Staff:
Gianluigi Zona, Full Professor
Pietro Fiaschi, Associate Professor
Andrea Bianconi, Fixed-term Researcher
Research topics:
The main lines of research in neurosurgery are developed in the area of neuro-oncology, cerebrovascular diseases, and dementias secondary to diseases treatable by surgery. In addition, innovation-oriented research activities are carried out in the fields of bioimaging, advanced neurophysiology applied in the operating room (awake-surgery and eloquent area surgery), and neurosurgical techniques. The common goal of the various research areas is aimed at developing a multidisciplinary approach to diseases of neurosurgical interest through the validation of innovative strategies for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, monitoring, and personalized therapy.
The research group in neuro-oncology is very active on molecular characterization of cancer stem cells, interaction between neoplastic cell and tumor microenvironment, and identification of tumor-specific markers in biological fluids (“liquid biopsy”). There are numerous collaborations with national and international centers to identify tumor targets for specific innovative therapies (“targeted therapy”).
The study of cerebrovascular diseases aims to investigate the best therapeutic strategies of vascular malformations, cerebral aneurysms, and intracranial cavernous angiomas. Basic research is aimed at identifying molecular markers and genetic determinants of these diseases. A particular interest is in the prevention of cerebral vasospasm post subarachnoid hemorrhage and the search for CSF molecules that can predict the onset of vasospasm.
Research on treatable dementias focuses particularly on normotensive hydrocephalus through a multidisciplinary approach within the “normotensive hydrocephalus research group,” which makes use of the most modern and advanced diagnostic and therapeutic technologies and is composed of neurosurgeons, physiatrists, neuropsychologists, neurologists, and neuroradiologists. Research in this area focuses on identification of the best diagnostic strategies, identification of CSF markers of disease, neuroimaging studies, and neurophysiopathological correlates of the disease in terms of movement and walking disorders. Special attention is paid to cognitive functions and their different impairment in the various phenotypes of the disease.