Gioacchino Natoli

Gioacchino Natoli is a Professor of Biochemistry at Humanitas University, School of Medicine, Milan, and serves as a Group Leader at the European Institute of Oncology (IEO) where he heads the Transcriptional Control in Inflammation and Cancer research program. Elected to the Academy of Europe in 2017 and an EMBO member since 2013, his work bridges molecular oncology and immunology with significant contributions to epigenetic regulation.

Education:

• Medical Doctor with honors, University of Rome, La Sapienza (1991)
• Residency in Internal Medicine, University of Rome, La Sapienza (1991-1996)
• Post-doctoral fellow, University of California San Diego under Prof. Michael Karin (1998-2000)

His research centers on transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms governing innate immunity and cancer, with specific expertise in macrophage biology, chromatin dynamics, and non-coding transcription. He investigates how enhancers and cis-regulatory elements control inflammatory gene expression programs and maintain cellular identity in tumorigenesis, employing genomic and biochemical approaches to dissect disease-relevant pathways.

Analysis of his publication record reveals consistent focus on epigenetic control of inflammation-cancer crosstalk, with landmark studies on histone modifiers (Jmjd3, Mll4) and enhancer functionality published in Nature Immunology, Cell, and Molecular Cell. His work demonstrates how environmental signals are integrated at genomic loci to shape immune responses.

Scientific Awards:

• European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant (2016-2021)
• EMBO member (2013)
• European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant (2011-2015)
• Chiara D’Onofrio prize for Italian researchers below 43 years (2009)
• Marie Curie Excellence Grant (2007-2010)
• Damon Runyon-Walter Winchell Cancer Research Fund Long Term Fellowship (1998-2000)

Natoli has secured substantial competitive funding including dual ERC Advanced Grants to investigate transcriptional networks linking inflammation and cancer. His laboratory at IEO mentors doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers, fostering expertise in genomic technologies and molecular pathogenesis while advancing therapeutic target discovery.

He leads the Transcriptional Control in Inflammation and Cancer program within IEO's research infrastructure, utilizing advanced sequencing and imaging platforms to map regulatory landscapes in disease models. The group collaborates extensively with clinical teams to translate mechanistic insights into oncology applications.