Mauro Piacentini

Mauro Piacentini is a Full Professor of Biology at the University of Rome 'Tor Vergata' and Director of the Laboratory of Cell Biology and Electron Microscopy at the National Institute for Infectious Diseases IRCCS 'Lazzaro Spallanzani'. He holds leadership roles including President of the National Research Committee of the Italian Ministry of Health and Director of the Laboratory of Molecular Medicine at the Russian Academy of Sciences. His academic journey includes postdoctoral research at NIH (USA) and teaching roles at the University of São Paulo, Brazil.

Education: Master's in Science (1976, cum laude) from the University of Rome 'La Sapienza'.

Research focuses on cell death mechanisms (apoptosis/autophagy), HIV pathogenesis, transglutaminase biology, and cancer therapy. He has supervised 38 graduate students, 21 PhD candidates, and 24 postdocs. His editorial roles include co-founding Cell Death and Differentiation and serving as Editor-in-Chief of Cell Death & Disease.

Award highlights include the Russian MegaGrant (€1.3M), European Descartes Award, and multiple keynote speaking roles at international conferences. He has secured over €9M in EU funding and led major research initiatives in transnational collaborations.