Dr. Claudio Franceschi stands as a preeminent figure in the field of immunology and biogerontology, renowned for his groundbreaking contributions to understanding the relationship between immunity and aging. He currently holds the distinguished position of Professor Emeritus at the University of Bologna, Italy, and maintains a significant research affiliation with Lobachevsky State University in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. Having earned his MD cum laude from the Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna in 1967, he established an exceptional academic career spanning decades across multiple prestigious Italian institutions. Dr. Franceschi served as Full Professor of Immunology at the Universities of Padua from 1980 to 1986, Modena from 1986 to 1998, and Bologna from 1998 to 2013, while also directing the Italian National Research Center for Aging from 1996 to 2005.
Dr. Franceschi's most transformative contribution to science is his pioneering discovery of the fundamental characteristics of immunosenescence in humans and the development of the influential inflammaging theory, which describes the chronic low grade inflammation associated with aging as a key driver of age related diseases. His extensive publication record of approximately 800 peer reviewed papers has garnered over 59,000 citations with an impressive h index of 117, reflecting the profound impact of his work across multiple disciplines. His research has expanded to encompass comprehensive investigations of the genetics, epigenetics, metabolomics, metagenomics, and glycomics of human longevity, particularly through his studies of centenarians and their exceptional health trajectories. As Principal Investigator of the MEGAGRANT DPM AGEING Digital Personalized Medicine of Healthy Ageing from 2018 to 2020 funded by the Russian Federation, he has advanced the application of big data approaches to understanding aging processes.
Beyond his individual research, Dr. Franceschi has established himself as a visionary leader who has fundamentally shaped the global research agenda in aging and immunology through numerous influential collaborative initiatives. He founded and directed the Interdepartmental Center for Studies on Bioinformatics and Biocomplexity L Galvani at the University of Bologna and served as Director of the Department of Experimental Pathology from 2010 to 2012. His leadership extends to multiple European Union research projects including PROTEOMAGE, RISTOMED, MARK AGE, and COBRA, where he has coordinated international efforts to unravel the complexities of aging biology. Currently, his work focuses on developing precision interventions and metrics for inflammaging, as evidenced by his recent publication in Nature Aging, continuing to push the boundaries of personalized approaches to healthy aging and establishing frameworks that will guide research for years to come.
