Treatment in Milan (Italy)

Dr. Giuseppe Marinari is a specialist in general surgery (1991) and nutrition (1995). He started his career in Bariatric Surgery in 1987 and, since then, he has performed over 7000 bariatric procedures, mainly Sleeve Gastrectomy, Gastric Bypass, and Biliopancreatic Diversion. Dr. Giuseppe Marinari has international experience, and he is one of the leading Bariatric surgeons in Italy. Over the past 10 years, he has focused on the implementation of a high-volume centre (>1250 procedures in 2019). Since 2016, he adopted an Enhanced Recovery After Bariatric Surgery (ERABS) protocol, to improve benefits for the patient. In essence, this means a faster recovery and an early return to daily activities, with a very high patient approval rating.

Obesity is a complex condition that encompasses a variety of comorbidities. Therefore, the role of a bariatric surgeon is multidisciplinary, including the understanding (and sometimes treating) of comorbidities as well as performing surgery.

Bariatrics interested Dr. Giuseppe Marinari at first because it was a new and growing field. He then developed an appreciation for the multidisciplinary aspect. Now Dr. Giuseppe Marinari is eager to help people transform their lives.

Dr. Giuseppe Marinari  was mentored by Prof. N. Scopinaro at the University Hospital in Genoa, Italy. He invented the biliopancreatic diversion (with or without duodenal switch), a malabsorptive bariatric operation. Dr. Marinari is now Director of the Bariatric Center. He has international experience and is one of the leading surgeons in his field. He performs both restrictive and malabsorbative bariatric procedures, mainly using the laparoscopic approach. In Humanitas Reasearch Hospital patients are treated by a multi-disciplinary team. The patients are given full attention and support throughout all the steps along the treatment.

Publications: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=marinari+giuseppe

Dr. Lucia Torracca is leading the Cardiac Surgery Unit at Humanitas Research Hospital. She received her training at Ospedali Civili di Brescia and at Ospedale San Raffaele with Professor Ottavio Alfieri, were she improved her knowledge in the mitral disease focusing in the reparative and preservative approaches. At the same institution she led the minimal invasive and robotic division before moving to Ospedali Riuniti Di Ancona to be chief of the Cardiac Surgery Complex Unit. Dr. Torracca has performed more than 55 hundred cardiac surgeries. Thanks to her surgical and academic curriculum, she has been an active member of the steering committee of the European Society editing Guidelines for the treatment of heart diseases.

Together with her team in Humanitas, she can approach every cardiac disease affecting adults, especially focusing on the minimal invasive approach to reparative valve disease. State of the art technologies are regularly explored and implemented in the Open Heart dedicated Operating Room and Intensive Care Unit to ensure best outcomes, shorter hospital stay and fewer surgical complications.

The surgical expertise of Dr. Torracca go from open heart circulatory-arrest procedure to off-pump and/or trans-catheter procedures (MitraClip or TransApical Aortic Valve Implants).

Dr. Torracca and her team can claim the highest rate of mitral valve repair in Bi-leaflet prolapse (Barlow Disease) hitting almost 99% of conservative approach in minimal invasiveness at the time of surgery, maintaining >95% success rate at long term follow up: this option is further advantageous in the youngest patient population allowing restrain from anticoagulation therapy and perfectly normal quality of life.

Author or co-author of 151 publications in national and international scientific journals.

Prof. Nicola Portinaro is the Director of the Orthopaedic Paediatric and neuro-orthopaedic Unit at Humanitas Research Hospital, and is Professor of Orthopaedics and Traumatology at the University of Milan. 

He was appointed as Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, and from 2000 until now, Honorary Special Senior Lecturer at University of Bristol, UK. Founder and Scientific Director of "Ariel Foundation", a non profit foundation for pediatric neurological disabilities founded in 2002. 

The team of Professor Portinaro is one of the internationally recognized leading teams in the field of paediatric orthopaedics and neuro-orthopaedic surgery with an experience of over 100 bone surgerical procedures on lower limb every year, including 50 pelvic osteotomies and more than 300 surgical procedures on muscles and tendons (lightening, transfer…). He is specialized in the treatment of lower and upper limb deformities related to Cerebral Palsy, Spina Brifida, Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip, Perthes Disease, clubfoot and alteration in skeletal development. 

A considerable part of his activity is in scientific research, with several experimental works with the goal of detecting uknown anchors aspects of diseases treated by him. His research fields include the study of genomic and proteomic of extracellular matrix proteins in different diseases. 

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

Prof. Eduardo Nobile Orazio is the Neurology Unit Director in Humanitas Research Hospital. 

His main areas of interest and specialisation are: diagnosis and treatment of neuromuscular diseases, in particular polyneuropathies, also including those of immunological origin such as Guillain Barré Syndrome (GBS) and the different clinical variants, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN), and the polyneuropathies associated with monoclonal gammopathy, the neuropathies and paraneoplastic neuronopathies and neuropathies in the course of haematologic diseases and from chemotherapy. 

Immunological diagnosis of autoimmune diseases of the peripheral and central nervous system, diagnosis and treatment of motor neurone disease with suspected paraneoplastic or immune genesis, diagnosis and treatment of Multiple Sclerosis and other autoimmune and inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system such as autoimmune and paraneoplastic encephalitis, diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson’s Disease and extrapyramidal diseases.

His areas of research are clinical and immunological diagnosis and treatment of the immune mediated polyneuropathies and, in particular, GBS, CIDP, MMN and polyneuropathy associated with monoclonal gammopathy including POEMS.

Prof. Eduardo Nobile Orazio has written over 230 scientific publications, held more than 85 university seminars or conferences. He has been a member of the SIN since 1991, of the European Neurological Society since 1989 until 2014, when he joined the European Academy of Neurology. Prof. Eduardo Nobile Orazio has also been a member of the American Academy of Neurology since 1998 and of the American Neurological Association since 2012.

Publications: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Nobile-Or  

Born in 1955, Prof. Paolo Emanuele Levi Setti graduated in Medicine and Surgery at the University of Milan School of Medicine in 1982 and specialized in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the same University in 1988.

At the beginning of his career he was involved in the early developments of ultrasound imaging in obstetrics and gynaecology and more recently in the new applications of transvaginal and colour flow technology. From 1977 to 1982 microsurgery and endoscopy were his main interest in the investigation and treatment of female in.

Surgical applications in the animal model of new approaches to pelvic pathology were the first studies he published in literature. From 1985 to 1989 fetal blood sampling and prenatal diagnosis had a main role in his interest in research development. In this period, he participated in many published studies in this research area and one of the greatest experiences in the world was reported in the field of echographic surgery.

Results of , implantation, intrauterine embryo transfer, assisted ction in sexually transmitted diseases, evaluation of the uterine cavity in infertile patients and cryopreservation, are the main aspects of his present day scientific interest. In 1984, together with a group of colleagues, he founded one of the first centres in Italy operating in assisted ction. From 1988 to 1996 Prof. Levi Setti chaired the In and Assisted Reproduction Unit of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology – S. Paolo Biomedical Institute – University of Milan School of Italy operating in assisted ction. 

From 1989 to 1996 he coordinated the first European centre for assisted ction for HIV serodiscordant couples. Since 1994 he is a visiting lecturer at the 1st postgraduate School in Obstetrics and Gynecology and he is a visiting lecturer in the graduate course of Obstetrics and Gynaecology – University of Milan, School of Medicine.
Involved since the earliest development of endoscopy in gynaecology, he followed the evolution of this surgical approach performing, in over 25 years of activity, more than 15.000 procedures and mentoring an impressive number of fellows in this area. His Department has run for many years one of the largest ART programs in our country and in Europe. His research interest has, over the last few years, focused on the mechanisms of implantation, on the preservation of female and male and on the complications and outcome of assisted ction. His Department performed the probably larger number of oocyte’s freezing procedures in infertile patients in Europe and is now a recognised expert in preservation in oncological and deferring patients. He has been the scientific organizer of several international meetings and training courses in Reproductive Medicine. 

Member of many international institutions in the field of ctive medicine (American Society for Reproductive Medicine, European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, International Society for Fertility Preservation), he was elected President of the Italian Fertility and Sterility Society (SIFES e MR) onto the board in 1999 and in 2003 and for two mandates (2009-2001 and 2011-2013). 

He is the author of more than 100 published articles, reviews and chapters in books. 

From 2004 Prof. Levi Setti collaborates with the Italian Ministry of Health in revising data of the National Medically Assisted Reproduction Register. In December 2010 he was nominated scientific coordinator of an experimental project for an ART Network in Lombardy County. Since 1996 Prof. Levi Setti works at the Humanitas Research Hospital in Milan and is currently chair of the Department of Gynaecology and heads the Division of Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine. In May 2011 he was appointed, for the period July 2011- June 2016, as Adjunct Professor at Yale University, School of Medicine. In June 2013 he supervised and is actually personally directing the Humanitas Fertility Center, where over 3.500 ART procures are performed annually.

Publications: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=levi sett

Prof. Stefano Respizzi is the Head of the Rehabilitation and Functional Recovery Unit in Humanitas Research Hospital. He is specialized in orthopaedic rehabilitation and sport rehabilitation. In 1986, with some colleagues, he founded the Sports Medical Centre of Sesto San Giovanni. In 1988 he founded the GISMI (Italian Group of Study of Isokinetic Method), where he is also an advisor. 

Medical areas of interest: orthopaedic rehabilitation, traumatology and sports rehabilitation, sports medicine, physical therapy

Research areas of interest: orthopaedic rehabilitation, sports medicine, orthopaedics

Previous experience:  

• 1991-1996 Orthopaedic Institute of Gaetano Pini, Italy
  Assistant Physiatrist
• 1991-1991 Hospital of the Piemonte region , Italy
  Specialist doctor in sports medicine
   

In 1986, with some colleagues from Milan, he founded the Centro Medico Sportivo of Sesto San Giovanni, a facility recognized by Lombardia Region and dedicated to the release of certificates of fitness for practicing competitive sports.

He has been a consultant for the Italian Volleyball Federation.
In 1988 he founded GISMI (Gruppo Italiano Studio Metodiche Isokinetiche).
In 2002 he became managing director of Isokinetic Milano, one of the centers of the network of Isokinetic Sports Rehabilitation Centers.

Prof. Vittorio Quagliuolo is leading the team of Oncological Surgery and the Sarcoma Unit in Humanitas Cancer Center. His professional career started at the National Cancer Institute in Milan (under the guidance of prof. Umberto Veronesi) where he worked at the Department of Digestive & Hepatobiliary Surgery and Sarcoma Unit, chaired at that time by his mentor prof. Leandro Gennari, the pioneer of oncological hepatobiliary surgery in Italy, limb sparing surgery in sarcomas, sphincter saving surgery in colorectal cancer and liver transplantation for malgnancy.

Prof. Quagliuolo was one of the founding members of the European Society of Surgical Oncology (ESSO), of the European School of Oncology (ESO), European Society of Mastology (EUSOMA), and the Italian Sarcoma Group (ISG).

His surgical expertise is particularly founded on the field of soft tissue sarcomas of limbs and retroperitoneum with more than 1000 surgical resections. This activity is featured by the highest level of safety with an overall mortality close to 0%, and by the highest complexity of the patients, who often require a multidisciplinary approach, with the assistance of other experts in the operative theatre (vascular, plastic, orthopaedic, neuro and thoracic surgeons).

The Sarcoma Unit also cooperates with the most prestigious hospitals in Italy and in Europe participating in international clinical trials. The team has great skills in colorectal, endocrinological, upper GI, and peritoneum surgery.

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. 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. 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. Arturo Chiti graduated in Medicine and Surgery at the University of Milan in 1989, and in the same year he entered the Post graduated School in Nuclear Medicine at the University of Milan, where he got his degree in 1993. In the same year he started working as Associate Chief at the National Cancer Institute in Milan, where he began his clinic and scientific experience in Oncology.
In 1997, he got the European Board of Nuclear Medicine fellowship.

In June 2000 he started leading the Nuclear Medicine Department at Humanitas Research Hospital.

On March 1, 2015 he was appointed Full Professor in Diagnostic Imaging and Radiotherapy at the Humanitas University in Milan, where he is also elected member of the Board.

Prof. Chiti is the Unit Director of the Nuclear Medicine Unit in Humanitas Research Hospital. He is the Director of the Post Graduate School in Diagnostic Imaging at Humanitas University. He is member of the Technical and Scientific Committee of the National Centre for Oncologic Adrotherapy (CNAO).

Arturo Chiti is co-author of several papers (www.scopus.com, www.pubmed.com) with an H-index of 30 (July 2016), wrote some books’ chapters and contributed to many abstracts presented at international and national meetings.
He is Honorary Editor of the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging and reviewer for several international journals and grant applications.

He is a well-known invited speaker at numerous international congresses and conferences.

Prof. Arturo Chiti is the President of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM), where he has been active for more than 10 years.

He is also acting as an expert consultant for International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and is member of the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU).

He was awarded the honorary membership of the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ESTRO); the Tom Miller Memorial Lecture Award from the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging and the Hevesy Gyorgy award from the Hungarian Society of Nuclear Medicine.

Publications:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=chiti+arturo

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”

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. 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.

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. 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. Raffaello Furlan is the Unit Director of the Internal Medicine Center Unit.

Since 1990 he has been focusing his clinical interests on hypotensive phenomena and episodes of loss of consciousness, organizing and developing a functional multidisciplinary unit called "Syncope and Posture Disorders Unit", as part of the Internal Medicine Unit where he worked (currently Medical Clinic, Istituto Clinico Humanitas, Rozzano, and in the past L. Sacco Hospital, Milan, and Bolognini Hospital, Bergamo). 

This unit is composed of a neurologist, an endocrinologist, a cardiologist and a psychiatrist, in accordance with clinical-care facilitated protocols. Thanks to this organizational structure, and thanks to the use a special clinical laboratory, more than 1600 tilt tests have been carried out, together with intensive work with outpatients and inpatients, which led to the care of patients also from other regions in Italy and abroad (France, Switzerland, Australia, Comoros Islands and United States).

The Syncope and Posture Disorders Unit is currently part of a worldwide network of centres that refer to the National Dysautonomia Research Foundation, an American non-profit foundation providing advice and support to patients with different types of dysautonomia and financing international research protocols on the subject.  

Research areas of interest:

From 1977 to 1984, he took an active part in studies conducted on experimental models, to clarify the nervous mechanisms of cardiac, cardio-vascular and vascular reflexes involved in the regulation of blood pressure and in the genesis of cardiac pain. He also applied techniques of direct recording of sympathetic nerve activity and spectral analysis to the study of cardiovascular variability in the physiological, pathophysiologic and pathological  fields, studying the changes in the nervous control of the cardiovascular system during postural changes, physical training, neuromediated syncope in patients suffering from dysutopianism (Pure Autonomic Failure), and in subjects with Chronic Orthostatic Intolerance, Fibromyalgia, Esophageal Reflux Disease, Ulcerative Colitis and Parkinson’s disease. 

Since January 2004, the Syncope Unit directed by Prof. Furlan has conceived, realized and coordinated some observational multicentric studies aimed at studying the short-term prognosis of syncope, to evaluate the effectiveness of risk scales in the emergency room and the role of clinical judgement (steps studies, Short Term Prognosis of Syncope). The Syncope Unit was also an active part of EGSYS2 and other multicenter syncope studies. Currently, a study is underway to assess the effects of bilateral plantar stimulation on the path and neurovegetative profile of cardiovascular regulation in Parkinson’s disease. It involves 10 hospitals sponsored by the Lombardy region on syncope costs and a multicentric European study on the use of neuronal networks for syncope management in the emergency room.

Previous experience:

2007-2012 Hospital, Seriate, Italy
Director of Internal Medicine Unit, Outpatients and Day Hospital for medicine. 
1982-2007 Hospital, Milan, Italy
• Hospital assistant of Internal Medicine (Medicine II) until 1990. During this period, he was directly responsible for 8 beds in this Department and carried out regular call duties in the A&E Department. He was also involved in invasive measurements of blood pressure.

• Co-manager assistant in Internal Medicine (Medicine II; from February 1990). During this period, he was responsible for 12-18 beds of the Medicine Department, coordinating the work of two assistants. From January 2002 to January 2005 he had the title of "High Specialisation" in the field of disorders from orthostatic intolerance. From January 2005 he was responsible for the simple structure "Unit for Syncopes and Posture Disorders". 
• Following the incorporation process of Italian hospitals (as from 1996), he was involved in programmes for the ottimization of efficiency and cost reduction of the Medicine II Department and he had an active part in the discussion of the annual budget from 1998. He was responsible for the Day Hospital in Medicine II until January 2005. 

• He followed the course for Directors of Complex Operative Units, hospital area, edition UBMDSCO0201, held at the School of Management in Health of the Lombardy Region (I.Re.F.) in 2002, discussing the final project entitled "Evaluation of diagnostic performance and cost analysis of tilt test in the diagnosis of syncopal episodes", obtaining the resulting certification.

Publications: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=furlan r

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.  Marco Francone is the Cardiovascular Imaging Unit Director in Humanitas Research Hospital.

Medical areas of interest:

Imaging in cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases

Previous experience:

- First level Medical Director at the Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomy-Pathological Sciences, at Policlinico Umberto I in Rome

- Past-President, Cardiology Section at the Italian Society of Medical Radiology (SIRM)

Research areas of interest: 

Inflammatory heart disease, cardiomyopathy, imaging of acute myocardial infarction, imaging in cardio-toxicity, imaging of post-COVID patients.

Prof.  Marco Francone is the author of more than 150 indexed scientific papers with an impact factor of more than 500 and has lectured around the world for fifteen years, from the United States to Asia, from Africa to Australia.

Teaching experience:

Full Professor of Radio diagnostics at Humanitas University

Publications:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=marco+francone&sort=pubdate&size=200&show_snippets=off

Prof. Marco Alloisio is the thoracic surgery Unit Director at Humanitas Research Hospital. He graduated in Medicine in 1976 at Università Statale of Milan, specialized in General Surgery, Oncological and Thoracic Surgery. 

Under the guidance of Professor Umberto Veronesi, from 1977 to 1997 he was an assistant in the divisions of general oncological, otolaryngology and thoracic surgery at the National Cancer Institute of Milan (INT). During this period, he also worked with general surgery, breast surgery, oncological otorhinolaryngology and had several periods spent studying abroad (Paris and New York at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center).

In 1997 he started his activity at Humanitas Research Hospital and in 1998 he was appointed Chief of Mini-Invasive Thoracic Surgery. From 2006 he was designated Chief of Thoracic Surgery at the same Institution. Main clinical activity has been focused on Thoracic Surgical Oncology, and in particular all kinds of surgical management of primary and secondary lung cancer, lung metastases, mediastinal tumors and thoracic wall tumors. Prof. Marco Alloisio is president of the Italian League for the fight against cancer (LILT) in Milan, and member of many national and international societies (SIC, SICO, ESSO, ISDE, ACOI, SICT, ESTS).

Author of over 200 publications, including articles and presentations to national and internationals scientific meetings. His engagement in clinical research involves early detection and management of primary lung cancer and his treatment also with video-assisted techniques, successful treatment of lung metastases with new techniques for salvage surgery (multiple sub lobar resections and laser resections) but also aggressive surgery for advanced lung cancers after induction chemotherapy and treatment of the thoracic wall and vertebral bodies. 
In the latter field, he is engaged in the surgical treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma (extra pleural pneumonectomy) with multimodality approaches in a multicentric Italian cooperative group.

Currently engaged in genetic research studies such as "ERCC1 and B-Tubulin exspression in locally advanced NSCLC treated with platinum/vinorelbin neodjuvant chemotherapy" and in external collaborations with universities and hospitals around the world.

Publications: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=alloisio+marco