EBM Interview: Gianni Ciofani

Gianni Ciofani (born in La Spezia, Italy, on August 14th, 1982), Ph.D., is Senior Researcher Tenured at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia -Italian Institute of Technology, IIT- (Pontedera, Italy; since 2019), where he is Principal Investigator of the Smart Bio-Interfaces Research Unit (since 2017) and Coordinator of the Center for Materials Interfaces (since 2021). He has been Associate Professor at the Polytechnic University of Torino (Torino, Italy; 2015-2019) and Visiting Professor at Waseda University (Tokyo, Japan; 2021). 

 

His main research interests concern smart nanomaterials for nanomedicine, microphysiological systems, and nanomedicine in altered gravity conditions. He is coordinator or unit leader of several projects (about 6.5 MEur granted): in particular, he was awarded with a Starting Grant and three Proof-of-Concept Grants by the European Research Council (ERC). Thanks to grants from the Italian Space Agency and the European Space Agency, he had the opportunity to carry out four experimental campaigns onboard the International Space Station. In 2018, his real-scale model of the blood-brain barrier was highlighted in the Annual Report on the ERC Activities and Achievements.

Gianni Ciofani is author of about 190 papers on international journals (WoS H-index 53), 3 edited books, and 18 book chapters, and delivered about 70 invited talks/lectures in international contexts. He serves as Reviewer for many funding agencies (including ERC, Swiss National Science Foundation, French National Research Agency, National Science Center of Poland), for about 200 international journals, and as Editorial Board Member of Bioactive Materials, International Journal of Nanomedicine, Journal of Physics: Materials, Nanomedicine UK, Nano Trends, and Scientific Reports; he is Specialty Chief Editor (Nanobiotechnology) for Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology.

During his career, he held courses for B.Sc. and M.Sc. students at the Polytechnic University of Torino and at Waseda University, and is currently holding a course for Ph.D. students at the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies (Pisa, Italy); he is / has been supervisor of about 50 M.Sc. students and 20 Ph.D. students.

He is co-founder (2022) and Scientific Advisor of “Kidaria Bioscience SRL”, an IIT spin-off company dedicated to the preparation and characterization of cosmetic and nutraceutical products based on natural-derived active ingredients. He is also co-founder (2021) and member of the executive committee of “ERC in Italy APS”, a non-profit association of ERC awardees born to promote fundamental and frontier research in Italy.

Gianni Ciofani is Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, appointed by the President of the Italian Republic on December 27th, 2022.

Here is the interview we did with him:

1. Could you briefly introduce your current research field?

My group is a highly interdisciplinary team working on different aspects of biomedical applications of “smart” nanomaterials. We are investigating the effects of physical stimulation mediated by nanotransducers on cells and organisms, with a particular focus on the central nervous system and on the treatment of brain cancer. At the same time, we are active in the development of microphysiological systems for advanced in vitro models, that could represent an intermediate testing platform between traditional in vitro assays and in vivo testing or, in the best case, that can be exploited as a valid alternative to in vivo models.

2. What obstacles or difficulties have you encountered in your research work? How did you overcome these difficulties?

The main difficulties are represented by trying to continuously find grants to “fuel” our activities and maintain high our standards. This can be sometimes particularly tiring and time-consuming. We are trying to mitigate this issue by fostering national and international collaborations that can be useful in the definition of successful grant proposals.

3. What attracted you to join the BAM editorial Board team?

I think Bioactive Materials perfectly fits with the research interests of my group. Indeed our daily works is on “active”, “smart” materials for biomedical applications. Being directly involved in the journal gives me the opportunity to remain continuously updated about the recent advancements in the field.

4. What are your expectations for the future development of Bioactive Materials and its promotion of related fields?

I would like to see a section of the journal (if possible) or some special issues on microphysiological systems and advanced in vitro models for “bioactive” materials testing. I am indeed confident that approaches based on “organs-on-chips” could lead soon to valid alternatives of traditional in vivo testing.

5. What is your greatest hobby outside of scientific work?

I love music, I have also a degree in music but unfortunately, I had to stop concert activities during my PhD since science started to absorb most of my time. However, I still like listen to music and attend concerts whenever it is possible. Apart this, I like reading and watching movies.

6. How do you balance scientific research work and personal life?

I try to daily save some time to relax and “switching off” the brain from work (that unfortunately is not only research but also administrative and coordination activities). Moreover, I like traveling, and some short but relatively frequent holiday can help in a good work / personal life balance.

7. What do you think is the most important quality for researchers?

First of all, curiosity: this will always open doors for new discoveries and new “pathways” in our field. Then integrity and ethical behavior / attitude are mandatory features for a scientist.

8. What advice do you have for young scholars who are determined to engage in scientific research?

As already mentioned, I would say “always be curious”. This is mandatory for a scientist, in order to advance in their fields. Do not just close yourself off in your own topic and in the details of your own small experiment, but try always to know and understand what is happening also out of your lab at a higher level with respect to the technicalities of your daily work.