Treatment in Milan (Italy)

Dr. Jacopo Peccatori is the Head of Bone Marrow Transplant Department in San Raffaele Scientific Institute and one of the top lymphoma doctors. He has been in this position since 2006 and has written over 70 studies on allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, acute leukemia, and multiple myeloma. He has a degree in general medicine from the University of Milan and specialties in internal medicine and haematology and is a member of The European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation and The Italian Group for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation and Cell Therapies.

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

Prof. Leonardo Maradei is specialised in orthopaedics and traumatology and is the Director of the Foot Surgery and Minimally Invasive Operations Unit in Humanitas Research Hospital. 

Prof. Leonardo Maradei performs surgery on the foot with minimally invasive techniques and arthroscopic surgery. After his specialization he deepened his studies in arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder and the knee at the Mississippi Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center (USA), under the guidance of prof. F. H. Savoie. He has developed considerable experience in shoulder prosthetic surgery as a pupil of prof. Mario Randelli. 
His research is focused on the development of new prosthetic materials for the shoulder. During his years in Humanitas he has performed more than 2000 surgeries on the foot, more than 1000 on the knee and more than a 1000 on the shoulder. 

Dr. Maradei is a professor at Università Statale of Milan where he teaches Medicine and Surgery - Lessons on minimally invasive surgery of the shoulder and knee.

Publications: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=maradei+leonardo

Prof. Alessandro Repici is the Director of the Gastroenterology and Digestive endoscopy Unit in Humanitas Research Hospital. Graduated in Medicine and Surgery in 1990 and the following year he won a scholarship at the Department of Gastroenterology Molinette hospital in Turin, where he began his practice in digestive endoscopy. In 1992, he worked with Prof. Claude Liguory as a fellow at the American Hospital in Paris.

In 1994 he became a specialist in Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy at the University of Messina and worked in the Department of Gastroenterology, Ospedale Maggiore Molinette of Turin.

In the following years, he has been working at the Service of Digestive Endoscopy of Altona Hospital in Hamburg, directed by prof. Hagenmuller, and in the Department of Gastroenterology Molinette Hospital in Turin, directed by prof. Rizzetto. In 1999, he was a Research Fellow at the Center for Oncological and Operative Endoscopy of Wellsley Hospital in Toronto.

He teaches Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy at the School of Specialization in Oncology since 2000, at the University of Turin since 2004 and Endoscopy Diagnostic Techniques and Operations at the School of Specialization in General Surgery I and II of the University of Turin.

The clinical activity and research of Prof. Repici mainly focuses on the development of new endoscopic techniques in the field of diagnosis and therapy, with particular attention to new methods of endoscopic removal of cancerous lesions and early in the palliation of advanced gastrointestinal malignancies.

Prof. Repici is coordinator, principal investigator and co-investigator in more than 50 studies, including phase II and III for FDA and EMA approval of new molecules and new instruments for diagnostic and operational endoscopy. 

Prof. Repici collaborates on research projects in the field of endoscopy with the University of Rotterdam, in Haifa, in New York and with several Italian centers. He is a member of various national and international scientific society of Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy.

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

Prof. Andrea Lania has graduated at the Università degli Studi of Milan and is specialized in endocrinology. He is the Unit Director of Endocrinology and Diabetology in Humanitas Research Hospital and his specialization is pituitary diseases, pituitary adenomas, thyroid cancer, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas.

Medical areas of interest:
Pituitary tumors, hypopituitarism, acromegaly, Cushing’s disease and syndrome, neuroendocrine tumors, thyroid and thyroid diseases, adrenal and adrenal diseases, hypogonadism.

Research areas of interest:
Study of the pathogenetic mechanisms of pituitary and neuroendocrine tumors, of the molecular mechanisms responsible for the different response of pituitary and neuroendocrine tumors to medical therapy.

Prof. Lania published 198 peer-reviewed papers (Google Scholar H-Index 47; Scopus H-Index 38, cit tot 4604)

Prof. Lania has a long standing expertise in the field of intra-cellular signaling in endocrine tumors. In particular, in the past ten years, he contributed to analyze the role of PKA regulatory subunits in the pathogenesis and control of cell proliferation of endocrine tumors. Moreover, he contributed to define the role of SSTR5 domains involved in the intracellular trafficking of this receptor in human pituitary cells and to analyze the impact of DR2R and SSTR2&5 polymorphic variants on both the clinical outcome and response to medical treatment in patients with pituitary tumors.

Recently, he contributed to identify the role of cytoskeleton protein FLNA in mediating both intracellular signaling and membrane targeting of somatostatin type 2 receptor and D2R in pituitary and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Finally, he contributed to explore the intracellular mechanisms possibly involved in mediating the interplay between drugs commonly used in the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors.

Previous experience:
2005-2008 Fondazione Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico IRCCS, Milan, Italy
Director of Endocrinologic Day Hospital and surgery on pituitary disorders. 

Publications: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=lania%20A 

Dr. Corrado Lodigiani has been assistant at the Thrombosis Centre of Humanitas research Hospital from 1998 to 2013 and he became Unit Director in 2013. 

Humanitas Thrombosis Center is a state-of-the-art service for the proper management of the diagnosis and therapy of venous thromboembolic pathology (deep and superficial venous thrombosis, pulmonary thromboembolism, visceral venous thrombosis) and arterial (myocardial infarction, cerebral stroke, peripheral arterial disease). 
Other also rare diseases treated are atypical thrombosis, such as the vascular circulation of the retina, the hearing system and the placental circulation during pregnancy. 

Dr. Lodigiani adopts the multidisciplinary approach and works in collaboration with all medical and surgical specialties. In particular, he carries out clinical and instrumental diagnostics (vascular ecocolordoppler) and research on the causes, diagnosis and therapy of thrombotic and bleeding disorders, congenital and acquired. His clinical activity also involves the diagnosis and management of patients suffering from bleeding diseases, such as haemophilia, von Willebrand’s disease and platelet diseases.

Medical areas of interest:  

In recent years, he has devoted himself with particular interest to the testing, in the role of Principal Investigator in International Clinical Studies, of new antithrombotic drugs and, above all, anticoagulants, which are about to be marketed and will constitute a valid and safe alternative to traditional oral anticoagulant therapy (DOACs). He is also working, with great interest, on researching the causes of idiopathic infertility and the usefulness and effectiveness of some therapeutic strategies, such as the use of anticoagulant drugs, improving the results of artificial insemination procedures. He is the author of numerous articles in international scientific journals and speaker at numerous national and international conferences.

Dr. Daniela Pini is the Head of the Cardio-respiratory rehabilitation Unit.

Medical areas of interest: Dr. Daniela Pini has been working and researching heart failure and has gained considerable experience in the management of advanced forms of this pathology. She is also very interested in the evaluation and "overall" management of patients suffering from this disease, which mainly affects elderly people and who already have other chronic diseases, which, if neglected, can easily impair the effectiveness of treatment for heart failure itself.

Research areas of interest: new therapies for advanced heart failure: replacement therapy of the heart with mechanical assistance devices to the circulation or heart transplant. New drugs and devices. Multidisciplinary patient management programs.

Further information of interest: thanks to the high competence of cardiosurgeons, electrophysiologists and hemodynamists, Humanitas can count, as a clinical cardiologist, on a team that allows it to offer the patient all the range of therapeutic options for heart failure.

From June 2000 to October 2001 she was Visiting Assistant Professor at the Cardiovascular Division Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. During this period, she worked in the Heart Failure/Heart Transplantation Program, where she participated in the management of patients with advanced heart failure waiting for transplantation, dealing in particular with medical complications in patients with mechanical assistance devices. She has also worked with kidney, kidney-pancreas, pancreas-insulae, lung, liver and heart transplant teams, dealing with the multiple aspects of managing solid organ transplant recipients.

She worked in the Niguarda Ca' Granda Hospital, at the Cardiomyopathy and Heart Transplantation Service, dealing mainly with patients with advanced heart failure and undergoing a cardiac transplant.

Dr. Pini is a member of the coordination committee of the Decompensation Area of the National Association of Medical Hospital Cardiologists – ANMCO. In the last two years she has been mainly concerned on building a network of “heart failure clinics” on the national territory.

Dr. Federico Pessina is the Cranial Neurosurgey Unit Director.

Medical areas of interest: Brain tumors, glioblastomas, low grade gliomas, brain metastases, meningiomas, neuromas, cavernous angiomas, brain aneurysms

Surgical treatment with brain mapping techniques, awake and minimally invasive surgery of all central nervous system tumors.

Surgical treatment of highly complex tumors of the skull base and cranio-cervical hinge: meningiomas, neuromas, craniopharyngiomas, brain stem tumors.

All the tumor pathologies described above are addressed after multidisciplinary multi-specialist evaluation.

The surgical approach is customized to the patient and to the type of lesion, making use of the most advanced intraoperative techniques for malignant brain tumors (neuronavigation, intraoperative neurophysiology, intraoperative CT) and more complex approaches (anterior, posterior and combined petroosectomies, minimally invasive accesses) for benign diseases of the skull base such as meningiomas and neuromas.

Research areas of interest: Experimental protocols in the treatment of glioblastomas

- Prospective protocols in the treatment of brain metastases

- Role of surgical removal and integrated treatments in glioblastomas and malignant brain tumors

- Intracranial meningiomas

- Cadaver lab dissection

Author of more than 60 scientific publications and 5 book chapters, he is member of Italian Society of Neurosurgery (SINCH).

In 2018 he joined the Scientific Committee of European Society of Neuroncology (EANO) and the Skull Base Surgery Committee of World Federation of Neurosurgical Society (WFNS).

Specialized training: 

Prof. Pessina obtained his Degree in Medicine and Surgery in University of  Insubria,  Varese, where he also completed his Residency Program.

From 2007 to 2008 he covered the role of Clinical Fellow in Neurosurgery in Lausanne University Hospital, focusing on image-guided intrinsic brain tumors resection and vascular neurosurgery

In 2018 he covered the Skull Base fellow position in Lariboisiere Hospital, Paris, fully dedicating to skull base surgery and hands-on dissection practice and teaching.

Since 2022, he is Full Professor in Neurosurgery (MED/27) in Humanitas University

Additional information of interest:

Member of the Scientific Committee of the European Association of Neuroncology (EANO)

Publications:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Pessina+Federico

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).

Professor Carlo Selmi is leading the Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Unit at Humanitas Research Hospital. 

Since 2009, he is the responsible of the Autoimmunity and Metabolic Laboratory, dedicated to the study of the possible mechanism linked to the progression of autoimmune diseases. 

The research focuses on four main areas: 

• - The epigenetic mechanisms that regulate the environment-genomic interface by influencing the susceptibility and the phenotype of chronic autoimmune and inflammatory diseases in the model of discordant monozygotic twins for disease. To date, the laboratory has biological sample of discordant couples for numerous diseases.
• - The target antigens of autoimmunity modifications that affect the development of the course of autoimmune diseases. In particular, the laboratory studies the post-translational modifications of joint collagen in rheumatoid arthritis.
• - The prevalence of non-organ autoantibodies, such as anti-nucleus and anti-ENAs and disease specific autoantibodies, such as anti-citrulline and anti-endomysium in a non-specific population of health adults and the significance of the positive founds over time.
• - Gender medicine in real-life, through the analysis of administrative databases.

The team holds dedicated clinics also for, spondiloarthritis and connetcive tissue disease, and it is active in articular ultrasound, videocapillaroscopy, arthrocenthesis and joint injection of steroid or hyaluronic acid.  The Division includes an inpatient clinic for complex cases. All group members are fluent in spoken and written English

Current Teaching Activity: Professor Selmi works as Assistant Professor of Rheumatology at the University of Milan since 2006. Furthermore, he holds a joint appointment as Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Division of Rheumatology of the University of California at Davis since 2005.

He is member of the American College of Rheumatology, American Association of Allergists and Immunologists, and the Italian Society of Rheumatology. He serves on the International Group for Research on Psoriatic Disease (GRAPPA) and the working group for autoantibody standardization within the ACR (ASC).

Publications: Selmi C[Author] - Search Results - PubMed (nih.gov)

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)