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Professor Santoro is heavily involved in research, with interest in many topics, such as the development of new cancer drugs and new biological therapies, interests for solid and haematological tumours, and not only he treats cancer survivors but also patients with comorbidities.

He has worked in Humanitas Research Hospital for 22 years. Professor Santoro’s post-graduate research was carried out at the Unité de Development Therapeutique (Institut de Cancerologie et d’Immunogenetique, Villejuif of Paris) from 1974 to 1975, and in the Division of Medical Oncology of the National Cancer Institute of Milan from 1976 to 1977. 

In 1977, he specialized in Clinical and Laboratory Haematology at University of Rome. In 1979, he completed his fellowship post-graduate work in the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center of New York and later, at Stanford University. In 1980, he specialized in oncology at the University of Genoa. 

Current Teaching Activity: Professor Santoro worked as Contract Professor at the Specialization School in Clinical Pathology ad Pavia University from 1992 to 1997. Also, from 1993 to 2002 he has been President of the Rare Tumour Group. Now he is full professor at Humanitas University. 

Current Positions: 

• .Since 1997, he is the Director of the Department of Medical Oncology and Haematology, at Istituto Clinico Humanitas, Milan. Also, he is Member of the Ethics Committee of Istituto Clinico Humanitas and Director of Clinical Research in the same Institute since 2007.
• - Since 2008, he is Member of the Planning Committee, Ministry of Work and of Health and Social Politics, Rome, Italy.
• - Since October 2008, Professor Santoro is Counsellor of the Board of Directors of the Fondazione Humanitas for Research of Rozzano, Italy.
• - Since November 2008, he is Expert Member of the National Centre for the Prevention and Control of Disease, Ministry of Work and of Health and Social Politics (Rome, Italy).
• - Since February 2009, he is National Representative preparatory actions for the "European Partnership for Action against Cancer" Ministry of Work and of Health and Social Politics (Rome, Italy).
• - Since February 2009, Professor Santoro is member of National Italian Committee on the Research Network in Oncology, Ministry of Work and of Health and Social Politics (Rome, Italy).
• - Since May 2009, he is Coordinator of the Oesophageal-Stomach Cancer Group Coordinator of the Liver and Biliary Tree Cancer Group, Regional Oncology Commission – Lombardy Oncology Network.

In addition, Professor Santoro’s unique expertise was recognized through numerous awards, such as the Managing Doctor of the Year award (2013), the City of Siena S. Caterina d’Oro Award (2013, Serra Association Award for scientific research) and social and healthcare commitment (Salerno, 2009). 

Publications: santoro%a - Search Results - PubMed (nih.gov) 

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”

Prof. Antonio Costanzo is the Dermatology Unit Director in Humanitas Research Hospital. He graduated with his MD degree in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Rome, La Sapienza in 1994. He then went on to complete post-graduate study and received a speciality degree in Internal Medicine in 1999 and a Dermatology speciality degree in 2006.

Medical areas of interest:

• Inflammatory and autoimmune skin diseases (Psoriasis, Atopic Dermatitis, Alopecia Areata, Chronic Urticaria, Suppurative Hydroadenitis, Scleroderma, Lupus)
• Personalized Medicine, Biological Psoriasis Therapy
• Dermatological Oncology (Melanoma, Actinic Keratosis, Basocellular and Spinocellular Epitheliomas).
• Prevention of skin neoplasms (dermatoscopy, computer mapping of moles).
• Dermatological surgery

Previous experience:

• Director of Dermatology Unit at Sant’Andrea Hospital in Vercelli
• University Researcher/Hospital Assistant at Tor Vergata Hospital 

Research areas of interest: 

• Psoriasis pathogenesis of other inflammatory and autoimmune skin diseases
• Pathogenesis of skin neoplasms
• Genetic disorders of the skin

His clinical research is focused on the characterization of the activity of biologics in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. This research is strictly linked to basic research activity on the pathogenesis of psoriasis and on the use of pharmacogenetic approach to predict the efficacy and safety of biologics in psoriasis.

In the past, Professor Costanzo has collaborated to the characterization of basic mechanisms of TNF inflammatory signalling in epithelial cells and NFkappaB regulation by different stimuli. More recently his research group has collaborated to the discovery of IL-21 as critical mediator of keratinocyte proliferation in psoriasis. Professor Costanzo has authored or co-authored more than 120 publications in internationally peer-reviewed journals.

Teaching experience: Full Professor of Dermatology at Humanitas University

Publications: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Costanzo+A 

Prof. Alessio Michele Goffredo Aghemo is the Hepatology Unit Director in Humanitas research Hospital.

Medical areas of interest: 

• liver diseases
• viral hepatitis
• metabolic hepatitis
• liver cirrhosis

Previous experience: 

From 2007 to 2017 he was the 1st level Medical Director at the U.O of Gastroenterology of the IRCCS Foundation Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan.

Research areas of interest: 

Clinical and research activity focused on natural history and treatment of viral hepatitis.

He is the author of 155 peer-reviewed publications (Impact Factor total 1151.3, H-Index 25 according to Scopus, H-Index 20 last 5 years Scopus, H-Index 30 according to Google Scholar) (updated September 2017).

From 2013 to 2016 he was a scientific member of the governing board of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL).

Since 2016 he is a member of the scientific committee of the European Association of Gastroenterology (UEG).

He is a member of the AISF (Italian Association for the Study of the Liver) commission for antiviral drugs directed against HCV (2012-present). Since 2016 he has been the coordinator of the same. 

He was AIFA/EMEA expert for liver disease since 2008.

Member of the Executive Committee of the HCV Regional Network, determined by the Lombardy Region on 28 September 2015.

He participated as an expert in the drafting of the European Guidelines 2013-2014-2015-2016-2017 (EASL) and Italian (AISF) on the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C.

Teaching experience:

He is associated professor of Gastroenterology at Humanitas University since September 2017.

Prof. Alessandro Castagna is the Orthopedic Surgery of the Shoulder and Elbow Unit Director in Humanitas Research Hospital. He performs both traditional surgeries and arthroscopic surgeries. He developed experience in arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder in the United States where he studied at the Southern California Orthopedic Institute, under the guidance of Dr. Stephen J. Snyder (famous shoulder surgeon, inventor and co-developer of surgical tools for shoulder arthroscopy).

Prof. Castagna gained experience in open surgery of the shoulder under the guidance of Prof. Mario Randelli, founder and past-president of the Italian Society for Surgery of the Shoulder, in Milan (Italy). He has specialized almost exclusively in shoulder surgery for more than 25 years and counts over 40.000 cases in his career. He carries out about 900 surgeries per year, including total shoulder prostheses, reverse prostheses, open and arthroscopic stabilization, rotator cuff repair and proximal humerus fractures.

Research areas of interest: 

Improvement of surgical and therapeutic methods of shoulder pathology. He gives particular attention to the study of biological and functional aspects with the development of surgical techniques, materials and dedicated tools. 

Teaching experience: Adjunct Professor at the Orthopedics Course of Specialization in Diseases of the Locomotor System at the University of L'Aquila.

Scientific activity: 

Prof. Castagna was president of European Society for Surgery of the Shoulder and the Elbow (ESSSE/SECEC) (www.secec.org) from 2012 to 2014 and president of Italian Society for Surgery of the Shoulder and Elbow (SICS&G) (www.sicseg.it) from 2010 to 2012. He is also a Member of the Board di International Congress of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery (ICSES, www.icses.org) nominated for the period from 2013 to 2022.

Publications: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=castagna+alessandro

Prof. Alberto Albanese is the Neurology Unit Director at Humanitas Research Hospital. Until recently – Department Head of Neuroscience at the Institute of Neurology Carlo Besta (Milan). In 1977 prof. Albanese received his degree in medicine and surgery, in 1981 – in neurology, and in 1985 – in psychiatry. His professional experience began with the founding of the Department of “disorders of Parkinson’s and violations of the musculoskeletal system” at the clinic “A. Gemelli “in Rome in 1984, which he led until 1996. From 1996 to 2000 prof. Albanese was the Head of the Neurological University Clinic of Lausanne (Switzerland) and a professor of Neurology in the University.

From 2000 to 2015 he was Head of Neuroscience Department at the Institute of Neurology Carlo Besta (Milan).

Prof. Albanese is a professor of neurology at the Institute of Neurology at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart (Milan), Director of the post-graduate course “Diagnosis and treatment of movement disorders and degenerative neurological diseases” at the Foundation Neurological Institute “C. Besta”, as well as an adjunct professor at the School of Specialization in Neuroscience at the University of Milan Bicocca.

Prof. Albanese is the president of “Italian Association of Parkinson’s disease and movement disorders” and “Italian Association for the Study of the autonomic nervous system” (which are part of “Italian Community of Neuroscience”). He is also an honorary member of the “French Community of Neuroscience.” The professor is a moderator and speaker at major national and international neurological conferences, he organized several symposia dedicated to Neurology, collaborates with numerous national and international research centers, which are studying Parkinson’s disease, movement disorders and degenerative neurological diseases. Prof. Albanese has been repeatedly receiving research fundings from the following government agencies: the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Science and Research, National Research Council, the British Council, the Swiss National Research Council.

He is one of the greatest Italian experts on the diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases and movement disorders, Parkinson.

He has extensive experience in the use of neurostimulation of brain neurological movement disorders, for treating Parkinson’s disease and other involuntary movements.

He developed the first Italian project on the study of genetic disease and Parkinson’s dystonia, which led to the discovery of two new genetic loci. Also prof. Albanese is actively engaged in research in the field of semiotics detailed definition of involuntary movements, which allows tracking of related clinical pathology for accurate diagnosis of patients with movement disorders.

Prof. Albanese has published more than 200 scientific papers, most of which are published in indexed journals (with a total impact factor>500), is the author of one monograph, 3 books and co-author of numerous books and publications. He is the chief editor of “Frontiers in Movement Disorders” and assistant editor of the “European Journal of Neuroscience”.

Publications: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=albanese a

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.  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