VERGINELLI Fabio

Fabio Verginelli, PhD, is Assistant Professor of General Pathology at the University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti–Pescara, Department of Sciences and Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST). Since 2009, his research has focused on the etiopathogenesis and development of head and neck paragangliomas (HNPGL), contributing to the identification of key genetic and epigenetic mechanisms and to the development of preclinical models for studying tumor histo- and organogenesis. He has also contribuited to establishing a unique collection of over 200 rare neuroendocrine tumor cases. His recent work in metabolomics has identified distinct plasma metabolic signatures in paraganglioma patients, with potential applications in diagnosis and disease monitoring, including minimally invasive approaches such as dried blood spot analysis. In cancer research, he has investigated the role of environmental factors in tumor etiology, including Helicobacter pylori virulence in gastric cancer, dietary influences on colorectal mutagenesis, and the interaction between reproductive and genetic factors in breast cancer risk. Additional research activities include studies on antimicrobial resistance mechanisms in high-virulence, biofilm-forming bacteria. His early career work focused on human population genetics and ancient DNA, contributing to the understanding of genetic diversity and animal domestication processes.