Dr. Sangiorgi graduated in Medicine and Surgery in 1990 from the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”.
He then specialized in Cardiology at the same University in 1990. He held the role of Fellow in Interventional Cardiology and Research Associate at the Haemodynamics Laboratory of the Mayo Clinic and Foundation in Rochester (USA) from 1991 to 1998.
Back in Italy, he became Assistant at the Cardiovascular Interventional Radiology Laboratory of the San Donato Polyclinic Institute from 1998 to 2002, while from 2003 to 2009 he was Co-Director at the Columbus Heart Center and the Hemodynamics Laboratory of the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan. Between 2009 and 2011 he worked as Head of the Hemodynamics Laboratory of the Modena Polyclinic, while in the following three years he worked at the Casilino Polyclinic in Rome. Since 2014 he has been part of the GVM group and works at various private and accredited facilities throughout the country. Dr. Sangiorgi has been a confirmed Researcher since 1998, and in 2010 he obtained the qualification to Associate Professor of Cardiology at the University of Padua. He is Professor of Cardiovascular Pathology at the School of Specialization in Pathological Anatomy of the University of Tor Vergata and Contract Professor for the Peripheral Interventional Course at the Department of Vascular Surgery of the University of Sassari. He is also the author of 270 works in national and international journals, 50 book chapters and approximately 900 abstracts .
Education and Training
- Degree in Medicine and Surgery at the University of Rome Tor Vergata on 07/25/90
- Specialization in Cardiovascular Diseases at the University of Rome Tor Vergata on 01/07/94
- Specialization in Pathological Anatomy at the University of Rome Tor Vergata on 01/10/99
- Enrolled in the Master in Aesthetic Medicine at the University of Rome Tor Vergata for the academic year 2015/2016
Associations and Scientific Societies
- Fellow of the Italian Society of Cardiology (SIC)
- Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)
- Fellow of the Italian Society of Interventional Cardiology (SICI-GISE)
- Fellow of the American Society of Interventional Angiography (SCAI)
- Honorary Member of the Romanian Society of Cardiology
Scientific Activity
Dr. Sangiorgi's scientific activity mainly concerns the pathology and physiopathology of the cardiovascular system, with particular reference to coronary and carotid atherosclerotic disease and restenosis after interventional procedures. Furthermore, Dr. Sangiorgi has constantly dealt with issues related to interventional cardiology with particular reference to the medium and long-term results of the use of various platforms of implantable medical devices.
In carrying out these activities he used anatomo-pathological, histochemical and ultrastructural methods. He also dedicated himself particularly to morphometric techniques applied to cardiovascular pathology.
Since September 1993 he has had the opportunity to dedicate himself, at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester (USA), in the Laboratory of Experimental Interventional Cardiology directed by Dr. Robert Schwartz, to the study of the morphology, physiopathology and pathology of restenosis and vascular remodeling mechanical revascularization interventions.
His research focuses on the following main themes:
- Application of morphometric techniques to experimental and human cardiovascular pathology
The research carried out mainly concerned the development of new methods:
- for the evaluation of smooth muscle cells in the arterial wall during hypertension
- for the evaluation of the optical density of histological preparations and tissues and for the morphometric evaluation of the size and shape of the nucleus using image analyzers
- for the evaluation of the cell population of human atherosclerotic plaque by flow cytometry
- on the application of quantitative immunohistochemical techniques
- Studies on the morphology and pathology of coronary and carotid atherosclerotic disease
In particular, his studies concerned:
- Experimental atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries of pigs
- the study of human atheromatous lesions and the relationship between calcific plaque assessed by computed tomography (EBCT) and critical coronary stenoses studied with histological, autoradiographic and morphological methods
- Morphological study of chronic occlusive coronary lesions in humans
- Study of the remodeling of human coronary arteries after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and stent implantation
- Pathogenetic mechanisms of vascular restenosis after interventional procedures
- the correlation between the morphological aspects of the human fibroatheroma plaque and the various risk factors
- Thrombophilia in patients with solid tumors and acute coronary syndromes
- Studies on programmed cell death (apoptosis) in experimental and human atherosclerosis with immunohistochemical methods and molecular biology techniques
- Studies on the expression of metalloproteinases in human coronary atherosclerosis and aortic diseases with immunoenzymatic, immunohistochemical and molecular biology methods
- Studies in interventional cardiology and in particular on the short- and long-term results of implantable medical devices in the coronary and peripheral areas both in spontaneous studies and in randomized trials
Dr. Giuseppe Sangiorgi has also participated in the following Research Projects in competition of the National Research Center, National Committee for Biological and Medical Sciences:
- Effect of myocardial revascularization by PTCA on global and segmental left ventricular function in patients with severe coronary artery disease and severely dysfunctional left ventricle.; September 1993- August 1996
- Study on the extent and location of calcium accumulation in samples of pathological human coronary arteries correlating morphometric aspects with images obtained by tomographic method; May 1994- August 1995.
Professional Assignments
- From February 1998 to January 2003 he carried out his healthcare and research activities as an assistant at the Hemodynamics Laboratory of the San Donato Polyclinic Institute, directed by Prof. Luigi Inglese.
- Since September 1998 he has held the position of Researcher at the Department of Internal Medicine of the II University of Rome “Tor Vergata” for the disciplinary sector MED/11 Diseases of the Cardiovascular System. Since December 2002 he has been a confirmed Researcher at the Chair of Diseases of the Cardiovascular System of the II University of Rome Tor Vergata. He has held a position for healthcare purposes since 2.5.2007 at the AFA of Medicine – Discipline of Cardiology at the Policlinico Tor Vergata.
- From January 2003 to February 2009 he was assistant with the qualification of Associate Director of the Hemodynamics Laboratory of the Columbus Clinic and the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan. At the moment he has more than 7000 coronary interventional procedures and 3500 peripheral procedures as first operator.
- Since 2007 he has been responsible for the Cardiovascular Pathological Anatomy course at the School of Specialization in Pathological Anatomy of the University of Rome Tor Vergata
- He was responsible for the course of Hemodynamics and Interventional Cardiology at the School of Specialization in Cardiology of the University of Rome Tor Vergata for the academic years 2004-2005, 2005-2006, 2006-2007 and for the course in Cardiovascular Diseases for the School of Specialization in Sports Medicine for the academic year 2006-2007.
- From 2005 to 2009 he was scientific director and teacher of the Master in Interventional Cardiology at the Vita e Salute University of San Raffaele in Milan and head of the peripheral program of the haemodynamics laboratory of the San Raffaele Hospital
- From February 2009 to April 2011 he was responsible for the Haemodynamics Laboratory of the Modena Polyclinic and Director of the Master in Interventional Cardiology
- From 2011 to 2013 he carried out assistance activities at the Hemodynamics Laboratory of the Casilino Polyclinic – Rome
- From 2013 to today he has carried out healthcare activities in the Villa Maria group and in particular in the facilities of Rome (Private Nursing Home), Florence (SSN accredited) and Cotignola (SSN accredited)
Research Activities Abroad
- In the summer of 1989, having won a scholarship abroad, offered by the European Community within the framework of the ERASMUS programme, he attended for four months as a medical student the Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics of the Charring Cross and Westminster Medical School in London (UK).
- Since September 1993, having won a grant for other interventions from the National Research Council, he spent the last year of the specialization course at the Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Diseases of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota (USA), where he carried out research activities under the direction of Dr. Robert Schwartz with the qualification of Research fellow.
- In March 1994, he was awarded a grant for other interventions by the National Research Council, which allowed him to continue his research at the Laboratory of Experimental Interventional Cardiology under the direction of Dr. Robert S. Schwartz as a research fellow.
- From October 1995 to today he has worked and continues to collaborate with the Interventional Cardiology laboratory of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, with the qualification of “Research Associate” under the direction of Dr. David R. Holmes Jr.
Scientific Awards and Recognitions
- Finalist for Outstanding Investigator of the American Society of Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology (1996)
- 3rd American Heart Association Outstanding Researcher Award (1998)
- 1st Prize Best Researcher Italian Society of Cardiology (2001)
Editorial and Corporate Assignments
- From 2005 to 2009 he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Italian Society of Interventional Cardiology and from 2006 to 2015 he was Vice President of the GISE Foundation.
- Since 1999 he has been a member of the editorial and editorial committee of the Italian Medical Encyclopedia
- Since October 2003 he has been Associate Editor of the journal Cardiology International
- Since June 2005 he has been Associate Editor of the journal Cardiovascular Revascularization Medicine
- Since January 2008 he has been a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology Imaging and of the Journal of Endovascular Therapy, of the Journal of the Italian Society of Interventional Cardiology.
- He is an anonymous reviewer of the major international Cardiology journals.
- He was the lead editor of the book “Carotid Atherosclerotic Disease: Pathologic Basis for treatment” published by Informa Health Care in February 2008
Awards and Recognitions
In 1998 he received the third prize as “ Young Researcher ” from the American Heart Association for the discovery of cellular apoptosis in aortic valves in patients affected by aortic stenosis and the first prize from the Italian Society of Cardiology as “Young Researcher” for the discovery of a new serum marker for the risk of STROKE in December 2001.