Say hi to our team

Graziano Pesole is full professor of Molecular Biology at the University of Bari "A. Moro", Director of the "Consorzio Interuniversitario Biotecnologie (Trieste), Director of the Italian Node of ELIXIR, the European Research Infrastructure for Life Sciences. Graziano Pesole, author of over 400 publications (Scopus h-index:70), was among the pioneers in Italy in the development of Bioinformatics, Comparative Genomics and Molecular Evolution. His current research interests are focused on the development and application of bioinformatics approaches for the management and analysis of massive sequencing data, even at single-cell resolution.

Silvio Tosatto is a Full Professor in Bioinformatics and Principal Investigator at the BioComputing UP lab in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Padua, a position he has held since 2007. He earned his PhD in Bioinformatics (Magna cum laude, 2002) and a degree in Computer Science & Business Administration (1998) from the University of Mannheim, Germany. His research focuses on bioinformatics and computational biology, particularly the structural and mechanistic aspects of complex systems. His lab develops tools and databases for protein analysis and he has coordinated several international consortia. Silvio is Deputy Head of Node for ELIXIR Italy, co-lead of the Cellular & Molecular Research priority area for the ELIXIR’s 2024–2028 Scientific Programme and co-lead of the Artificial Intelligence ecosystems focus group.

Francesca De Leo is Technology Director at CNR and Deputy Head of the ELIXIR‑IT Node, based at the Institute of Biomembrane, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnologies. She coordinates the ELIXIRxNextGenIT project funded by MUR and leads the Industry & Impact and Communication Offices within ELIXIR-IT. She holds a degree in Biological Sciences and a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, with expertise in innovation, technology transfer, and research infrastructure management.

Rita Casadio obtained her degree in Physics and, in 1987, became Assistant Professor of Biophysics at the University of Bologna (Italy), where she served as Full Professor of Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, and Biophysics from October 2000 to October 2019. She is currently Alma Mater Professor and, since 2025, Associate Senior Researcher at IBIOM-CNR in Bari. Her research focuses on the development of computational methods for problem solving, including shallow and deep neural networks, embedding approaches, and protein language models. She is the author of approximately 370 scientific publications. IDs: ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7462-7039; Scopus Author ID: 7004943169; ResearcherID: K-4814-2015

Alessandro is the Infrastructure Manager and Node Coordinator of ELIXIR-IT. He holds a PhD in Computational Biology (2005) from the University of Padua, where he focused on genome sequencing and annotation of the deep-sea bacterium Photobacterium profundum. Over the years, he has specialised in genome data analysis and management, contributing to major projects such as the gene prediction and functional annotation of the Pinot Noir, Golden Delicious, strawberry, pear, and citrus genomes. His research interests include genomics, transcriptomics, and biological data management.

Federico is Associate Professor of Molecular Biology at the University of Milan and Technical Coordinator of ELIXIR-IT. His research focuses on bioinformatics approaches to gene regulation, transcriptomics, and the analysis of sequencing data, with a strong emphasis on building interoperable and secure computational services for biological data. Within ELIXIR-IT he has been leading the development of cloud and HPC-based platforms, data management strategies, and integration of national resources into the European landscape, promoting Open Science and FAIR data principles.

Riccardo Percudani is a Professor at the Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma (Italy). His research lies at the intersection of Biochemistry and Bioinformatics, with a primary focus on developing computational methods to predict the function of uncharacterized genes and subsequently validating these predictions experimentally. The core expertise of his laboratory is the molecular identification of enzymes and metabolic pathways, leveraging big data analysis and evolutionary information to uncover biological functions.

Nadina is Technologist at CNR IBIOM Bari and Elsi Officer of Elixir-IT. She Holds a degree in Law, a Master’s degree in EU and Transnational Law (University of Trento), and advanced training in Data Protection and Data Governance, as well as in Coding for Lawyers and Legal Tech (University of Milan). PhD in International and European Union Law from the University of Bari “A. Moro”. Lawyer and certified mediator. Member of the Italian Society of International Law (SIDI). Since 2005, has collaborated on major national and international research projects in the fields of cybercrime, cybersecurity, data protection, IT law, and cloud computing. Lecturer in International Law and Cybersecurity Law in the Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Linguistic Mediation Sciences.

He is a theoretical physicist with a strong passion for exploring Deep Learning and Artificial Intelligence. At Area Science Park, he holds the position of Staff Development Scientist and Technologist, where his work focuses primarily on theoretical and practical research in Deep Learning representations, specifically targeting applications within the Life Sciences sector. Previously, he contributed to interdisciplinary research at the International School of Advanced Studies (SISSA), integrating fields such as Neurobiology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Physics, and Machine Learning. Since 2020, he has been actively involved in academia, teaching a course on Deep Learning at the University of Trieste. Additionally, he lectures on the fundamentals of Deep Learning in the Master in High-Performance Computing program, jointly conducted by SISSA and ICTP.

Allegra Via is an Associate Professor at Sapienza University of Rome. Trained in physics and bioinformatics, she integrates structural biology, genomics, and machine learning to investigate variants associated with diseases, drug resistance, infectious diseases, and complex genetic traits. Active in training at both the national and international levels, she has established and coordinated the ELIXIR-IT Training Platform and currently leads the ELIXIR Train the Trainer programme, promoting innovation in education.

Andrea Loria is a professional biologist currently serving as a technical-professional collaborator at the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale (IZS) for Piedmont, Liguria, and Valle d'Aosta. Since 2018, he has managed research projects within the Grant Office, overseeing over 110 active projects. He holds a degree in Agricultural and Plant Biotechnology and has extensive experience in food safety and laboratory techniques like PCR and ELISA. Additionally, he is a national volleyball official and regional instructor for FIPAV.

Dr. Angelo Romano, PhD, is a Research Scientist at the Food Safety and Quality Department, IZS PLV. With a PhD in Veterinary Sciences from the University of Turin, he has expertise in molecular diagnostics of zoonoses and foodborne pathogens. Since 2017, he has worked at the National Reference Laboratory for CPS incl. S. aureus, focusing on bacterial characterization and applying NGS technologies to investigate foodborne outbreaks.