In 2008, the Department of Neurosciences, Ophthalmology and Genetics (DiNOG) at the University of Genoa brought together specialties in Neurology, Psychiatry, Neurosurgery, Ophthalmology, and Medical Genetics. These disciplines stood out for their high quality and productivity, making a significant contribution to both academic teaching and research. At that time, academic decisions, career progression, and development planning were primarily managed by the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery and the Academic Senate, which acted as intermediaries between departments and handled university-wide matters.
The “Gelmini Reform” (Law 240/2010) radically changed the governance of Italian universities, granting departments greater organizational and decision-making autonomy. In 2012, following a broader reorganization of the University of Genoa’s departments, a new idea emerged: to merge DiNOG with the scientific-disciplinary areas of the Giannina Gaslini Institute, a leading pediatric IRCCS. This fusion integrated pediatric expertise with adult neuroscience, giving rise to a high-level center for research and care.
Thus, in 2012, the Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, and Maternal-Child Sciences (DiNOGMI) was established, within the School of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Genoa. This new department consolidated and expanded scientific collaborations among the Gaslini Institute, Clinical Neurosciences, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Maternal and Child Health, Genetics, and Ophthalmology, developing integrated care and research pathways spanning pediatrics to adulthood.
In 2017, DiNOGMI was recognized as a Department of Excellence for the period 2018–2022, as part of a national initiative launched by the Ministry of University and Research (Law 232/2016). This prestigious award acknowledged the quality of research and the department’s development projects, with a focus on three main areas: Genetics, Imaging, and Neuro-oncology.
DiNOGMI is distinguished by its robust clinical and basic research activity, addressing a wide range of conditions including:
Neurological and psychiatric disorders in both children and adults
Visual sensory disorders
The genetics of neuropsychiatric diseases
Rare childhood and adolescent diseases, particularly metabolic, endocrine, rheumatic, and neuropsychiatric disorders
The department is also deeply involved in the rehabilitation of these conditions across different life stages, aiming to restore impaired functions and improve patient autonomy.
A key strength of DiNOGMI is its lifespan approach to health, following the course of disease from prenatal and neonatal stages through childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and aging. This is made possible by the tight integration of scientific disciplines within the department, each addressing conditions that emerge early in life or are specific to certain life stages.
Thanks to this synergy, DiNOGMI can address preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic, and follow-up challenges in an innovative way, with a strong emphasis on the early detection of rare and complex diseases, including through biochemical and genetic newborn screening. The department also deals with conditions requiring surgical or neurosurgical intervention throughout life.
A distinctive element of this model of excellence is the implementation of cutting-edge technologies, such as molecular genetics, omics sciences, and advanced imaging techniques. To further strengthen this integrated vision, DiNOGMI collaborates closely with two major IRCCSs in Liguria:
The Giannina Gaslini Institute, specializing in Pediatrics
San Martino Hospital, with a focus on Oncology and Neurosciences
This collaboration—which includes the formal affiliation of most DiNOGMI faculty and researchers—represents a major milestone in research and patient care across the entire lifespan, from childhood to adulthood.