ALESSANDRO BROCCOLI
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Current position
Associate Professor of Hematology, academic discipline MEDS-09/B – Blood diseases. Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna
Personal Statement
Alessandro Broccoli (MD, PhD and Professor) has mainly focused his career on lymphoproliferative disorders, with a particular interest in Hodgkin lymphoma, aggressive and indolent non-Hodgkin lymphomas, chronic lymphocytic leukemia and hairy cell leukemia, as well as histiocytic disorders and Castleman disease.
He holds an extensive expertise in innovative treatments for lymphoproliferative disorders, including CAR-T cells and bispecific antibodies, as well as experience in clinical trial design and conduct. He is recognized as an expert in hairy cell leukemia, as belonging to the centers of excellence network of the Hairy Cell Leukemia Foundation (https://www.hairycellleukemia.org/centers-of-excellence), as well as a highly-skilled physician in lymphoid malignancies.
He joined the “Lorenzo e Ariosto Seràgnoli” Institute of Hematology at the University of Bologna, which represents a point of reference for many Italian hematology institutions, in 2005 as a medical student, and he pursued his entire career at the same institution until today under the mentorship of Prof. Pier Luigi Zinzani. He always showed a high interest in clinical research, with a focus on improving diagnostic techniques in lymphoproliferative disorders and on translating innovative therapeutics into routine practice.
His academic responsibilities focus heavily on structuring clinical training for medical students and supervising specialized residents at the “Lorenzo e Ariosto Seràgnoli” Institute. He teaches General Hematology to 4th-year medical students and Immunohematology to 2nd-year laboratory technicians, as well as he coordinates advanced university courses, manages hands-on laboratory training, and mentors the next generation of hematologists through thesis supervision and clinical research project guidance.
Positions, Scientific Appointments, and Honors
He joined the medical faculty at University of Bologna, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, in 2020 as Assistant Professor, with clinical, teaching and research duties. He was appointed Associate Professor in Hematology in July 2026 and vice-director of the post-graduate school in Hematology. He is a member of the board of the PhD course in Oncology, Hematology and Pathology at the University of Bologna since 2025 and has the responsibility in the evaluation of candidates for post-doc positions at the University of Bologna.
He was awarded the “Ercole Brusamolino” prize by the Italian Lymphoma Foundation (Fondazione Italiana Linfomi) for innovative research in Diagnostic accuracy of positron emission tomography/computed tomography-driven biopsy for the diagnosis of lymphoma in 2021.
He is member of the Italian Hematology Association (Società Italiana di Ematologia) since 2009, the Italian Lymphoma Foundation (Fondazione Italiana Linfomi) since 2022 and is a hematology consultant for the National Association of Cardiologists (Associazione Nazionale Medici Cardiologi Ospedalieri) since 2026.
Contributions to Science
He has published more than 150 peer-reviewed papers (at least 40 of them as leading author), mostly related to Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma and hairy cell leukemia. His h-index is 28, with 3,290 citations (Scopus 23134352600). ORCID 0000-0001-5633-7313.
Among his publications, the most significant include:
- establishment of functional imaging-driven tissue biopsy in case of suspected lymphoproliferative disease (Broccoli A, et al. Diagnostic accuracy of positron emission tomography/computed tomography-driven biopsy for the diagnosis of lymphoma. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2020; 47(13):3058-3065);
- evaluation of innovative treatment approaches in Hodgkin lymphoma as first salvage (Broccoli A, et al. First salvage regimen with bendamustine and brentuximab vedotin in Hodgkin lymphoma: a phase 2 study of the Fondazione Italiana Linfomi. Blood Cancer J. 2019; 9(12):100);
- establishment of long-term follow-up of patients with hairy cell leukemia treated with cladribine and analysis of secondary long-term toxicities (Broccoli A, et al. A 3-decade multicenter European experience with cladribine as upfront treatment in 384 hairy cell leukemia patients. Blood Adv. 2022; 6(14): 4224-4227);
- assessment of minimal residual disease in patients with hairy cell leukemia receiving frontline cladribine (Broccoli A, et al. Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction for the assessment of disease burden in hairy cell leukemia. Hematol Oncol. 2022; 40(1): 57-62).
He has authored at least 20 book chapters, including contributions in the latest editions of Hoffman Hematology: Basic principles and practice (Elsevier), Postgraduate Hematology (Wiley-Blackwell) and Williams Hematology (McGraw-Hill).
He has participated in Italian and international events as invited speaker or as a presenter of selected scientific communications.
