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Professor Antonino Spinelli is the Director of the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery at Humanitas Research Hospital.

The Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery is one of the most important centres for colorectal disease, especially for procedures of sphincter preservation for rectal tumours, but also for chronic inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn disease, ulcerative rectal colitis…) and the surgical treatment of diverticular pathologies. 

Professor Spinelli carries out a constant research on minimally invasive surgeries, including the single-port surgery, mini-laparoscopy, low-impact surgery and trans-anal techniques (TATME, TAMIS, TTSS). Furthermore, the advanced postoperative recovering is another area of his interest.

He graduated as MD in 2001 at University of Milano. During his education, he won several scholarships: he trained ad University of Berlin Charitè for two years at the Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery. Also, he obtained his PhD on Surgical Phsyiopathology with a dissertation on enhanced recovery for laparoscopic colorectal surgery in 2011. 

Current Teaching Activity: he is Full Professor of Surgery at Humanitas University. 

Also, Professor Spinelli is general Secretary of the European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP) and Board Member of the Guidelines Committee (GulCom) of the European Crohn Disease and Colitis Organization (ECCO). He is Fellow of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery (FASCRS), Honorary Fellow of the Czech Society of Surgery (CSS) and Honorary Member of the Brazilian College of Digestive Surgery (CBCD). 

He is a member of the International Organization for the study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IOIBD) and several other national and international scientific societies. 

In addition, Professor Spinelli serves as Associate Editor for Colorectal Disease (Journal of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain & Ireland, Royal College of Surgeons of England, of the European Society of Coloproctology and of the Spanish Society of Coloproctology – Asociación Española de Coloproctología), Diseases of the Colon and Rectum (official journal of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons), Journal of the Anus, Rectum and Colon (official journal of the Japan Society of Coloproctology).

He is Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Crohn’s Colitis (official journal of the European Crohn’s Colitis Organization), Advisory Board of Coloproctology (official journal of the German Society for Coloproctology – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Koloproktologie) and Editorial Board Member of Updates in Surgery (official journal of the Italian Society of Surgery – Società Italiana di Chirurgia).

Prof. Michele Ciccarelli is the Pneumology Unit Director in Humanitas Research Hospital.

He has acquired significant experience in managing infectious pneumonias, treating about 300 cases annually. 

He has also acquired a wide experience in managing respiratory allergies of bronchial asthma and COPD with over 500 patients followed in these pathologies.

Previous experience:

1988-1995 Hospital of Niguarda, Milan, Italy
Visiting doctor at the Centre for High Specialisation in Allergology and Clinical Immunology with full-time specialisation in the Department of Pneumology Piazza.

Other medical areas of interest:

• Obstructive pathology of the airways
• Pulmonary infectivity
• Bronchoscopy techniques
• Pulmonary oncology
• Interstitial pneumopathies
• Non-invasive ventilator therapy
• Sleep medicine
• Pneumopathies in the course of systemic diseases

Research areas of interest:

• Lung oncology
• Community and hospital acquired pneumonia
• Bronchial asthma
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Teaching experience: Medicine and Surgery Professor at “Università degli Studi” of Milan.

Scientific activities: Medicine and Surgery Professor at “Associazione Italiana Pneumologi Ospedalieri” (AIPO).

Prof. Renato Maria Bragato is the Autonomous Echocardiography Unit Director in Humanitas Research Hospital.

His main medical specialties are 2D, 3D transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiographies.

He executes echo transthoracic and transoesophageal intra-operative monitoring in heart surgery, vascular surgery and hemodynamics (intra-operative diagnostics, cardiac function monitoring, mini-access treatment and surgery using the Heartport technique, monitoring implantation of vascular and valvular percutaneous endoprostheses, monitoring PFO closure, monitoring LAA Occluder and Mitral clip positioning), intraoperative evaluation and follow-up of application and correct functioning of “Ventricular Advanced Device” (VAD, NOVACOR, CIRCULATE),  resynchronisation and evaluation of bi-ventricular cardiac stimulation, vascular ultrasound (EchocolorDoppler of the supra-aortic trunks) and study of endothelial dysfunction (Shear test), evaluation of cardio-embolic risk using CEUS, transthoracic and transesophageal techniques.

Research areas of interest: His research activity is dedicated to Artificial Heart Device and Fusion Imaging.

Author and co-author of over 70 published papers on different national and international journals mainly from personal original research project

Member of Italian Society of Cardiovascular Echography (SIEC)

Publications: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=bragato+renato

Prof.  Roberto Gatti is the Physiotherapy Unit Director in Humanitas Research Hospital. Prof. Roberto Gatti became physiotherapist in 1985 at the University of Milan (Italy). In 1996 he got the licénce en kinésithérapie et réadaptation  at the Catholique University of Louvain la Neuve (Belgium) and, in 2009, the Master of sciences in Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Florence (Italy).

Medical areas of interest: 

motor rehabilitation

Previous experience:
 

Didactic coordinator of Physiotherapy degree programme of the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University

• Group Leader of the Motor Function Analysis and Rehabilitation Laboratory of the Department of Neuroscience of San Raffaele Hospital
• Head of physiotherapy at San Raffaele Hospital

Research areas of interest:

Research lines of Prof. Roberto Gatti are mainly addressed on Biomechanics and Neurorehabilitation, with a focus on the effects of cognitive facilitations (i.e. action observation) on motor relearning of subjects with lesion at the central nervous system. As Biomechanics research lines his interest is focused on the study of anticipatory postural adjustments and their coordination with the agonist component of movement.

Teaching experience: 

Associated Director of the Physiotherapy degree programme of Humanitas Research Hospital since 2016

Prof. Efrem Civilini  is chairman at Humanitas University and Vascular Surgery Unit Director at Humanitas Research Hospital.

He received his medical degree from the University of Milan, Italy and board-certified in Vascular Surgery at the University of Siena, Italy. He took his internship and residency in vascular surgery at San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan (Italy) where he completed his training with clinical and research fellowships under the guidance of his mentor Prof. Roberto Chiesa.

As an attending surgeon and later as chief of Thoracic Aortic Surgery at the Cardiovascular Department of San Raffaele he practiced his surgical skills in an internationally recognized team treating thoraco-abdominal aneurysms and then studied minimally invasive aortic surgery at the Cleveland Clinic (OH). After an experience of about 15.000 vascular surgerie, in 2015 was appointed to Humanitas at the head of a relatively young team: the department of Vascular Surgery I. This department provides comprehensive treatments for all types of vascular disorders including the new technology of catheter-based intervention as well as traditional surgical treatment all geared toward maximizing safety and optimizing outcomes.

Prof. Civilini’s research has been focused on aortic surgery and minimally invasive vascular therapies. He co-authored practice guidelines for the treatment of patients with cardiovascular diseases and has played a role in industry-sponsored clinical trials assessing the performance of new expandable stents used to treat thoracic aorta disease. He has been invited to present his clinical experience at international and national medical conferences and symposia.

He has authored or co-authored several peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on his clinical experience and research. He serves as a reviewer for the Annals of Vascular Surgery and is member of the European Society of Vascular Surgery and the Società Italiana di Chirurgia Vascolare ed Endovascolare.

Previous experience:

1995-2014
Scientific Institute San Raffaele, Milan. Italy
Staff surgeon and Director of the Thoracic Aortic Surgery

2003-2014
“Vita – Salute” University, Milan. Italy
Fellow and Contract Professor of Surgery

2008 
Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland (OH)
Additional training in catheter-based interventions and endovascular surgery of thoraco-abdominal aneurysms.

Publications:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Civilini%20E%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=26344379

Prof. Carlo Castroro is the General Gastric and Esophagus Surgery Unit Director in Humanitas Research Hospital. He has graduated in the University of Padua and specialised in general medicine and thoracic surgery.

Medical areas of interest:

• gastric esophagus surgery
• day surgery
• general surgery

Previous experience:

Head of Simple Departmental Oncological Surgery Unit at the “Istituto Oncologico Veneto”, IOV - IRCCS, Padua.

Research areas of interest: 

• gastro-intestinal oncological surgery
• diseases of the esophagus with particular focus on oncologicy
• training, new technologies and distance learning
• day surgery and surgical services reorganization

Teaching experience: He is a professor in the Graduate School of General Surgery of the University of Padua and has also participated as a lecturer in numerous postgraduate training courses in the field of esophageal surgery, day surgery and minimally invasive surgery.

Publications: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=castoro+carlo

Dr. Paolo Casale is the Urology Unit Director in Humanitas Research Hospital. 

Medical areas of interest: 
his main focus is surgical treatment of oncological and functional diseases of the kidney, bladder and prostate.

He has developed a particular interest in conservative oncological surgery of the kidneys, both traditional and minimally invasive (laparoscopic and robotic), and has dedicated himself to the study of prostate and bladder oncological pathologies, with particular attention to the different urinary derivations, such as orthotopic neobladders.

Research areas of interest:
Surgical techniques in the treatment of kidney, bladder and prostate cancer.

Previous experience:

• 1999 – 2014 University Hospital of Pisa – Pisa (PI), Italy
  Medical Director at the Urology Unit 2 (Reference Center for Kidney tumors) headed by Dr. Francesco Francesca. Here he served as the organization and surgical training manager in the operating room of Residents in Urology and Students of Degree in Medicine and Surgery.
• He has also held the following positions: 
•  
• May 2012 – May 2013: Head of the Section of Professional interdisciplinary relevance of Robot-assisted Laparoscopic Surgery 
•  
• Nov 2008 – April 2012: Head of the Robot assisted Laparoscopic Surgery
•  
• 1994 – 2004: Research Fellow in Laparoscopic Surgery and Robotics at the Glickman Urological Institute at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation on advanced laparoscopic procedures, Robotic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery – Cleveland – USA. (Chief: IS Gill).
•  
• December 1995 – May 1996: Research Fellow at the Department of Urology, Henry Ford Hospital – Detroit – Michigan – USA. (Chief: JO Peabody).
•  
• 1994: Clinical Internship at the Department of Urology, Montefiore Medical Center – Albert Einstein ​​University – New York – USA. (Chief: A. Mellman).

Publications: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=casale p 

Prof. Salvatore Badalamenti is the Nephrology and Dialysis Unit Director in Humanitas Research Hospital. He has graduated at the Università degli Studi of Milan and is specialised in Medical Nephrology, Liver Diseases and Replacement.

Medical areas of interest:

• clinical nephrology and dialysis, chronic renal failure and its complications (anemia, osteodystrophy)
• preparation of vascular access for hemodialysis
• acid-base balance disorders. continuous renal replacement therapy in intensive care (CRRT)
• hepatorenal syndrome
• emergency medicine

Previous experience:

1990-1995 Polyclinic Hospital, Milan, Italy
He was a Staff grade specialist. Focused on infectious complications in dialysis treatments, particularly hepatitis C and anaemia, and nephrological and dialysis emergencies.

1986-1990 Provincial Hospital Clinic , Barcelona, Spain
He completed his PhD in Renal and Hepatic pathophysiology. Especially focused on the study of renal complications in patients with liver disease.

Research areas of interest: 

• clinical nephrology
• anemia and erythropoietin in renal failure and dialysis
• continuous renal replacement therapy in intensive care (crrt)
• hepatorenal syndrome. 
• phgosis and pentraxine in renal failure

He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Italian Society of Nephrology (SIN)

Teaching experience:

He is Professor of Internal Medicine and Emergency medicine and Professor of Nephrology at Università degli Studi of Milan.

Dott. Antonio Frontera is the Electrophysiology Unit Director in Humanitas Research Hospital.  

Medical areas of interest: 

After graduating in Medicine and Surgery at the University Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Rome in 2006, he specialized in Cardiology at the same university in 2012.

Soon after his specialization he moved to England where he was hired as a Clinical and Research Fellow in cardiac electrophysiology at the Bristol Heart Institute (NHS), Bristol. 
He won a scholarship from the European Society of Aritmology (EHRA) and completed his training in cardiac electrophysiology at the prestigious Haut Léveque Hospital in Bordeaux, France, directed by Prof. Michel Haïssaguerre. In the same French university, he obtained his PhD.

During these 5 years of training abroad, he performed about 800 trans catheter ablation surgeries focusing mainly on the treatment of supraventricular arrhythmias. As a researcher, he has published nearly 100 scientific papers on innovation and trans catheter ablation techniques, defibrillator and pacemaker functioning algorithms.

Back to Italy, he was employed at the Aritmology Unit of the San Raffale Hospital specializing in the treatment of ventricular tachycardia, performing more than 150 procedures as a first and second operator.

To date, Dr. Frontera is the author of more than 145 scientific papers published in international journals. He constantly participates in national and international congresses of the sector.

Research areas of interest:
He has particular interest in the analysis of endocavitary signals (EGMs) in ventricular tachycardia and atrial fibrillation.

Thanks to a close collaboration with the Mathematics department of Politecnico di Milano, directed by Prof. Quarteroni, he studied innovative techniques for the treatment of complex arrhythmias.

Previous experience:
 

• Clinical and Research Fellow in Cardiac Electrophysiology - Bristol Heart Institute, Bristol, UK
• Clinical and Research Fellow in Cardiac Electrophysiology - Hôpital Haut Léveque, Bordeaux, FR

Publications: 

Sinus node exit, crista terminalis conduction, interatrial connection and wavefront collision: key features of human atrial activation in sinus rhythm.
Pambrun T, Derval N, Duchateau J, Ramirez FD, Chauvel R, Tixier R, Marchand H, Bouyer B, Welte N, André C, Nakashima T, Nakatani Y, Kamakura T, Takagi T, Krisai P, Ascione C, Balbo C, Cheniti G, Vlachos K, Bourier F, Takigawa M, Kitamura T, Frontera A, Meo M, Denis A, Sacher F, Hocini M, Jaïs P, Haïssaguerre M.Heart Rhythm. 2022 Jan 13

Electrogram fractionation during sinus rhythm occurs in normal voltage atrial tissue in patients with atrial fibrillation.
Frontera A, Limite LR, Pagani S, Cireddu M, Vlachos K, Martin C, Takigawa M, Kitamura T, Bourier F, Cheniti G, Pambrun T, Sacher F, Derval N, Hocini M, Quarteroni A, Della Bella P, Haissaguerre M, Jaïs P.Pacing Clin Electrophysiol. 2021

Slow Conduction Corridors and Pivot Sites Characterize the Electrical Remodeling in Atrial Fibrillation - ScienceDirect
Antonio Frontera MD, Ph.D1, Stefano Pagani Ph.D2, Luca Rosario Limite MD1, Andrea Peirone MD1, Francesco Fioravanti MD1, Bogdan Enache MD6, Jose Cuellar, MD4, Konstantinos Vlachos, MD5, Christian Meyer, MD, MA7, Giovanni Montesano, MD8, Andrea Manzoni, Ph.D2, Luca Dedè2 Ph.D2, Alfio Quarteroni, Ph.D2,3, Decebal Gabriel Lațcu, MD6, Pietro Rossi MD, Ph.D9, Paolo Della Bella MD1.
JACC EP Jan 2022

Right ventricular outflow tract electroanatomical abnormalities in asymptomatic and high-risk symptomatic patients with Brugada syndrome: Evidence for a new risk stratification tool?
Letsas KP, Vlachos K, Conte G, Efremidis M, Nakashima T, Duchateau J, Bazoukis G, Frontera A, Mililis P, Tse G, Cheniti G, Takigawa M, Pambrun T, Prappa E, Sacher F, Derval N, Sideris A, Auricchio A, Jais P, Haissaguerre M, Hocini M.J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol. 2021

Effect of electrode size and spacing on electrograms: Optimized electrode configuration for near-field electrogram characterization.
Takigawa M, Kitamura T, Basu S, Bartal M, Martin CA, Martin R, Cheniti G, Vlachos K, Pillois X, Frontera A, Massoullié G, Thompson N, Bourier F, Lam A, Duchateau J, Pambrun T, Denis A, Derval N, Cochet H, Haïssaguerre M, Sacher F, Hocini M, Jaïs P.Heart Rhythm. 2022 Jan;

Prof. Bruno Bernardini is the Neurological Rehabilitation Unit Director in Humanitas Research Hospital. 

Medical areas of interest:

Rehabilitation in acute-subacute phase of disabled patients for neurological diseases (stroke, cranial-encephalic and medullary trauma, tumors of the nervous system, neuropathies). Hospital risk of fragile elderly patients. Orthogeriatrics.

Research areas of interest:
Post-operative rehabilitation indicators and process-outcome measures for patient prognostic stratification and clinical performance evaluation. 

He is the coordinator of a multicentre study for the application of process-outcome indicators in rehabilitation. The study involves hospital and extra-hospital facilities in Lombardy, Liguria and other regions of Central and Northern Italy.

Previous experience:

2005-2007 Galliera Hospital Authority, Genoa, Italy

Director of the Functional Recovery structure.

Member of the work group for defining the Regional Plan of rehabilitation work 2006-2009 in the Liguria region.

Evaluation, treatment and facilitation of care processes in patients in Neurology, Intensive Care, Neuro-surgery, Intermediate Care, Orthopaedic and Home Care. 

Outpatient work as a physiatric specialist, with a specific sector on the rehabilitation of the pelvic floor.

Development of processes in diagnostic and therapeutic hospital care (especially lumbar-sciatica, joint replacements, cardiac failure, femur fractures and most fast-track urological operations).

1988-1995 Hospital of Niguarda, Milan, Italy
Visiting doctor at the Centre for High Specialisation in Allergology and Clinical Immunology with full-time specialisation in the Department of Pneumology Piazza.

Teaching experience: Medicine Professor at the University of Genoa.

Scientific activities: Member of the board of directors and Geriatric area contact person at “Italian Urodynamic Society Continence, Neuro-Urology, Pelvic Floor”