Salvatore Saccone is a Full Professor of Genetics at the University of Catania, Italy, where he serves as Director of the Animal Biology section 'M. La Greca' and Director of both the Genetic Laboratory and Confocal Microscopy Laboratory. He holds leadership positions including President of the Biological Sciences degree course and President of the College of Italian University Biologists (CBUI). His academic career spans over three decades with previous appointments as Associate Professor at both University of Bologna and University of Catania. Graduate in Biological Sciences, University of Catania (1989) PhD in Genetic Sciences, University of Pavia (1993) Post-doctoral research at Institute J. Monod, Paris (1993-1994) Researcher of Genetics, University of Catania (1995-1998) Professor Saccone's research focuses on genome organization and evolution, chromatin architecture, and genetic diseases related to epigenetic modifications. His work particularly examines nuclear Tau protein involvement in aging and Alzheimer's disease, environmental mutagenesis, and forensic genetics. His laboratory conducts cutting-edge research on chromatin organization during cell differentiation and bio-molecular investigations of parasite genomes. His extensive publication record includes over 50 articles in the last five years with an h-index of 36 (26 for the last decade). His work appears prominently in journals such as International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Genomics, Gene, Chromosome Research, and PNAS USA, reflecting his interdisciplinary approach spanning molecular genetics, environmental health, and forensic applications. A. Marzullo Award from University of Trieste (1989) Degree Award from Consorzio Catania Ricerche (1990) ERASMUS and EMBO Fellowships (1992) PhD Award from Italian Association of Genetics (1994) President of State Exams Commission for Biologist qualification (2016, 2018, 2021, 2024) Member of ASN national committee for Genetics (2018-2021) Professor Saccone has supervised 12 PhD theses and over 80 master's theses, demonstrating significant commitment to academic mentorship. His research group includes Associated Professor Concetta Federico, Researcher Francesca Bruno, post-doctoral researchers Desiree Brancato and Valentina Sturiale, and PhD student Elvira Coniglio. His laboratory maintains active collaborations with institutions including University of Enna Kore and utilizes advanced techniques in confocal microscopy and genomic analysis. The Genetic Laboratory and Confocal Microscopy Laboratory under his direction focus on multiple research streams including genome organization in chromosomal bands, chromatin dynamics during differentiation, environmental mutagenesis assays, and forensic genetic identification methods. Current projects investigate Tau protein in Alzheimer's disease, HLXB9/MNX1 gene in cancer, and molecular identification of forensic entomology specimens.
