IFCC Executive Board: 2018-2020 Biographies
Prof. Maurizio FERRARI, Past President
Professor of Clinical Pathology University Vita-Salute San Raffaele
Director of Clinical Molecular Biology and Cytogenetics Laboratory
Head of Unit Genomics for Diagnosis of Human Pathologies
IRCCS San Raffaele
Milan
Italy
E-mail: magenfe@yahoo.com
Maurizio Ferrari, (M.D.), is Full Professor of Clinical Pathology, University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Director of Clinical Molecular Biology and Cytogenetics Laboratory, and Head of Genomic Unit for the Diagnosis of Human Pathologies, Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, IRCCS San Raffaele, Milan, Italy. He received his Degree in Medicine at the Milan University, is specialized in Pediatrics, Haematology and Medical Genetics. He was Post-doc at Hospital Paul Brousse, Villejuif, Paris and Honorary Registrar in Haematology at UCH, London.
He was Scientific Coordinator of Clinical Research, IRCCS H San Raffaele, Milan (1996-1999), Chairman of Committee on Clinical Molecular Biology Curriculum of IFCC (2002-2007), member of IFCC Task Force on Pharmacogenetics (2008-2013.), member of the Education and Management Division of IFCC (2008-2011).He was Chairman of the Education and Management Division of IFCC (2012-2014), advisor of CLSI Committee on Molecular Methods.
He was Dean of the Master’s Degree in Molecular and Cellular Medical Biotechnology (2008 -2017) and President of the European Society of Predictive Medicine (2009 at present).
He received in 2004 the IFCC-Abbott Award for Significant Contributions in Molecular Diagnostics.
His scientific interests are oriented mainly on molecular diagnostic methods, nucleic acid circulating in maternal plasma, molecular studies of several genetic pathologies. He developed methods for DNA analysis as multiplex PCR and capillary electrophoresis also in a temporal thermal gradient, set up a method involving the ligase chain reaction (LCR) and developed a new method known as double-gradient DGGE (DG-DGGE) for the identification of unknown mutations. In the last 4-5 years he has focused his research activity on the detection of foetal DNA in maternal plasma for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis and for diagnostic application in the genetic and oncology field. At present, his research is focused on the development of diagnostic tests with the application of the next generation sequencing and on liquid biopsy applications in oncology with specific focus on new technologies and methods standardisation.