Stefano Piraino

Stefano Piraino is a Full Professor of Zoology at the University of Salento, where he serves as Director of the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (since June 2024). He previously served as President of the Biology Teaching Council at the University of Salento from October 2015 to October 2022. Piraino also directs the Pietro Parenzan Museum and Marine Biology Station in Porto Cesareo and leads the CONISMA-Lecce Local Research Unit. He is an active member of several national and international scientific organizations including the National Interuniversity Consortium for Marine Sciences, EUROMARINE network, and the Italian Zoological Union.

Professor Piraino's research focuses on marine invertebrate zoology, particularly cnidarians, with expertise spanning developmental biology, organogenesis, life cycles, evolution, taxonomy, and systematics. His work extends to marine ecology, pelago-benthic coupling, species functional roles, outbreak-forming species, marine bioinvasions, non-indigenous species, and trophic ecology. He also investigates genetic connectivity, biodiversity conservation, marine policy, Blue Growth, marine biotechnology, cell transdifferentiation, metagenomics, and more recently, bioprospecting and bioactive compounds from jellyfish.

With an extensive publication record of 159 ISI scientific papers, Piraino has achieved notable H-index values across major academic platforms: 44 in Scopus, 44 in Web of Science, 49 in ResearchGate, and 53 in Google Scholar. His research has been published in high-impact journals, and he serves on the editorial boards of PLoS ONE and Marine Biodiversity, as well as being a Review Editor for Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution and Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology.

Professor Piraino has coordinated numerous significant research projects, including two National Research Projects (PHENIX and PROTOBRAIN), four International EU-funded projects (WELCOME, PULMO, MED-JELLYRISK, and MEDUSA), and five additional international EU-funded projects as Partner Coordinator or Task Leader (including ACT-NOW, SEAVIEWS, CERES, VECTORS, and COCONET). He has also led national and regional projects focused on marine conservation and sustainable fishing practices.

As an educator, Piraino teaches General Biology, Zoology, and Animal Biology and Biodiversity courses at the University of Salento. He has supervised 15 PhD theses (both national and international) and serves as a reviewer for over 40 international scientific journals and funding agencies including the US National Science Foundation and the Austrian Science Fund.

Professor Piraino directs the Pietro Parenzan Museum and Marine Biology Station in Porto Cesareo and leads the CONISMA-Lecce Local Research Unit. He is actively involved with the National Interuniversity Consortium for Marine Sciences (CONISMA) and participates in European networks including EASIN (European Alien Species Information Network), EUROMARINE, and the EuroMarine Group on Research Infrastructures (EMGRI). He also serves as a member of the Directive Board of the National Council of the Italian University Biologists (CBUI) for the 2023-2025 term.