In 1996 he was awarded an MSc in Biological Sciences at the University of Padua (Italy) and in 2001, in the same University, the degree of PhD in Evolutionary Biology.
After working at the National Centre for Forestry Biodiversity he obtained a first research contract in the laboratory of physiology and a second one in Genetics at the University of Padua working in the EUCLOCK project.
In 2011 he moved to UK, at the University of Huddersfield as Senior Lecturer first and later in 2013 as Reader in Forensic Biology teaching Forensic Entomology and other disciplines related with Forensic and Biological Sciences. At International level he did some lecturing in Cameroon, Tunisia and Bahrain and he acted as “Visiting Professor” at the University of Modena Reggio Emilia first and later at the University of Sassari (Italy).
Since September 2019 he works as Associated Professor in Zoology at the University of Genoa (Italy).
Since 1997 Prof. Vanin has focused his attention in the Forensic Entomology field in term of research but as well working on national forensic cases. Moreover, in the last years he expanded his attention also on Funerary Archaeoentomology but also carrying on his studies on insect chronobiology.
Prof. Vanin is the President of the European Association for Forensic Entomology (EAFE) and President of the Italian Group of Forensic Entomology (GIEF) and he is member and fellow of several national and international Societies and Associations such as: the Royal Entomological Society, the Linnean Society of London, the Chartered Society for Forensic Sciences (UK) and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (USA).
He published more than 100 scientific articles and some book chapters.

Viero A., Montisci M., Pelletti G., Vanin S., 2019 Crime Scene and Body Alterations caused by Arthropods: Implications in Death Investigation. International Journal of Legal Medicine. 133(1): 307-316.
Mercuri A.M., Fornaciari R., Gallinaro M., Vanin S., di Lernia S. 2018 Plant behaviour from human imprints and the cultivation of wild cereals in Holocene Sahara Nature Plant, 4: 71-81.
Vanin S., Huchet J.-B. 2017 Forensic Entomology and Funerary Archaeoentomology. In Schotsmans E.M.J., Marquez-Grant N., Forbes S. (Eds) Taphonomy of Human remains: Analysis of the death and the depositional environments, First edition, chapter 13. John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Pag 176-186.
Vanin S. 2016 Advances in Forensic Entomology in missing persons investigations. In Morewitz S. J. and Sturdy Colls C. (Eds). Handbook of Missing Persons. Springer, 309-317.
Vanin S., Bhutani S., Montelli S., Menegazzi P., Green E.W., Pegoraro M., Sandrelli F., Costa R., Kyriacou C.P. 2012 Unexpected features of Drosophila circadian behavioural rhythms under natural conditions. Nature 484(7394): 371-375.