CURRICULUM VITAE Giovanni Brandi
POSITION
• 2010-Present: Associate Professor of Medical Oncology, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (University of Bologna, UNIBO, Italy)
• 2020: Guest Editor for “Cancers” for the monographic issue: Immunotherapy and Targeted Agents for Biliary Tract Cancer
• 2015–2020: Founder and President of GICO- (Italian Group of Cholangiocarcinoma)/ 2021: Member of GICo (Italian Group of Cholangiocarcinoma) board as Past President
• 2019: Member of the steering committee for the ESMO 2019 program for the Gastrointestinal non-Colorectal Cancer session
• 2019–Present Founder of APIC (Association of Italian Cholangiocarcinoma Patients)
• 2018-Jan 2021: Member of the Independent Ethics Committee AVEC (Area Vasta Emilia Centro)
• 2017–Present Professional Qualification of Full Professor of Medical Oncology
• 2017–Present Professional Qualification of Full Professor of Internal Medicine
• 2017–Present Head of the UO Program / High Specialization Commission "Hepato-biliary and pancreatic tumors" S. Orsola-Malpighi
• 2017–Present Member of the Board of Collegium Ramazzini
• 2017–Present Member of the Board of European Network for the Study of Cholangiocarcinoma (ENS-CCA)
• 2011–2013 and 2016–Present: Director of the Postgraduate School of Medical Oncology, UNIBO
• 2014–2020: Member of the Board of CINBO - National Inter-university Consortium for Bio-Oncology
• 2014-present: Professor of Doctorate in “Oncology, Hematology and Pathology”, UNIBO
• 2012–Present: Director of second level Master in Training and Qualification in Palliative Care, UNIBO
• 2017–2019: Member of the Board of the Institute of Superior Studies, UNIBO
• 2013–2019: Member of the Board of the Institute of Advanced Studies, UNIBO
• 2002–2016: Member of the Collegio Superiore, UNIBO
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
• 1996: Specialization in Internal Medicine (70/70 cum laude), UNIBO
• 1992: PhD in "Biological Markers of tumors of the gastrointestinal tract", UNIBO
• 1991: Six months stage to study the “Intestinal Microbiota in relation to preneoplastic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract”, INRA, Jouy en Josas, Paris
• 1988: Graduated in the Bologna University Medical School with honors (110/110 cum laude), UNIBO
Author of >220 full papers in international indexed journals (Scopus: H-Index 35; Scopus: overall
citations 6220; Google Scholar: H-Index 40; Google Scholar: overall citations 9660; i10-index
100; Total Impact Factor: ~ 1000, 8 scientific books, 17 book chapters.
Speaker and chairman at several national and international meetings.
PRIZES RELATED TO THE FOCUS OF THE PRESENT PROJECT
• For the book: “Ultrastructure et Ecologie Microbienne du Tube Digestif Humain” – G. Brandi, AM. Pisi, G. Biasco (Deauville, France, 5-7 June 1998), 9th International Edition of Scientific Book, as best scientific book in permanent medical education.
• PI of the poster: “Occupational exposure to asbestos: a putative unknown risk factor for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma” ILCA, Hong Kong 2011.
PEER REVIEW ACTIVITY
NEJM, Lancet, Hepatology, Journal of Hepatology, Nat Clin Pract Gastroent, Eur J Cancer, Int J of Cancer, Cancer Letter; PlosOne, Scientific Reports, The Oncologist, Cancer, Liver International, Liver Disease, DLD, Oncotarget, World Journal of Gastroenterology, Chemotherapy, J of Chemotherapy, Oncology.
EDITORIAL BOARD
Scientific Reports, World Journal of Oncology Research, Translational Cancer Research.
MAIN INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS
• Prof Guido Kroemer, Sorbonne; Gustave Roussy; Karolinska Institute).
• Dr. Henry Sokol of the Hopital S.Antoine (Paris) and Dr. P. Langella of the INRA-Center Jouy en Josas Institute (Paris).Project: “Microbiota, IBD and colon cancer”
• Dr. Tracie L Carroll and Dr. Cosimo of the Stanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (La Jolla-USA)
• Dr. Stefano Cairo of XENTECH SAS biotech (Evry Genopole, France) for the development of cholangiocarcinoma patient derived xenografts (PDXs) mice”
• Prof. Eero Pukkala-Institute for Statistical and Epidemiological Cancer Research- Helsinki (Northern Europe)
• Prof. Astrid Lièvre (Rennes) (clinical studies on cholangiocarcinomas)
• Prof Elisa Giovannetti- Amsterdam University Medical Centers
• Prof Chiara Braconi- Glasgow University
• Prof Jesus Banales Coordinator ENSSCA (European Network for study of Cholangiocarcinoma)
• Prof. Paolo Boffetta – Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
• Dr. Kurt Straif – IARC (collaboration for Asbestos and Tumors of the biliary tract)
• Prof. Michele Carbone, University of Hawaii Cancer Center (cholangiocarcinoma genomics and role of BAP-1)
SCIENTIFIC RESPONSIBILITY FOR RESEARCH PROJECTS FINANCED ON THE BASIS OF COMPETITIVE CALLS
Grant total funding= about 2.900.000 EUROS
Main:
• 2020-2025: Venturi-Donato Foundation (Imola, Italy) (285.000 euros) (PI)
• 2020: Global Team InCyte “Identification of potentially targetable FGFR2 point mutations in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: an in vitro and in vivo study” (120.000 euros) (PI)
• 2019- Global Team IPSEN "Cabozantinib use in patients with cholangiocarcinoma (CC): in vitro and in vivo study" (130.000 euros) (PI)
• 2016- AIFA Call for Independent Research 2012- "Phase III, multicenter, randomized and open-label study of two anti-angiogenic strategies in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with crossover at first line failure: metronomic capecitabine / sorafenib (Arm A) vs metronomic sorafenib /capecitabine (Arm B) (1.143.000 euros) (PI)
• 2010-2012- ER-Region-University Program: "Innovative approaches to the diagnosis and pharmacogenetic-based therapies of primary hepatic tumors, peripheral B and T-cell lymphomas and lymphoblastic leukemias" (75.000 euros) (co-PI of WP 3 and 4)
• 2005- PRIN: "Liver metastases from colorectal cancer: risk factors, prognosis, and treatment on a molecular basis" (87.143 euros) (unit co-PI)
• 2003- FIRB: "Design and synthesis of new radiopharmaceuticals for the molecular recognition of onco-hematological and endocrine-metabolic pathologies by means of a high yield method of in vivo molecular imaging (micro-PET) (228.000 euros) (unit co-PI)
MAIN AREAS OF SCIENTIFIC INTEREST
- Gastrointestinal tract carcinogenesis
In this area, prof Brandi conducted several pre-clinical / translational and epidemiological studies. A research sector focused on the role of gastrointestinal tract mucosa proliferation in association with pre-neoplastic and neoplastic conditions, mainly in patients with colon adenomas and IBD. In this sector, he has published 18 full papers and 8 papers on high-impact journals in the field of epidemiological research on GI tract carcinogenesis. More recently this issue has been also extended to primary tumors of the biliary tract. In this context, he recently suggested a potential link between the development of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and asbestos exposure. This sector has been already object of three original papers and two chapters in international books. A further confirmation of this link comes from the analysis of North Europe Registry (NOCCA). In this area Prof. Brandi has completed a case-control study of incident cases of cholangiocarcinoma (CARA Protocol) confirming the asbestos role in the genesis of ICC. This sector is also the subject of a translational research project funded by the University-Region-ER-2013 (Study of whole exome sequencing in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma stratified according to different risk factors, including the research of asbestos fibers in tumor tissue).
- Intestinal microbiota
Another major area of research is intestinal microbiota and its potential role in GI carcinogenesis, GALT development and cancer therapies toxicity, publishing over 20 papers on high impact journals and presenting results in several national and international meetings. Several papers focusing on: A) the role of microbiota in the intestinal damage due to chemotherapy in gnotobiotic animal models; B) the detection of intragastric bacteria other than H.P in human antral mucosa; C) the role of intestinal microbiota in cell proliferation of colonic mucosa in human flora-associated (HFA) mice , are under drafting.
- Treatment of tumors
Prof. Brandi is mainly involved in hepato-bilio-pancreatic tumors. As team manager of the Primitive and Secondary Liver Tumor Group of S.Orsola-Malpighi Hospital (Bologna), every year he takes care of about 50 new HCC cases; 70 cholangiocarcinoma (CCs), 70 tumors of the pancreas and 30 liver metastases from colorectal cancer. In this area he published at least 50 papers in high impact journals. Prof. Brandi has designed innovative treatments in HCC, as metronomic capecitabine in advanced setting, in patients with HCC relapsed after OLT and in advanced HCC Child-Pugh B pts. He is also the PI of a phase III, multicenter, randomized, open label study financed by the Italian drug regulatory agency (AIFA) with 1.1 million euros, aimed at evaluating the cost-effectiveness of two anti-angiogenic treatments (metronomic capecitabine / sorafenib vs sorafenib / capecitabine metronomic with cross-over to the failure of the first line) in patients with advanced HCC. Prof. Brandi is currently analyzing a large series of biliary tract cancer (about 800 cases) by several retrospective studies both in advanced and adjuvant setting. Recently he also founded an Italian consortium named GICO (Italian Group of Cholangiocarcinoma), currently including 17 Italian Centers that deal with biliary tract cancers. With GICO is also carrying on an international trial on adjuvant capecitabine+/-durvalumab in biliary tract cancer patients. Prof. Brandi is also involved in CRC management, mainly of patients with liver metastases, being the oncological referent for both international and local trials on liver transplantation in patients with unresectable liver metastases from CRC.
