Salvatore Capasso obtained a PhD in Economics and Finance from the University of Manchester (UK) and a Doctorate in Economic Sciences from the University of Naples Parthenope. Since 2012 he has been full professor of Economic Policy at the University of Naples Parthenope and from 2015 to 2019 he was Director of the Institute of Studies on Mediterranean Societies CNR which, following his restructuring project, merged into the current Institute of Studies on the Mediterranean CNR (ISMed). He has then directed ISMed from 2020 to 2023. Since April 2023 he has been Director of the Department of Human and Social Sciences, Cultural Heritage of the CNR.

He has numerous scientific publications to his credit, is on the board of several scientific journals and has assumed the scientific responsibility and coordination of numerous national and international research projects.

His research interests focus on topics of Development Economics and Economic Growth and on topics of Monetary and Financial Economics. In particular, in recent years he has worked on the relationship between the underground economy and financial development and the relationship between corruption and economic growth.

He has been a "visiting professor" at numerous universities, including the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee (USA), the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain) and the University of Manchester (UK) and is a member of several Scientific Councils of national and international institutions.

In addition to teaching at the University of Naples Parthenope, he has also taught at numerous other universities, including the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee (USA), the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain) and the University of Manchester (UK).