Scientific Report 2013 Ongoing Research 2014
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SCIENTIFIC REPORT 2013 ONGOING RESEARCH 2014 IRCCS “Istituto Giannina Gaslini” Via Gerolamo Gaslini, 5 16147 Genova – Italy Tel. +39 010 5636 806/807 Fax +39 010 3776590 e-mail: [email protected] www.gaslini.org Some pictures of the Istituto Giannina Gaslini Nobel laureates at Gaslini: Renato Dulbecco and Rolf Zinkernagel Pope Benedict XVI visiting Gaslini Monsignor Angelo Bagnasco visiting Gaslini Some moments of the visit of the International Scientific Committee (Professors Alain Fischer, Max Cooper, Sergio Romagnani and Anthony Fauci) Annual Meeting of the SIOP Brain Tumor Sub-Committee The Germana International Centre for Studies and training (CISEF): a center of excellence which carries out educational activities in the fields of scientific research, prediatrics, organization and quality of health care services. TRIPR (Translational Research in Pediatric Rheumatology) Congress 2009 The 2 nd Training Course on Blood and Marrow Trasplantation: a course for paediatricians and pediatric nurses on HSCT in children and adolescents Despite the economic crisis afflicting our country and particularly the public health care sector, Gaslini’s scientific production remains at qualitative and quantitative levels of excellence (over 350 publications with IF). This is especially appreciable if we consider the size of Gaslini compared to other Government-funded research institutes, and if data are normalized according to the number of researchers. High quality is also attested to by the fact that Gaslini now counts among its staff 32 “Top Italian Scientists” (see table), i. e., researchers with a Hirsch index (h-index) over 30, a value considered to be of excellence (Via Academy). Advanced technology and technological innovation are essential for modern research. For this reason, thanks to co-funding from the Ministry of Health and the Regione Liguria, important investments were made in 2013 for equipment of pivotal relevance for both research and advanced diagnostics. This is essential for an institution like Gaslini, where complex diseases are diagnosed and treated. For instance, equipment for next generation sequencing (NGS) enabling the rapid diagnosis of genetic diseases was purchased, as were a cell sorter and a state-of-the-art cytofluorimeter for our Core Facilities. Furthermore, very sophisticated imaging studies are now possible thanks to the acquisition of an image streaming system and of a high-performance confocal microscope. In addition, a 3-tesla MRI scanner, an essential tool for refined diagnostics and advanced clinical research, will soon be available. Although public funding is becoming increasingly scarce, it was possible for us to award numerous two-year contracts of excellence on a competitive and strictly meritocratic basis to our most productive young researchers. Thanks to the generous and enlightened support of the Gaslini Foundation, three prizes (“Gerolamo Gaslini Awards”) were awarded to young authors of publications of particular international impact. In 2014, new calls for contracts of excellence and for prizes for the best publications were published. These actions, undertaken and implemented over the last few years, provide a definite incentive and send a clear signal that merit is held in high regard (which is certainly not a given in our country!). I want to stress my firm conviction that the application of meritocratic criteria is essential, not only for ethical reasons, but also – and mainly – to guarantee the proper functioning of any activity and to promote progress. While investing in young researchers is crucial, it is clear that actions aimed at rewarding the most deserving individuals should not be limited to prizes and contracts of excellence. Indeed, young researchers should be offered permanent positions, not only for the fair recognition of merit, but also to guarantee the continuity of research of excellence and an appropriate generational turnover. I also believe that, in a Ministry of Health-funded research institute, research should be able to rely on an appropriate number of physician-researchers who, after receiving training in a laboratory, are well acquainted with the potential of research and can speak the same language as the biologist or the biotechnologist. A well-qualified M.D. has a broader vision and a better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms on which he or she can base relevant experimental questions and pursue research of clinical relevance. Unfortunately, these professionals are by now very rare. Furthermore, the increasingly higher burden of clinical activities limits to a great extent the possibility to visit laboratories and to study the most recent scientific literature. In conclusion, even though today the status of research at Gaslini can be considered very positive, reduced public spending and an inadequate generational turnover are warning signs that must not be underestimated for the future of our institute. Research must be truly seen as an investment and not as a cost. Unfortunately, these words, repeated with emphasis by politicians and authorities, are rarely applied in practice. Researchers and the entire staff of Gaslini reject the idea that the institute will in the future become emblematic of a country in decline and demand that research be respected, supported, and stimulated. Research must be recognized as an important resource, a driving force of Gaslini’s progress. It would, moreover, be unacceptable to disregard what our Founder Gerolamo Gaslini declared with extraordinary acumen and foresight: “I am not a man of science, but I am perfectly aware that only by starting from scientific research, conducted under proper direction, can physicians conscientiously accomplish their difficult task”. Lorenzo Moretta ANNUAL REPORT 2013 INDEX Scientific production and results Table 1 – Publications assigned to each unit 1 Table 2 - Total publications and related IF assigned to units in 2013 2 Table 3 – Impact Factor-related data in the period 1999-2013 3 Table 4 – H-index of the Top Italian Scientists (TIS) of the Giannina Gaslini Institute 4 Scientific production year 2013 for research line Fig. 1 - Impact Factor for main research lines year 2013 5 Figure 2 – Number of Publications 6 Figure 3 - Impact Factor 6 Research lines and publications 2013 Research line 1 7 Research line 2 18 Research line 3 41 Research line 4 52 Research line 5 63 Studies and clinical trials year 2013 77 Seminars 93 Funded research projects in 2013 96 Management 100 General Direction 101 Management Control and Quality Office 102 Administrative Direction 103 Scientific Direction 104 Committees 105 Curriculum Vitae et Studiorum of Professor Lorenzo Moretta 107 Staff 110 Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Committees 112 Medical Direction 115 Pharmacy 116 Research and Diagnostics Department 119 Clinical and Experimental Immunology 120 Laboratory of Oncology 123 Laboratory of Molecular Biology 127 Laboratory of postnatal stem cells and cell therapies 129 Laboratory of Clinical Chemical Analysis 132 Immunohematology and Transfusion Medicine 136 Medical genetics 139 Centre of genetic and biochemical diagnostics of Metabolic diseases 143 Pathologic Anatomy 146 Radiology 150 Neuroradiology 154 Department of Pediatric Sciences 157 Oncology, hematology and bone marrow transplantation 158 Clinical and experimental hematology 161 Clinical oncology 164 Nephrology, dialysis and transplantation - Laboratory of physiopathology of uremia 167 Pediatric clinic 170 Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology 174 Pediatric gastroenterology with digestive endoscopy 177 Pediatric Rheumatology 180 Pediatric Pneumology and Allergology 184 Dermatology 187 Infectious diseases 189 Department of Neurosciences. Rehabilitation and Continuity of Care 192 Pediatric neurology and muscular diseases 193 Translational centre of myology and neurodegenerative diseases 198 Child neuropsychiatry 201 Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 206 Department of Emergency and High Intensity Care 209 Pediatric Emergency and Urgency Care Medicine 210 Urgency Medicine Critical Area 213 Emergency Room and Short-Term Monitoring 216 Obstetrics and Gynecology 218 Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care 221 Neonatal Diseases and Intensive Care 224 Surgery Department 227 Cardiovascular surgery 228 Surgery 231 Neurosurgery 235 Orthopedics 238 Ophthalmology 240 Otolaryngology 242 Dentistry 244 Outpatient Service and Day Hospital Department (cross-functional) 245 SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTION AND RESULTS CONTRIBUTION OF UNITS TO SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTION IN 2013 Table 1 – Publications assigned to each unit (first author, last author or indermediate author) Normalized Unit N. IF IF Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases 59 234.01 198.7 Laboratory of Molecular Genetics 28 141.654 127 Oncology, Hematology, and BMT 26 137.935 84.3 Pediatric Rheumatology 27 137.791 137.55 Clinical and Experimental Immunology 24 106.758 95 Lab. Physiopathology of Uremia 12 106.201 65 Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation 12 99.845 49.1 Laboratory of Hematology and Hemophilia 11 89.455 46 Lab. of Oncology 16 81.219 75 Cardiology 5 58.504 11 Pediatric Pneumology and Allergology 17 42.317 59 Pediatric Clinic 12 40.295 25.9 Centre of Genetic Diagnostics and Bioch. of Diseases 9 39.481 35 Laboratory of Clinical Chemical Analysis 12 38.724 51.2 Child Neuropsychiatry 11 35.254 33.6 Lab. Postnatal Stem Cells and Cell Therapies 8 33.805 31 Pediatric Gastroenterology with Endoscopy 1 29.978 7.5 Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Committees 8 23.881 21.6