Furlan Roberto Professore AssociatoMedicineMED/04

After graduating in Medicine from the University of Milan, he was a visiting scientist at the University of Chicago, then in the Clinical Laboratories of the Sao Rafael Hospital in Salvador-Bahia, Brazil. He worked as a post-doc in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry at the University of Pittsburgh, USA. He obtained his PhD from the Open University of London working in the Neuroimmunology Unit of the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan and then completed the Residency in Neurology. Throughout his career he has investigated the mechanisms and developed experimental treatments of neuro-inflammatory diseases. He is currently Director of the San Raffaele Institute of Experimental Neurology in Milan, President of the Italian Association of Neuroimmunology and President-elect of the International Society of Neuroimmunology. As of 2023 he has published more than 200 papers in international journals, has more than 17,000 citations and an H-index of 69.Orcid 0000-0001-7376-9425; Scopus Author ID: 7005770529; ResearcherID: J-9177-2016

Education

• 1991    Medical Degree, University of Milano, Italy, (110/110 and honours)
• 2001    PhD, Open University, London, UK
• 2007    Residency in Neurology, Vita e Salute University, Milan, Italy

 

Positions and training

• 1984-85          Research Fellow, "M. Negri" Institute for Pharmacology Research, Milano, Italy
• 1988    Internship, Institute of Pharmacology, University of Milano, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Italy
• 1991-94          Post-doctoral fellow, Neuroimmunology Unit - DIBIT, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
• 1992    Visiting Scientist, Department of Neurology, University of Chicago, U.S.A..
• 1993    Visiting Scientist, Clinical Laboratories, Sao Rafael Hospital, Salvador-Bahia, Brazil.
• 1994-95 Post-doctoral fellow, Dept. of Molecular Genetics and  Biochemistry,University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, U.S.A.
• 1999-2001    Non-tenured Research Assistant, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
• 2002-present       Research assistant, then Group Leader, finally Head of Unit, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy.
• 2004-2023       Non-tenured professor, Vita e Salute University, Milano, Italy
• 2017-2021       Deputy-Director of the Institute of Experimental Neurology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy

1. Enrico P, Delvecchio G, Turtulici N, Pigoni A, Villa FM, Perlini C, Rossetti MG, Bellani M, Lasalvia A, Bonetto C, Scocco P, D'Agostino A, Torresani S, Imbesi M, Bellini F, Veronese A, Bocchio L, Gennarelli M, Balestrieri M, Colombo G, Finardi A, Ruggeri M, Furlan R, Brambilla P. Classification of psychoses based on immunological features: a machine learning study in a large cohort of first-episode and chronic patients. Schizophrenia Bullettin 2021 doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbaa190.
2. Furlan R. A tolerizing mRNA vaccine against autoimmunity? Mol Ther 2021 doi: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2021.003
3. Gelibter S, Pisa M, Croese T, Dalla Costa G, Orrico M, Preziosa P, Sangalli F, Martinelli V, Furlan R, Filippi M. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio: a marker of neuro-inflammation in multiple sclerosis? J Neurol. 2021 doi: 10.1007/s00415-020-10322-7.
4. Dalla Costa G, Croese T, Pisa M, Finardi A, Fabbella L, Martinelli V, Leocani L, Filippi M, Comi G, Furlan R. CSF extracellular vesicles and risk of disease activity after a first demyelinating event. MS Journal. 2021 doi: 10.1177/1352458520987542 .
5. Gelibter S Pisa M,  Croese T, Finardi A, Mandelli A, Sangalli F, Colombo B, Martinelli V, Comi G, Filippi M, Furlan R. Spinal fluid myeloid microvesicles predict disease course in multiple sclerosis. Ann. Neurol. 2021 DOI:10.1002/ana.26154.
6. Aggio V, Fabbella L, Mazza E, Finardi A, Colombo C, Benedetti F, Furlan R. Neurofilaments light: Possible biomarker of brain modifications in bipolar disorder. J Affect Disord. 2022 300:243-248. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.12.122.
7. Gelibter S, Marostica G, Mandelli A, Siciliani S, Podini P, Finardi A, Furlan R. The impact of storage on extracellular vesicles: a systematic study. J Extracell Vesicles. 2022 11(2):e12162. doi: 10.1002/jev2.12162 (I.F. 25.841)
8. Guerrera G*, Mandelli A*, Finardi A, Orrico M, D’Orso S, Picozza M, Noviello M, Beretta V, Bonetti B, Calabrese M, Marastoni D, De Rossi N, Capra R, Salvetti M, Buscarinu MC, Inglese M, Uccelli A, Moiola L, Raposo C, Muros-Le Rouzic E, Pedotti R, Filippi F, Bonini C, Battistini L, Borsellino G*, Furlan R2* on behalf of the Italian Covid-19 Alliance in MS. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 T stem cell memory persists in ocrelizumab treated MS patients. Mult. Scler. 2022 28:1937-1943. doi: 10.1177/13524585221102158.
9. Enrico P, Delvecchio G, Turtulici N, Aronica R, Pigoni A, Squarcina L, Villa F, Perlini C, Rossetti MG, Bellani M, Lasalvia A, Bonetto C, Scocco P, D'Agostino A, Torresani S, Imbesi M, Bellini F, Veronese A, Bocchio-Chiavetto L, Gennarelli M, Balestrieri M, Colombo G, Finardi A, Ruggeri M, Furlan R, Brambilla P. A machine learning approach on whole blood immunomarkers to identify an inflammation-associated psychosis onset subgroup. Mol. Psychiatry. 2023 Jan 6. doi: 10.1038/s41380-022-01911-1.
10. Genchi A, Brambilla E, Sangalli F, Radaelli M, Bacigaluppi M, Furlan R, Andolfo A, Drago D, Magagnotti C, Scotti G, Greco R, Vezzulli P, Ottoboni L, Bonopane M, Capilupo D, Ruffini F, Belotti D, Cabiati B, Cesana S, Matera G, Leocani L, Martinelli V, Moiola L, Vago L, Panina-Bordignon P, Falini A, Ciceri F, Uglietti A, Sormani MP, Comi G, Battaglia MA, Rocca M, Storelli L, Pagani E, Gaipa G, Martino G. Neural stem cell transplantation in patients with progressive multiple sclerosis: An open label, phase I study. Nat Med. 2023 Jan 9. doi: 10.1038/s41591-022-02097-3