Full Professor of Microbiology at the University of Milano. Major research interests: evolutionary biology, molecular systematics and molecular epidemiology of parasites and symbionts, host-parasite interactions. Achievements: identification of intracellular cockroach endosymbionts (1994); identification and phylogeny of Wolbachia in filarial nematodes (1995; 1998; 2002; 2005); evidence of Wolbachia as a target for filariasis control (1998; 1999; 2007) and of the role of Wolbachia in filariasis immunology (2000; 2004); identification of a bacterium residing in mitochondria (2004; 2006); reconstruction of the coevolution of hosts and symbionts in cockroaches, termites and filarial nematodes (2003; 2004). Genomics of symbionts and pathogens (from 2011). Author of over 180 papers in international peer reviewed journals and of numerous papers in books and conference proceedings. Over 8500 citations, with a H-index of 54 (Scopus).

Evolution
immunity
symbiosis