Falini Andrea Professore ordinarioMedicineMED/37

Biography

Publications

Biography

Place and date of birth:     

Rome, January the 15th, 1961

Education:

1986 M.D. at the Faculty of Medicine – University of Milan

Postdoctoral Fellowshipand relevant training:

1986-89 Research fellowship in Neurological Sciences at the  Institute of Neurology Ospedale Maggiore – University of Milan

1989-91 Residency in Neurology at the Institute of Neurology – Ospedale Maggiore – University of Milan

1991-93 Residency in Neurology at the  Neuroradiology Department – Scientific Institute S. Raffaele Hospital – University of Milan

1993-97 Residency in Radiology at the Neuroradiology  Department – Scientific Institute S. Raffaele Hospital – University of Milan

1996 Visiting Postdoctoral Scholar in Diagnostic Neuroradiology at University of California, San Francisco – UCSF.

1989 Ph.D. in Neurological Sciences

1993 Graduation in Neurology

1997 Graduation in Radiology

 

Professional experience:

1991-1999: Staff Neuroradiologist at Neuroradiology Dept., Scientific Institute S. Raffaele Hospital.

1999-2001:  Senior Neuroradiologist at Neuroradiology Dept., Scientific Institute S. Raffaele Hospital.

2002-2009: Area coordinator for clinical reaserch and teaching acitivities at Neuroradiology Dept. Scientific Institute S. Raffaele Hospital.

since 2009: Coordinator for teaching and research, Head and Neck Dept. Scientific Institute S. Raffaele Hospital;

Head of Functional Unit: Advanced Diagnostic in Neuro-oncology, Head and Neck Dept. Scientific Institute S. Raffaele Hospital

Head of Neuroradiology Dept., Scientific Institute S. Raffaele Hospital since 2011:

Academic and Scientific Activities:

1994-98: Medical Tutor at the BioMedical Engineering  graduation Courses

1995-99: Scientific Director of Residential Courses of Neuroradiology at Neuroradiology Dept., HSR.

1997-2008: Principal Investigator, Functional MR and Spectroscopy Unit ad Neuroscience Dept. HSR

since 2003:Member of scientific committee of CERMAC (High Field MR Excellence Center)

since 2009: Head of Functional Neuroradiology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, HSR;

Vice-Director of BraiMap Research Program, Division of Neuroscience, HSR

since 2011;

Vice-Director of Neuroscience Division since 2014.

1999-2010: Professor ‘a contratto’ at University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, School of Medicine, School of Physiotherapy and School of Psycology (Cognitive Neuroscience Course)

Associate Professor of Neuroradiology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, School of Medicine since 2010

Full Professor of Neuroradiology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, School of Medicine since 2015.

Academies and Scientific Societies:

Coordinator of the Neuroradiology Section of The Italian Society of Medical Radiology (SIRM).

Awards and Honors:

In 1989 winner of the “De Visart” prize from the University of Milan.

In 1992 grant from the Italian Society of Neuroradiology for a research stage at the Neuroradiology Dept. of the Children Hospital of Philadelphia.

In 1996 grant from the Italian National Council of Research (CNR) and from the American National Cancer Institute for a clinical and research stage at UCSF.

Publications, Professional Experience:

Author of 218 peer reviewed publications in international journals.

I.F. 1046, 803

H-Index 4

Book Chapters: 20

Invited speaker to over 250 courses, lessons or seminars

Fields of Interest:

Advanced MR techniques, Neuro-oncology, Degenerative and Demyelinating diseases, Neuroscience; Cognitive Neuroscience.

Selected Papers:

Evaluation of low-grade glioma structural changes after chemotherapy using DTI-based histogram analysis and functional diffusion maps.

Eur Radiol. 2015 Aug 30

White matter integrity in obstructive sleep apnea before and after treatment.

Sleep. 2014 Sep

EANO guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of anaplastic gliomas and glioblastoma.

European Association for Neuro-Oncology (EANO) Task Force on Malignant Glioma.

Lancet Oncol. 2014 Aug

Microstructural white matter correlates of emotion recognition impairment in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Cortex. 2014 Jan 18

Functional network connectivity in the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia.

Cortex. 2013 Oct;49(9):2389-401

– Role of diffusion tensor magnetic resonance tractography in predicting the extent of resection in glioma surgery. Neuro Oncol. 2012 Feb;14(2):192-202

– White Matter Damage in Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration Spectrum. Cereb Cortex. 2011 Oct 10.

– A diffusion tensor MRI study of patients with MCI and AD with a 2-year clinical follow-up. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2010 Jul;81(7):798-805

– Structural and metabolic changes in the brain of patients with upper motor neuron disorders: a multiparametric MRI study. Amyotroph Lateral Scler. 2009 Oct-Dec;10(5-6):269-79.

– Presurgical functional MR imaging of language and motor functions: validation with intraoperative electrocortical mapping. Radiology. 2008 Aug;248(2):579-89.

– Motor and language DTI Fiber Tracking combined with intraoperative subcortical mapping for surgical removal of gliomas. Neuroimage. 2008 Jan 1;39(1):369-82.

– The contribution of voxel-based morphometry in staging patients with mild cognitive impairment. Neurology. 2006 Aug 8;67(3):453-60.

– Magnetic resonance techniques for the in vivo assessment of multiple sclerosis pathology: consensus report of the white matter study group. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2005 Jun;21(6):669-75.

– A whole brain MR spectroscopy study from patients with Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment. Neuroimage. 2005 Jul 15;26(4):1159-63.

– Brain tissue damage in dementia with Lewy bodies: an in vivo diffusion tensor MRI study. Brain. 2005 Jul;128(Pt 7):1595-604.

– Evidence for widespread axonal damage at the earliest clinical stage of multiple sclerosis.

Brain. 2003 Feb;126(Pt 2):433-437.

– Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in patients with glial tumors: a multicenter study.

J Neurosurg. 1996 Mar;84(3):449-58.

Publications

Pubblicazioni

Pubblicazione in estenso su riviste indicizzate: 218 su riviste internazionali.

 

I.F. totale 1046,803             I.F. medio 4,984

 

H-Index 44  

 

Capitoli di libro: 20

 

Pubblicazioni selezionate

Evaluation of low-grade glioma structural changes after chemotherapy using DTI-based histogram analysis and functional diffusion maps.

Eur Radiol. 2015 Aug 30

White matter integrity in obstructive sleep apnea before and after treatment.

Sleep. 2014 Sep

EANO guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of anaplastic gliomas and glioblastoma.

European Association for Neuro-Oncology (EANO) Task Force on Malignant Glioma.

Lancet Oncol. 2014 Aug

Microstructural white matter correlates of emotion recognition impairment in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Cortex. 2014 Jan 18

Functional network connectivity in the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia.

Cortex. 2013 Oct;49(9):2389-401

– Role of diffusion tensor magnetic resonance tractography in predicting the extent of resection in glioma surgery. Neuro Oncol. 2012 Feb;14(2):192-202

– White Matter Damage in Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration Spectrum. Cereb Cortex. 2011 Oct 10.

– A diffusion tensor MRI study of patients with MCI and AD with a 2-year clinical follow-up. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2010 Jul;81(7):798-805

– Structural and metabolic changes in the brain of patients with upper motor neuron disorders: a multiparametric MRI study. Amyotroph Lateral Scler. 2009 Oct-Dec;10(5-6):269-79.

– Presurgical functional MR imaging of language and motor functions: validation with intraoperative electrocortical mapping. Radiology. 2008 Aug;248(2):579-89.

– Motor and language DTI Fiber Tracking combined with intraoperative subcortical mapping for surgical removal of gliomas. Neuroimage. 2008 Jan 1;39(1):369-82.

– The contribution of voxel-based morphometry in staging patients with mild cognitive impairment. Neurology. 2006 Aug 8;67(3):453-60.

– Magnetic resonance techniques for the in vivo assessment of multiple sclerosis pathology: consensus report of the white matter study group. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2005 Jun;21(6):669-75.

– A whole brain MR spectroscopy study from patients with Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment. Neuroimage. 2005 Jul 15;26(4):1159-63.

– Brain tissue damage in dementia with Lewy bodies: an in vivo diffusion tensor MRI study. Brain. 2005 Jul;128(Pt 7):1595-604.

– Evidence for widespread axonal damage at the earliest clinical stage of multiple sclerosis.

Brain. 2003 Feb;126(Pt 2):433-437.

– Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in patients with glial tumors: a multicenter study.

J Neurosurg. 1996 Mar;84(3):449-58.

Attività di Ricerca

I diversi filoni di ricerca hanno come comune matrice l’applicazione delle tecniche di Risonanza Magnetica allo studio del Sistema Nervoso Centrale.

Aspetti metodologici: sviluppo e validazione di tecniche ‘funzionali’ di Risonanza Magnetica, soprattutto ad alto campo (3Tesla) . Con il termine funzionale si intendono tecniche quali la spettroscopia, la diffusione, la perfusione e le tecniche di attivazione che permettono di studiare il sistema nervoso a livello strutturale, metabolico e funzionale. Particolare attenzione è stata data negli anni alla spettroscopia e, più recentemente alle tecniche di diffusione tensoriale, di cui la ttrattografia (cioè la possibilità di ricostruire i principali tratti della sostanza bianca) costituisce una delle applicazioni.

Studio del Sistema Nervoso normale: caratterizzazione mediante studi di attivazione RM del sistema dei neuroni a specchio (mirror neurons) con particolare attenzione alla lateralizzazione del sistema e dei rapporti fra questo e le aree del linguaggio. Un altro filone di studio riguarda i fenomeni di plasticità corticale indotti dall’apprendimento con particolare riguardo a musica e destrezza digitale.

Malattie neurodegenerative: l’applicazione di tecniche funzionali è mirata all’approfondimento della fisiopatologia di alcune malattie degenerative quali quelle accompagnate da demenza (Alzheimer, Demenze Fronto-Temporali, Degenerazione cortico-basale, Demenza a corpi di Lewy),  la Sclerosi Laterale Amiotrofica, la Malattia di Parkinson. L’uso della RM è inoltre focalizzato alla diagnosi precoce di alcune di queste malattie (Alzheimer), alla diagnosi differenziale o al riconoscimento di condizioni pre-morbose (Rem Behavior Disorder, Mild Cognitive Impairment, etc.).

Neuro-oncologia: in questo ambito la ricerca è orientata da un lato alla validazione e all’applicazione di tecniche  utili per la caratterizzazione delle lesioni neoplastiche (spettroscopia, perfusione, diffusione tensoriale) dall’altro a quelle tecniche che permettono di migliorare la pianificazione pre- ed intraoperatoria delle neoplasie del sistema nervoso (studi di attivazione-fMRI e trattografia). Con le prime è possibile arrivare ad un grading tumorale e ad ottenere strumenti di misura utili per determinare l’effficacia terapeutica; con le seconde è possibile definire i rapporti esistenti fra tumore, aree eloquenti cerebrali (linguaggio, motricità, etc) e fasci ‘eloquenti’ della sostanza bianca.

Malattie infiammatorio-demielinizzanti: in questo ambito, con  particolare riferimento alla Sclerosi Multipla, l’appplicazione della RM ha permesso straordinari avanzamenti dal punto di vista della diagnosi, del trattamento farmacologico e della comprensione della fisiopatologia della malattia.

Il titolare del presente curriculum vitae, pubblicato online sul portale www.unisr.it, è garante in via esclusiva della correttezza e della veridicità dei dati e delle informazioni in esso riportate e del loro eventuale e puntuale aggiornamento. Egli è dunque il diretto ed unico responsabile dei contenuti indicati nei propri curricula.