Research at DMC - Medicine and Surgery

The Dipartimento di Medicina e chirurgia – DMC is a national and international reference center for clinical, translational, and basic research in the biomedical field. Its main areas of investigation include endocrine, metabolic, and cardiovascular diseases; geriatric cardiology; diabetology; clinical epidemiology; and pharmacology, with particular attention to immune and pharmacological responses. The Department is also recognized for its research on the complications of Graves’ disease, its activities in pulmonology, and its contribution to the development of clinical guidelines and public health strategies.

In addition, the DMC conducts advanced research in cellular pathology, genetics and gene therapy, immunology, infectious diseases, and maternal and child health, integrating molecular, clinical, and epidemiological approaches. Significant activities are also carried out in the surgical field—particularly in gynecological, vascular, thoracic, and cardiac surgery—as well as in neuroscience, psychiatry, ophthalmology, and dermatology, with a strong focus on technological innovation, telemedicine, and artificial intelligence. The Department’s multidisciplinary approach represents a distinctive feature, aimed at improving the quality of care and promoting scientific innovation.

More information at Uni-Find

The Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia - DMC is recognized as a leading scientific center. Across its areas of expertise, active involvement in the development of guidelines, consensus documents, and scientific statements for national and international scientific societies—together with participation in expert committees—ensures a strong impact of DMC faculty on the global scientific community.

The Department conducts research in endocrine-metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, including arrhythmology, geriatric cardiology, and thrombosis and hemostasis. Additional areas include pulmonology, maternal, neonatal and pediatric research, hematological and onco-hematological disorders, and infectious diseases. These activities also support public health policies through the development of research projects, including preclinical studies, clinical trials, and consensus documents for clinical practice.

A multidisciplinary approach is a defining feature, particularly in addressing infectious diseases in immunocompromised patients, such as recipients of solid organ transplants and hematopoietic stem cell transplants, as well as in ensuring the safety of organs and tissues for transplantation.

Surgical research includes both clinical and experimental projects focused on methodological and technological innovation, with vascular surgery playing a key role in the development of new procedures. Thoracic and obstetric-gynecological surgery—also encompassing oncological and minimally invasive approaches—are actively involved in multicenter and international studies.

The DMC promotes basic, clinical, and translational research in biomedical and clinical fields related to the above-mentioned areas, achieving recognition at both national and international levels.

DMC faculty play leading roles in these areas, contributing to their advancement at both national and international levels. The Department adopts a multidisciplinary approach that integrates clinical, preventive, and long-term follow-up perspectives, encompassing both preclinical research and clinical studies.

Clinical pharmacology, in particular, combines basic, clinical, and translational research, with significant impact across several domains. Key areas include the study of immune and pharmacological responses, as well as research in neurology, neuropharmacology, and pharmacogenetics.

Research in public health, hygiene, occupational medicine, and medical statistics focuses on a wide range of topics, including epidemiological studies on the relationship between environmental pollution and immune responses, as well as the interaction between lifestyle factors and cardiovascular and degenerative diseases. These activities are further strengthened by participation in major international clinical and biomolecular databases.

Through the integration of biomedical and clinical sciences with basic, clinical, and translational research, the DMC has achieved a strong scientific reputation in these fields, with a constant commitment to research ethics and integrity.

A key research area is cellular pathology, focused on the study of molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying tumor progression, the role of the extracellular matrix and hyaluronic acid, lymphatic dissemination pathways, and the application of advanced imaging techniques.

In the fields of genetics, molecular biology, and gene therapy, the Department is engaged in developing innovative approaches for the treatment of rare genetic diseases. These include studies on the pharmacological suppression of stop mutations, using experimental models and DNA-based clinical research.

Research activities also include studies on immunosenescence, innate immunity in endocrine autoimmune diseases, the impact of vaccinations and infections, and the influence of environmental and climate factors on health, also through dedicated epidemiological projects.

Basic and in vitro research is further complemented by the translational activities of DMC laboratories, integrating studies on both healthy individuals and patients to better understand the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying disease onset and progression.

The Department is also active in neuroscience, psychiatry, and behavioral sciences, with research focusing on the effectiveness of pharmacological and nutritional therapeutic interventions, the impact of environmental and occupational factors on mental health, and the identification of neurobiological correlates of psychiatric disorders.

In ophthalmology, research focuses on e-health and digital medicine, pediatric ophthalmology, and degenerative retinal diseases. In dermatology, scientific activities address skin and sexually transmitted diseases, with particular emphasis on integrating research and clinical practice to optimize diagnostic and therapeutic pathways and improve patient outcomes.

Across all areas, the Department promotes the development and application of telemedicine and artificial intelligence in diagnostic processes and clinical research. It also fosters research on the use of simulation in clinical practice, contributing to technological innovation and the improvement of healthcare quality.