Ugo Rovigatti
Ugo Rovigatti
Professor
  • : (852)34428618

Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine
University of Florence
Itali

Education

Ph.D. Doctoral Degree in Biological Sciences (Molecular Biology). University of Rome and Institute for Cell Biology. Dir. Dr. Rita Levi-Montalcini

1973
Specialization School in Pathology. Medical, School of the University of Rome, Italy

1976

 

Biography

Dr. Ugo Rovigatti obtained his Ph.D. degree in Molecular Biology with Summa cum Laude in 1973 and in 1999 the Tenured Professorship. From 1979 to 1999 he worked with renown Scientists such as C. Basilico, R. Weiss, H. Varmus, S. Astrin, T. Papas, D. Watson, P. Duesberg, JJ Yunis, J. Bader, J. Trentin, B. Hirt at: ICRF in London, UK; the Rockefeller University in New York; the Fox Chase Institute in Philadelphia; St. Jude Children's Hospital in Memphis, TN; the NCI in Frederick, MD; the Ochsner Foundation-Clinic in New Orleans, LA; the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX.
In 1990-1993, he also worked as scientific consultant (think-tank member) for ARES-Serono CEO F. Bertarelli with Headquarters in Rome and Geneva.  When F. Bertarelli died, his son Ernesto got involved in sailing (winning the America’s Cup) and sold A-S to Merck.

Between 1997 and 1999 he was a sabbatical professor in Switzerland (KISPI in Zurich and ISREC in Lausanne). His PI research work has been funded by grants from UICC, ICRETT, SCL, MIUR, MURST etc.

 

Research Interest

  • Neoplastic Transformation Induced by DNA and RNA Tumor Viruses.
  • Immunoglobulin and T-Cell Receptor Gene Rearrangements.
  • Proto-Oncogene and Tumor Suppressor Gene Alteration in Human Cancer.
  • Genetic Alterations Associated with Infection by Micro-Foci Inducing Virus (MFV).
  • Genetics / epigenetics of Metabolic Syndrome and Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus.

 

Professional Activities:

Molecular Biology Professor for Residents in Oncology, Neurology, Cardiology, Nephrology, Gastroenterology at the University of Pisa Medical School. 2002 - Present
National Coordinator of the Research Project entitled: 'In vivo and in vitro models of neuroectodermal tumours', sponsored by the Italian Ministry of Education (total value approx. 300.000 US $). 2001 - 2003
Tenured Associate Professor, University of Pisa Medical School, Retrovirus Center, Pisa IT. 1999 - Present
Awarded grant from the Swiss Cancer League for research project at ISREC, CH. 1998-2000
Guest Professor, Division of Virology, Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC),Epalinges s/Lausanne, Switzerland. 1998-2001
Awarded research-grant from the International Union Against Cancer for research project at the Children's Hospital of Zurich, CH. 1997-1998
Associate Professor of Molecular Biology Medical School of the University of Pisa, IT 1990-1999
Consultant. Member of the Advisory group. AS GROUP, Geneva, CH. Biotech: ARES-SERONO, Geneva, CH. 1992-1995
Assistant Professor. Department of Experimental Biology. Baylor College Medicine Houston, Texas. 1989-1990
Principal Scientist, Head of Geriatric Oncology. Institute for Biogerontology Research. Sun City, Arizona. 1988-1989
Head, Laboratory of Human Neoplasia. Alton Ochsner Medical Foundation, New Orleans, LA. 1985-1988
Conjoint Associate Professor; Department of Biochemistry; Tulane University Medical School; New Orleans, Louisiana. 1986-1988
Conjoint Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry Louisiana State University Medical Cntr. New Orleans, Louisiana. 1985-1988
Visiting Scientist; National Cancer Institute (NCI); National Institutes of Health (NIH); Frederick, MD. 1983-1985
Research Associate (Faculty Position); St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN. 1982-1983
Research Associate; The Institute for Cancer Research; Fox Chase, Philadelphia, PA. 1981-1982
International Union Against Cancer (UICC) Fellowship; The Rockefeller University, New York, N.Y. 1980-1981
Three Fellowships from the European Molecular Biology Organization. Imperial Cancer Research Fund (ICRF). London, United Kingdom 1979-1980
Assistant Professor; Department of Molecular Biology; University of Rome; Rome, Italy 1976-1979
Assistant of Research; Department of Pathology; New York University School of Medicine; New York, N.Y. 1974-1975

 

Publications

  1. Rovigatti U. and Basilico C. (1977):  Expression of the SV-40 Transformed Phenotype in Hybrids between Conditional and Wild-Type Transformants. Exp. Cell. Res.  106:277-284, 1977
  2. Rovigatti, U.G., Rogler C.E., Neel B.G., Hayward W.S., and Astrin S.M (1982).: Expression of Endogenous Oncogenes in Tumor Cells.  In: Tumor Cell Heterogeneity: Origins and Implications;  A.H. Owens, D.S. Coffey, and S.B. Baylin (eds.).  Fourth Annual Bristol Mayers Symposium on Cancer Research, Academic Press, New York, 319-330, 1982.
  3. Rovigatti, U.G. and Astrin S.M. (1983): Avian Endogenous Viral Genes.  Current  Topics Microbiology and Immunology ;   Springer Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York 103: 1-21, 1983
  4. Rovigatti U.G. and Astrin S.M. (1983): Enhanced Expression and Amplification of Cellular Oncogenes in Human Tumors.  In: Genes and Proteins in Oncogenesis, H. Vogel and U.R. Weinstein, Academic Press, 241-251, 1983.
  5. Rovigatti, U., Mirro J., Kitchingman G., Dahl G., Ochs J., Murphy, S., and Stass, S. (1984):  Heavy Chain Immunoglobulin Gene Rearrangement in Acute Nonlymphocytic Leukemia.  Blood 63:1023-1027, 1984
  6. Rothberg P.G., Erisman M.D., Diehl R.E., Rovigatti U.G., and Astrin S.M. (1984):  Structure and Expression of the Oncogene c-myc in Fresh Tumor Material from Patients with Hematopoietic Malignancies.  Mol. and Cell. Biol. 4: 1096-1103, 1984.
  7. Stass, S.A., Pui, C.-H., Melvin S., Rovigatti U., Williams D., Motroni T., Kalwinsky D., and Dahl G.V. (1984):  Sudan Black B Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia British Journal of Hematology  57: 413-421, 1984.
  8. Kitchingman G.R., Rovigatti, U., Mauer A.M., Melvin S.M., Murphy, S.M.,  and Stass S. (1985):  Rearrangement of Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain Genes in T-Cell Acute Lympho-blastic Leukemia.  Blood 65: 725-729, 1985. 14.      Astrin S.M. and Rovigatti U.G. (1986):  Oncogene Expression in Human Lymphoid Neoplasms.  Progress in Cancer Research and Therapy  27:349-357, 1986. Raven Press, New York.
  9. Kitchingman, G.R., Mirro, J., Stass. S., Rovigatti, U., Melvin S.L., Williams, D.L., Raimondi, S.C., and Murphy S.B. (1986):  Biologic and Prognostic Significance of the Presence of More than Two Heavy Chain Genes in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia of B-Precursor Cell Origin. Blood           67: 698-703, 1986.
  10. Rovigatti U., Watson D.K., and Yunis, J.J. (1986):  Amplification and Rearrangement of Hu-ets-1 in Leukemia and Lymphoma with Involvement of Chromosome Band 11q23.  Science 232:398-400, 1986. 
  11. Rogers J. and Rovigatti U. (1988):  Immunologic and Tissue Culture Approaches to the Neurobiology of Aging  Neurobiology of Aging  9: 759-762,  1988.
  12. Re R. and Rovigatti U. (1988):  New Approaches to the Study of the Cellular Biology of the Cardiovascular System.  Circulation  77:14-17, 1988.
  13. Cole F.E., Rovigatti, U., Iwata T., Vaughn J., Frohlich E.D. (1989): Atrial Natriuretic Factor on Cyclic Nucleotides in a Human Renal Cell Line. Hypertension  13:799-803, 1989.
  14. Rovigatti, U.  (1992):  Isolation and Initial Characterization of a New Virus: Micro-Foci Inducing Virus or MFV.  Comptes Rendus de l’Academie          des Sciences  tome 315, III: 195-202, 1992.
  15. Rovigatti, U., et al.  (1998) Transgenic Mice as Resaerch Tools in Neurocarcinogenesis   Journal of Neurovirology  4: 159-174 (1998)
  16. Ugo Rovigatti e al.  Preliminary Characterization of a New Type of Viruses Isolated from Paediatric Neuroblastoma and Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma: potential Implications for Aetiology.  Intn. Conference Childhood Leukaemia. Section P1-18 pp I-IV,   September 2004
  17. Erythroleukaemia, diabetes insipidus and  hypophyseal damage. Two case reports. By A.Piccin¹, S.La Spina2, M.Marchi3, F.Rodeghiero¹, U.Rovigatti4. Leukemia Research, 2007. 31(8): p. 1135-1139.
  18.  Piccin, A., S. Cortelazzo, et al. (2010). "Immunosuppressive treatments in Crohn's disease induce myelodysplasia and leukaemia." American Journal of Hematology 85(8): 634
  19. Rovigatti, U., C. Selli, et al. (2010). "Of Mice and Men - Viruses and Prostate Cancer: What Is the Next Step?" European Urology 58(5): 684-686. 
  20.  Rovigatti, U. (2012). "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Cancer Related Fatigue (CRF): two "fatigue" syndromes with overlapping symptoms and possibly related aetiologies." Neuromuscular Disorders 22, Supplement 3(0): S235-S241.
  21. " IS THERE AN INFECTIOUS AGENT BEHIND PROSTATE CANCER?"  by Ugo Rovigatti: Chapter of the "Prostate Cancer 2012" book: Editor: prof. Gerhard Hamilton, publication date January 2013.
  22. Piccin, A., K. Eisendle, et al. (2014). "Transition of idiopathic CD4 + lymphocytopenia into mycosis fungoides?." Leukemia & Lymphoma 55(7): 1649-1651
  23. "Essential thrombocytemia progressing to Ph+ chronic myeloid leukemia with megakaryoblastic blasts, following anagrelide withdrawal." Platelets 24(0): 1-2.            1Andrea Piccin, 2Ugo Rovigatti, 3Daisy Corvetta, 4Fabrizio Natolino, 5Aideen O’Neill,1Sergio Cortelazzo (2013). 
  24. Rovigatti, U. (2014). "Pitfalls and perspectives in cancer genomes NGS studies: implications for predictive, preventive and personalized medicine (PPPM)." The EPMA Journal 5(Suppl 1): A30.
  25. Rovigatti, U. (2015). "Cancer modelling in the NGS era - Part I: Emerging technology and initial modelling." Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology 96(2): 274-307.
  26. Rovigatti, U. (2016). "The long Journey of Cancer Modeling: Ubi Sumus ?  Quo Vadimus?" Journal of Cancer Science accepted for publication  M Journal of Cancer Science: Inaugural Issue Febr. 2016

 

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