About us
Amici di URI ETS is a Foundation that aims to make a concrete contribution to scientific research in urology.
In recent years, the Foundation has actively and continuously supported preclinical, clinical and translational research, particularly the research projects of URI, Urological Research Institute, of IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele in Milan, which was established in 2009
Mission
The Foundation's mission is to support experimentation to find new and more effective therapies for patients with diseases of the genitourinary system in both men and women.
In parallel, the Foundation promotes cultural and informational activities for a diverse audience, which are preparatory to primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. Dissemination is one of the Foundation's priorities because knowledge and prevention are the first step in ensuring everyone's health.
Our research areas
The President
Prof. Francesco Montorsi
Francesco Montorsi is Full Professor of Urology and Director of the School of Specialization in Urology at the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, and is Director of the Urology Unit at the IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele in Milan.
Prof. Montorsi graduated with honors in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Milan, where he also completed his specialization in Urology. Prof. Montorsi also obtained a specialization in Andrology from the University of Pisa.
His main clinical and surgical areas of interest include uro-oncology, with a focus on the diagnosis and minimally invasive treatment of prostate, bladder, and kidney cancer, and benign prostatic hyperplasia. In particular, Prof. Montorsi is internationally recognized for…
Permanent Councilors
Prof. Alberto Briganti
Alberto Briganti (MD, PhD) is Full Professor of Urology at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University. He serves as the deputy-director of the Urological Research Institute (URI) and directs the Robotic Surgical Program within the Department of Urology at San Raffaele Hospital. Since 2023, Prof. Briganti has held the position of Editor-in-Chief at European Urology, the official Journal of the European Association of Urology (IF 24.344).
His scientific contributions encompass the development of multi-institutional databases focused on prostate cancer staging and outcomes. These initiatives have played a pivotal role in refining and advancing existing prediction models. With a prolific career, Prof. Briganti has authored over 1350 scientific publications in international peer-reviewed journals (H-Index 95).
His academic excellence was acknowledged in 2016 when Prof. Briganti received the Matula Award, an annual honor recognizing the most promising academic urologist under the age of 40.
Prof. Andrea Salonia
Andrea Salonia is a Full Professor of Urology at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy, where he also serves as the Dean of Studies of the International Medical Doctor Program and the Co-Coordinator of the PhD Curriculum in Clinical and Experimental Medicine.Andrea Salonia is the Director of URI-Urological Research Institute of the IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele in Milan, Italy, where he also serves as the Coordinator of the Sexual and Reproductive Medicine Program.
Prof. Andrea Salonia, specialist in Urology and Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases with an andrological focus, is a Urologist in the Urology Unit of the IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele directed by Prof. Francesco Montorsi, where he is also coordinator of the Assistance Area for Couple Medicine and Director of URI-Urological Research Institute, the official translational research institute of the IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, entirely dedicated to urological and andrological pathologies.
URI Researchers
Massimo Alfano
Massimo Alfano (B.Sc. and Ph.D. from the University of Milan, Italy), has longstanding expertise in the field of cellular and molecular biology, urology and photoacoustic imaging of bladder. He acts as group leader at the Urology department of OSR, is author of more than 120 peer-reviewed scientific publications and 4 patents. He was the recipient of several national and international research grants, and at present he is the coordinator of the Horizon Europe study named phire, which aims to provide a strategy for the detection and eradication of bladder tumors that are currently undetectable with conventional diagnostic imaging.
Giulio Avesani
Specializing in Urology at Vita Salute San Raffaele University. He graduated with honors in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Verona. He is involved in clinical trials related to bladder cancer and has initiated a fellowship in urologic robotic surgery in Chicago. His research more broadly focuses on prostate and bladder cancer (pubmed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=giulio+avesani).
Marco Bandini
Dr. Marco Bandini is a urologist and PhD in molecular medicine at San Raffaele Hospital. He has international experience with research fellowships in Canada, Serbia, and India. He is a prolific author with over 160 scientific publications (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=bandini+marco+urology&sort=date) and an H-Index of 30 (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Dugf2iAAAAAJ&hl=it&oi=ao). He is an active member of the Young Academic Urologists Europe for penile cancer and has contributed to the drafting of European Society for Medical Oncology guidelines on this topic. Specializing in reconstructive urological surgery and treatment of urethral strictures, he is a key figure in the field of penile neoplasia and genital anomalies.
Francesco Barletta
Resident in Urology at Vita Salute San Raffaele University. He spent a year as a research fellow in outcome research at the University of Montreal, Canada, under the guidance of Prof Pierre Karakiewicz focusing his research on prostate cancer. Currently, he is completing a fellowship in robotic surgery in Alst, Belgium, under the guidance of Prof. Alex Mottrie and has published over 80 scientific articles in indexed journals (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=barletta+francesco+urology).
Giuseppe Basile
Dr. Giuseppe Basile is a resident in Urology at Vita Salute San Raffaele University. Dr Basile completed an 18-month research fellowship at Fundacio’ Puigvert of Barcelona, Spain, focusing on uro-oncology and renal transplantation. He is a member of the scientific research groups YAU penile and testis cancer and ESUI of the European Association of Urology (EAU) and is is author of more than 70 scientific publications (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=giuseppe+basile) in international indexed journals. His specific areas of scientific interest include bladder cancer, penile cancer, upper urinary tract tumors, renal cancer, and renal transplantation.
Federico Belladelli
Specializing in Urology at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University. He completed a research fellowship at Stanford University, USA, under the guidance of Prof. Eisenberg, focusing on male sexual medicine, and subsequently engaged in clinical research on renal neoplasms. Additionally, he collaborates with the VHL Cancer Center at San Raffaele Hospital for patients with Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome. He has published over 95 scientific articles (source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=belladelli e https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=57208598257)
Alessandro Bertini
Resident in Urology at IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital. After two training experiences at the Urology Department of the “Circolo” Hospital in Varese and HPG XIII in Bergamo, since May 2024 he has been a fellow-researcher at the Vattikuti Urology Institute (VUI) Detroit, USA. His areas of interest are Erectile Dysfunction and Male Infertility. He has participated in several national and international congresses, and has authored scientific papers published in indexed journals (source PubMed: www.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=alessandro+bertini).
Roberto Bertini
Primary Assistant of the Urology Operating Unit at the IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital in Milan. He has extensive experience in the surgical management of urological pathologies, with a focus on the conservative therapy of renal masses and the treatment of caval-atrial venous thrombosis. His research focuses on the oncological and functional outcomes of patients with renal tumors and he is the author of numerous scientific articles (pubmed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=roberto+bertini).
Arianna Bettiga
A nutritional biologist at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, she began her basic and clinical-translational research in the nephro-uro-oncology field at the Urological Research Institute of the same hospital. She obtained a PhD in biochemistry in 2006 from the University of Milan, successfully completed the international course "total nutrition renal therapy" in 2017 promoted by the International Society of Renal Nutrition and Metabolism, and a university master's degree in nutrition and dietetics in nephrology in 2019 at the University of Pisa. She has extensive experience in the nutritional management of overweight patients who are candidates for surgical removal of genitourinary tumors, with a focus on oncological patients with chronic kidney failure in conservative therapy, and is the author of over 30 scientific papers published in international journals (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=arianna+bettiga )
Sabrina Bettini
Data Manager and Study Coordinator dedicated to kidney cancer at the Urological Research Institute of the IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele since April 2024. She holds a degree in Medical Biotechnology from the Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale in Novara. In the field of renal oncological pathology, she manages the database of patients undergoing surgery. She coordinates and manages patients within the Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome project and the various activities foreseen by clinical studies to ensure they are carried out in accordance with Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and current regulations.
Giusy Burgio
Data manager dedicated to bladder cancer at the Urological Research Institute of the IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital since July 2011, with a master’s degree in Biology from the University of Pavia. Co-author of publications in the uro-oncological field, her scientific research is dedicated to bladder cancer (pubmed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=giusy+burgio). Data manager dedicated to bladder cancer at the Urological Research Institute of the IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital since July 2011, with a master’s degree in Biology from the University of Pavia. Co-author of publications in the uro-oncological field, her scientific research is dedicated to bladder cancer (pubmed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=giusy+burgio ).
Concetta Cangemi
Data Manager and Study Coordinator, she manages research studies on urolithiasis at the Urological Research Institute of the IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele in Milan. In this capacity, she coordinates, collects, and manages data related to all clinical studies pertaining to this pathology, actively supporting and collaborating with urologists involved in the various phases of the research.
Daniela Canibus
Data manager and Study Coordinator working in the kidney cancer research field at the Urological Research Institute of the IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele. Graduated in Biological Sciences from the University of Milan. Within the clinical renal oncological scenario, she manages the database of patients undergoing surgery who are enrolled in clinical trials, and coordinates the patient flow and agenda within the Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome project supporting the different specialists involved. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36468262/
Donato Cannoletta
Urology resident at Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele in Milan. He completed a research fellowship at University of Illinois at Chicago, focusing on minimally invasive surgery and the novel daVinci Single-Port, under the guidance of Prof Simone Crivellaro. He is now completing a fellowship at Fundacio Puigvert in Barcelona, under the direction of Prof Alberto Breda, focusing on uro-oncology pathologies and kidney transplantation. He regularly participates in national and international conferences and is author of scientific papers published in international indexed journals.
Umberto Capitanio
Assistant Head of the Urology Operative Unit at IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele in Milan. He is the Head of the Functional Unit of the Operative Endoscopy Service and Group Leader of the Kidney Tumor Research Unit at the San Raffaele Hospital. He is a contract professor at the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University and has worked at the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal. He has extensive clinical and research experience in all uro-oncological pathologies, but in particular in kidney cancer. He is the author of over 450 scientific articles (source PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=capitanio+u) with an overall h-index of 70 (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Ij8wmcsAAAAJ&hl=it&oi=ao) and has won numerous awards as the best Italian urologist.
Cristina Carenzi
She obtained the Degree in Biomedical Engineering (M.Sc.) in 2009. Starting from 2010 she has a role of data manager mainly dedicated to renal pathology at the Urological Research Institute (URI). Since 2016 she is office manager at URI with administrative and economic responsibility. Furthermore, she is consultant for Amici di URI ETS Foundation, focusing her efforts on administrative-management activities and supporting the organization of fund raising events.
Francesco Cattafi
Urology resident at the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Milan, graduated with honors in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Insubria in Varese and Como. He is involved in clinical trials on testicular cancer, sexual medicine, and urethral pathology, as well as collaborating with the Gastroenterology department for Lynch syndrome.
Francesco Cei
Resident in Urology at the Operative Unit of the San Raffaele Hospital. He graduated in Medicine and Surgery with honors from the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in June 2021. His areas of scientific interest include kidney cancer and the development of new technologies in urology. In addition, he collaborates with the VHL Cancer Center of the San Raffaele Hospital for patients with Von Hippel Lindau syndrome (pubmed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=francesco+cei). Since January 2024, he has been conducting a research fellowship, under the guidance of Prof. Inderbir Gill, at the University of Southern California, focusing on the applications of artificial intelligence in the field of uro-oncological pathologies.
Giuseppe Ottone Cirulli
Resident in Urology at Vita Salute San Raffaele University. He spent a year as a research fellow at the Vattikuti Center for Outcomes Research, Analytics, and Evaluation, at Henry Ford Hospital (Detroit, USA), under the guidance of Dr. Firas Abdollah, focusing his research on prostate cancer. He is currently completing a surgical fellowship at the Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière (Paris), under the guidance of Prof. Morgan Roupret, with a focus on uro-oncological pathologies, kidney transplantation, and functional urology. He regularly participates in national and international conferences and is the author of scientific papers published in indexed journals. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=cirulli+go+&sort=date).
Giorgia Colciago
Biologist with a specialist degree in Industrial Biotechnologies and many years of experience in biomedical research, she has been part of the Urological Research Institute since its foundation. She actively participates in numerous research projects focused on the use of extracellular vesicles as biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets in bladder cancer. Her skills include the design and conduction of in vitro and in vivo experiments and on animal models, the isolation and analysis of extracellular vesicles, and the characterization of biological samples using molecular biology and biochemical techniques. She also contributes to the collection and management of biological samples for the URI Biobank, promoting its growth and development. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=colciago+giorgia
Francesca Corea
PhD student in the International PhD Program in Molecular Medicine at the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University. She graduated with honors and honorable mention in Medical Biotechnology from the same university, discussing a thesis on the role of whole-genome sequencing in the characterization of clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) in von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease. Currently, her work focuses on characterizing the molecular heterogeneity of ccRCC associated with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease and identifying potential therapeutic targets. Furthermore, as part of the renal tumor research group, she actively participates in projects concerning sporadic renal carcinoma.
Vito Cucchiara
Medical Director at the Operative Unit of Urology of the IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele with a degree from the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University of Milan and a specialization in Urology from the Federico II University of Naples. He conducted research on resistance mechanisms in prostate cancer at the University of Davis in Sacramento, USA, under the guidance of Prof. Christopher Evans. He specializes in risk factors and genetic mutations in urological tumors and has published over 70 international scientific articles (pubmed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=vito+cucchiara).
Lucia Dambrosio
Study Coordinator working in the prostate cancer research field at the Urological Research Institute of the IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital since February 2016. She manages the database dedicated to patients undergoing surgery for prostate cancer and collaborates with urologists and researchers in data analysis for scientific publications. She coordinates and manages various non-medical activities outlined in clinical studies to ensure compliance with Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and current regulations.
Mario De Angelis
Resident at the Operative Unit of Urology of the IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele. He began a Research Fellowship at the Department of Urology of the Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal starting in May 2023, focusing on research into the main uro-oncological pathologies, with particular interest in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate neoplasia and bladder cancer. Author of over 20 publications in the urological field (source PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=mario+de+angelis).
Alessia D’Arma
Data Manager and Study Coordinator in the field of men’s health at Urological Research Institute, with a specific focus on male infertility, sexual medicine, penile and testicular cancer and calculosis disease. Psychologist, Psychotherapist, PhD, she is also part of the Phase 1 Unit of San Raffaele Institute’s Urology Department.
Alessia Di Coste
PhD student in Molecular Medicine at the Department of Urology of the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan.
She obtained a Master's Degree in Medical Biotechnologies from the University of Eastern Piedmont in Novara in 2023. During her university career, she developed skills in the field of regenerative medicine and in the study of the human microbiota. She also completed an internship at the Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology in Barcelona, focusing on the development of a diagnostic and prognostic model based on the analysis of the microbiota. Currently, she is part of the Extracellular Microenvironment research group under the supervision of Dr. Massimo Alfano. Her research focuses on the predictive role of the microbiota in the response to treatments for bladder carcinoma.
Annamaria Ferrara
Head of the Biobank since 2019 at the Urological Research Institute of the IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele. She holds a degree in Biological Sciences from La Sapienza University of Rome and specialized in Clinical Biochemistry at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Rome. She coordinates the collection and management of a wide range of biological samples for numerous clinical studies regarding urological, uro-oncological and sexual medicine pathologies. Her activity includes the operational management of the Biobank, participation in clinical studies, management of samples from the URO-F1 Phase 1 Unit, and active collaboration with researchers and physicians. Finally, she manages the Biobank data and integrates it with clinical information (pubmed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=anna+maria+ferrara).
Nadia Finocchio
Data manager dedicated to prostate cancer at the Urological Research Institute of the IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele since May 2006 with a degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology from the Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna. She manages the database of patients undergoing surgery for prostate neoplasia and collaborates with urologists and researchers in the processing of data for scientific papers and publications (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=finocchio+nadia ).
Andrea Folcia
Urology resident at the IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital. Graduated with honors with a degree in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Milan. Engaged in numerous projects in the field of urology, with a focus on andrology and urinary calculi.
Giorgio Gandaglia
Giorgio Gandaglia is a researcher at the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University of Milan and a full-time urologist at the San Raffaele Hospital since 2017. He graduated with honors in Medicine and Surgery from the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in 2011 and completed his specialization in Urology in 2017. He has received research grants in Canada and Belgium and actively participates in various scientific societies. With approximately 500 publications, he focuses on prostate cancer and urinary stone diseases. He coordinates several studies, including those on imaging-guided surgery and the applications of artificial intelligence in the diagnosis of prostate cancer. He has received numerous awards, including the ESUI Vision Award in 2019 and the EAU Award for the Best Article in Urological Literature in 2019 (pubmed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=gandaglia+g&sort=date&size=200).
Alessandro Larcher
Urologist and researcher at the Urological Research Institute of the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, specializing in Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome. A graduate of the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, he completed his training in Canada and Belgium. He is currently the chair of the YAU group for robotic surgery and Junior ERUS at the European Association of Urology and has published over 200 scientific articles (pubmed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=alessandro+larcher).
Giovanni Lavorgna
Researcher at the IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele in Milan, Italy. He has a long career in the field of molecular biology and bioinformatics, with significant international experience as a visiting fellow and associate at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, USA, under the supervision of Dr. Carl Wu.
Dr. Lavorgna's research focuses on the genetic and epigenetic determinants of male infertility, the role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in cancer, and the regulation of gene expression. He is the author of over 20 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals, including Science and Cell Research. He has also developed several UNIX-based bioinformatics tools, such as AntiHunter and TargetFinder, which are widely used in the scientific community.
Recipient of numerous grants, Dr. Lavorgna has led projects funded by MIUR, Fondazione Cariplo, and Alleanza Contro il Cancro. He has also collaborated as an ad-hoc reviewer for prestigious scientific journals, including Bioinformatics and Nucleic Acids Research, and has contributed to the academic training of future scientists as a professor of bioinformatics at the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University.
Riccardo Leni
Medical resident at the Operative Unit of Urology of the IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele in Milan. Graduated with honors and mention in Medicine and Surgery from the same institution. Research fellow at the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York under the guidance of Prof. Andrew J. Vickers, where he perfected the methodology of clinical research in the field of prostate cancer. Author and co-author of over 20 scientific publications and reviewer on leading journals in the field of oncological urology (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=riccardo+leni&sort=date).
Irene Locatelli
Research technician at the Urological Research Institute (URI). She obtained both a master's degree in medical and pharmaceutical biotechnologies and a PhD in molecular medicine from the University of Eastern Piedmont. In 2014 she joined the Extracellular Microenvironment research group coordinated by Dr. Massimo Alfano, mainly focusing on studying the role of the extracellular matrix and tissue microbiome in the development of bladder cancer.
Mattia Longoni
Graduated from the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Milan-Bicocca in June 2021. He follows several clinical trials as a sub-investigator in the field of prostate cancer and bladder cancer. Fellow-researcher at the Cancer Prognostics and Health Outcomes Research Unit of the University of Montreal, Canada. Author of over 10 scientific papers published in indexed journals (source PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Mattia+Longoni) with an H-index of 5 (source Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=i1uxOSUAAAAJ&hl=it&oi=ao).
Marco Malvestiti
Graduated in 2022 in Medicine and Surgery from the Vita e Salute San Raffaele University with the highest marks (110/110 with honors and mention). Since November 2022, he has begun his specialization in Urology at the Operative Unit of Urology of the San Raffaele Hospital under Professor Montorsi. During his specialization, he began working as a Research Doctor under Professor Salonia and Professor Montorsi in the field of andrology and penile/testicular oncology (pubmed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=marco+malvestiti).
Elio Mazzone
Consultant urologist at the Department of Urology of the IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital. During the residency program he has integrated his training with research and clinical fellowships in Canada and Belgium. He has also obtained a PhD in Molecular Medicine. His research focuses on minimally invasive treatment of prostate cancer and new diagnostic methods, with a dedicated clinical fellowship at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Center in Melbourne. He regularly participates in national and international conferences. He is the author of over 150 scientific publications in indexed journals (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=mazzone+e+urology&sort=date), as well as a reviewer for the main scientific journals in the sector.
Marco Moschini
Specialist medical director at the Urology Department of the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan. He obtained a degree and doctorate in experimental urological surgery. He completed a clinical research fellowship at the Mayo Clinic and a clinical fellowship in several prestigious locations. He has published over 400 scientific papers and serves as a reviewer for leading medical journals. He coordinates the bladder cancer group of the Young Academic Urologists Working Parties of the EAU (pubmed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=marco+moschini).
Giacomo Musso
Resident in Urology at the IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele in Milan and the Vita Salute San Raffaele University, where he graduated with honors and mention in Medicine and Surgery in 2021, discussing a thesis focused on the different surgical approaches to renal neoplasms. Since July 2024, he has started a research fellowship in the field of uro-oncology at the University of California – San Diego Health, San Diego, USA. His activity focuses on the main uro-oncological pathologies and especially on kidney cancer, with an integrated approach ranging from clinical practice to research. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=giacomo+musso%5BAuthor%5D&filter=years.2019-2024).
Fausto Negri
Resident in Urology at the IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele. He obtained a degree in Medicine and Surgery with honors and honorable mention from the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, discussing a thesis on the role of genetics in the development of testicular cancer. He participates in research projects in the field of urology, focusing on the issues of male infertility and sexual medicine. He has presented scientific papers at national and international conferences (PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=fausto+negri).
Luigi Nocera
Urologist at the IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele in Milan. Graduated from the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University of Milan, where he completed his Specialization in Urology in 2023. During his training, he completed two research fellowships, in Detroit, USA, under the guidance of Dr. Mani Menon, and in Montreal, Canada, under the supervision of Prof. Pierre Karakiewicz, and a robotic surgery fellowship in Aalst, Belgium, under the guidance of Prof. Alexandre Mottrie. He is the national representative of the ESRU. His areas of interest include the main urological neoplasms, in particular prostate carcinoma, and robotic surgery. He has published over 85 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=nocera+luigi) and is a reviewer for the main scientific journals in the sector.
Marco Oddo
Urology resident at the Department of Urology at San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, under Professor Francesco Montorsi. Dr. Oddo completed his medical education at University of Palermo in 2021. He furthered his academic journey by starting his Urology Residency program at IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital in 2022. Since the beginning of his studies, Dr. Oddo immediately showed interest for andrologic research and prosthetic and oncologic penile surgery. Moreover, he takes part to different research projects and gives his contribution for the publication of several scientific articles, focusing on male infertility and sexual medicine.
Antony Pellegrino
Resident in Urology at the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University of Milan. He completed a research fellowship at the University of Illinois Chicago (USA), under the guidance of Prof. Simone Crivellaro, with a focus on the new mini-invasive daVinci Single-Port robot. He also completed a surgical fellowship at the Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière (Paris) with a focus on uro-oncological pathologies, kidney transplantation, and functional urology. He is currently conducting research at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Author of 18 publications in the urological field (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=antony+pellegrino), reviewer in leading urological journals and head of the EU Spotlight section of the European Urology journal, the leading journal in the sector.
Edoardo Pozzi
Urology resident with a degree in Medicine and Surgery (taught in English), obtained with honors and special mention from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University. He completed a research fellowship at University College London Hospital in London and is currently undertaking a uro-andrology fellowship at the University of Miami, Desai Sethi Urology Institute in the United States. He has an extensive scientific publication record (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/edoardo.pozzi.1/bibliography/public/) and serves as a reviewer for leading scientific journals in the field.
Leonardo Quarta
Urology resident at IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele in Milan. He graduated in Medicine and Surgery with honors and special mention from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University of Milan in July 2022, with a thesis on the role of radio-guided surgery in identifying lymph node metastases in patients with prostate cancer. He actively participates in national and international clinical trials in the field of prostate cancer and has presented numerous scientific papers at national and international conferences. He is the author of scientific papers published in indexed journals. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=quarta+leonardo)
Massimiliano Raffo
Urology Resident at IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele with previous experience as an internal medicine student and research thesis at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York. He has contributed to several scientific publications in the field of urology, focusing on topics such as the impact of air pollution on male reproductive health and the prediction of success in sperm retrieval in cases of idiopathic non-obstructive azoospermia (pubmed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=massimiliano+raffo).
Riccardo Ramadani
Dr. Riccardo Ramadani is an Urology resident at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Milan, under the guidance of Professor Francesco Montorsi. Dr. Ramadani graduated in Medicine and Surgery at La Sapienza, University of Insubria in september 2021. In February 2023, he began his residency in Urology, actively participating as a sub-investigator in various clinical trials related to testicular cancer and sexual medicine. The research activity of Dr. Ramadani focuses on the subsequent topics: Diagnosis and treatment of sexual disfunctions in Andrology, Diagnostic work-up of infertile patients, in collaboration with Birth science department, Oncological and functional outcomes in patients affected by penile cancer.
Chiara Re
Urology resident at the Operative Unit of the San Raffaele Hospital. Since December 2023, she has been undertaking a research fellowship on renal neoplasia at Cambridge University Hospitals in the United Kingdom under the guidance of Prof. Grant Stewart. She collaborates with the VHL Cancer Center of the San Raffaele Hospital for patients with Von Hippel Lindau syndrome. Author of over 15 articles in international journals in the urological and uro-oncological field (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Re%2C+Chiara%5BAuthor%5D&sort=).
Daniele Robesti
Urology resident at Vita Salute San Raffaele University. He has conducted research on prostate cancer metabolism and its vulnerabilities at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. He is currently undertaking a Research and Clinical Fellowship on prostate cancer at the Ospedale Civico of Lugano and the Laboratory of Molecular Oncology at the Istituto Oncologico della Svizzera Italiana. He is the author of 30 publications in specialized journals (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=robesti+daniele&size=50).
Giuseppe Rosiello
Urologist at IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele in Milan. He completed his specialization in Urology at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in 2023. During his training, he completed research and training fellowships in Canada and Belgium. His clinical practice focuses on urological and uro-oncological pathologies, and he is the author of over 100 publications in specialized journals. (pubmed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=giuseppe+rosiello)
Isaline Rowe
Researcher at IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, specializing in the study of renal cell carcinoma related to Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome. Her research focuses on understanding the tumor environment and metabolic characteristics in hereditary ccRCCs. She obtained a master's degree in Molecular and Cellular Genetics in 2000 and a doctorate in Life Sciences in 2004 from the Pierre et Marie Curie University in Paris (pubmed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=isaline%20rowe).
Lucia Salerno
Medical resident in Urology at the IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, she graduated in Medicine and Surgery in English with honors and special mention in 2023 from the same University. During her final year of studies, she undertook a period of research complementary to her thesis project at the Department of Urology of the University Medical Centre in Utrecht, Netherlands, in the field of uro-oncology, in particular studying patients with Von Hippel-Lindau disease. She was recently involved as an author in a study related to this topic published in European Urology Oncology. She is active in clinical research in the field of uro-oncology, with particular interest in kidney cancer (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Salerno%2C+Lucia+%5BAuthor%5D).
Alfonso Santangelo
Medical resident specializing in Urology at the IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital in Milan. Graduated with honors with a master's degree in Medicine and Surgery from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in July 2023 and began specializing in Urology in November 2023. Actively participates as a sub-investigator in clinical trials.
Pietro Scilipoti
Urology resident at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University of Milan. He graduated in Medicine and Surgery with honors from the University of Milan Bicocca in June 2021. He actively participates in clinical trials in the field of prostate and bladder cancer. He has begun a clinical research fellowship in Sweden focused on prostate cancer, supervised by Prof. Pär Stattin. He has published numerous researches in the urological and uro-oncological field (Pubmed source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=pietro+scilipoti).
Simone Scuderi
Urology resident. His main focuses are the diagnosis of prostate cancer through innovative methods such as magnetic resonance imaging and PSMA PET, and the oncological outcomes of patients undergoing radical prostatectomy and cystectomy. He completed a research fellowship at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York and is pursuing a doctorate in Molecular Medicine. Currently, he is undertaking a robotic surgery fellowship at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and is co-author of over 30 articles published in scientific journals (https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=57201085623).
Armando Stabile
Urologist at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan. He graduated in Medicine and Surgery with honors in 2013 and specialized in Urology in 2019. He completed his training in England and France. He has extensive international training and focuses on early diagnosis and minimally invasive treatment of prostate cancer. Author of over 100 scientific publications (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=%28stabile+a+urology%29+OR+%28stabile+armando%29&sort=date) with an H-index of 31. Reviewer of numerous international scientific journals in the urological field. Head of the "Imaging in Urology" working group of the Italian Society of Urology.
Giovanni Tremolada
Urologist at the IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital in Milan. He obtained his degree in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Turin with honors and honorable mention in October 2022. Subsequently, he was admitted to the specialization school in Urology at the IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital in Milan. He participates as a sub-investigator in numerous national and international clinical trials.
Manuela Tutolo
Urologist and researcher at the IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele. She completed a clinical fellowship and a doctorate in Belgium, where she then also worked as a specialist urologist. She has extensive experience in functional urology and neuro-urology and is the author of more than 50 publications (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=tutolo+m.&sort=date). She is a member of the European Association of Urology guidelines committee.
Riccardo Vago
Graduated in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology and with a doctorate in Genetic and Biomolecular Sciences, since 2014 he has been the head of a basic and translational research group (Extracellular vesicles and toxins group) within URI and since 2011 a professor at the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University (biochemistry, biology and genetics). The activity of his research group is focused on the study of the molecular and cellular mechanisms that lead to the progression of bladder cancer, with the aim of developing personalized medicine approaches through the identification of new biomarkers and therapeutic targets, and the consequent development of biotechnological drugs with targeted action. Winner of funding on a competitive basis at national and international level, he is the author of about seventy publications in international scientific journals (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=vago+riccardo&sort=date&size=200)
Chiara Venegoni
She obtained her bachelor's degree (2018) and master's degree (2021) in Biotechnology and Medical Biology, respectively, from the University of Eastern Piedmont in Novara (NO) and the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Milan. She is currently part of the Extracellular Microenvironment research group led by Dr. Massimo Alfano, at URI. Her research activity focuses on the study of modifications of the extracellular matrix in urological tumors in the clinical and preclinical setting, using various non-invasive technologies.
Luca Villa
Urologist at the IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele in Milan, in 2014 he completed a one-year fellowship in endourology at the Hôpital Tenon in Paris, under the guidance of Professor Olivier Traxer. Currently, he focuses his clinical and scientific interest on the treatment of patients with urinary stones and urothelial neoplasia of the upper urinary tract (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=%28Villa+L%5BAuthor%5D%29+AND+%28San+Raffaele%5BAffiliation%5D%29&sort=date).
Alessandro Viti
Medical resident in urology at the IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital in Milan. He graduated in Medicine and Surgery with honors from the University of Naples Federico II in July 2023, discussing a thesis on mitochondrial dysfunction in Anderson-Fabry disease. Sub-investigator in numerous national and international clinical trials (pubmed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=alessandro+viti).
Paolo Zaurito
First-year medical resident specializing in Urology at the IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital. He has embarked on a path of clinical research, focusing on validating epigenetic markers for predicting lymph node metastasis in prostate cancer. His main areas of scientific interest include prostate cancer, non-invasive and invasive bladder cancer. He serves as a sub-investigator in several national and international clinical trials.