. ESRC; Ref.: R000222801. (Start and end dates: 30/04/1999 – 31/05/2000).            £ 35,296. 
• M. Barrett (principal investigator) et al. (including Fabio Sani). The Development of national, ethnolinguistic and religious identity in children and adolescents living in the NIS. EC INTAS; Ref.: INTAS 97 – 1363. (Starting and end dates: 01/12/1998 – 30/11/2001). 80,000 ECUs.