CAUSAL GENES AND PATHOGENIC MECHANISMS UNDERLYING GASTROINTESTINAL DISEASES
Professor Mauro D’Amato
Professor of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine and Surgery,
LUM University in Casamassima, Italy &
Ikerbasque Research Professor and Head of the Gastrointestinal Genetics Lab
CIC bioGUNE, Derio, Spain
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed online | January 2025
Mauro D’Amato is Professor of Medical Genetics at the Department of Medicine and Surgery at LUM University in Casamassima – Italy, and Ikerbasque Research Professor and Head of the Gastrointestinal Genetics Lab in CIC bioGUNE, Derio – Spain. His career has developed through an important international trajectory, holding research and academic positions at several institutions including the Wellcome Trust Center for Human Genetics in Oxford – UK, the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm – Sweden, Biodonostia HRI in San Sebastian – Spain and Monash University in Melbourne – Australia.
Professor D’Amato has more than 25 years research experience in the field of human genetics and complex diseases, with activities most recently geared towards a translational application for therapeutic precision in gastroenterology. His team, the Gastrointestinal Genetics Laboratory, combine leading expertise in genomic, computational and pre-clinical research, and have contributed important breakthroughs linking specific genes and pathogenetic mechanisms to a number of gastrointestinal diseases like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), microscopic colitis (MC) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
He is also the coordinator of the bellygenes initiative on the genetics of IBS, and biobank-scale research from his lab contributes to multiple scientific consortia and collaborative networks studying the genetic makeup of millions of people across EU, USA and Australasia.
Professor D’Amato has an H-index of 74, has edited 2 books and published extensively in the field of human genetics and gastrointestinal disease; he provides expert feedback to international journals and research funding agencies, and has supervised more than 40 PhD students and postdocs.
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2743-5197
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Anaemia guidelines updated after 50 years
Professor Sant-Rayn Pasricha is the Acting Deputy Director at the Walter Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne, Australia. He is also a clinical haematologist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. From a young age, Prof Pasricha dreamed of becoming a doctor and found joy in learning about the human body and how to care for patients. After completing medical school, he developed a passion for working in low and middle-income countries, which led him to spend time working in East Timor, India, and Central Australia with First Nations communities.
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CASE STUDY Next Generation Condom Contraception
Eudaemon Technologies, an early-stage medtech company with a focus on sexual reproductive health, is developing a hydrogel condom to address the need for a better feeling, next generation condom, with the potential to improve user experience and address issues with traditional latex condoms.
“Over 1 million STI’s being diagnosed every day and up to 120 million unplanned pregnancies every year result in a $60 billion health burden across the globe”, says Co-Founder and Executive Director of Operations, Dr Simon Cook.
Formed in 2018, the company focuses on developing tough hydrogels as an alternative to address issues with odour, colour, and taste commonly associated with latex condoms. This technology can be loaded with small molecule drugs for flavours or anti-STI compounds, and was developed in response to a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to address unplanned pregnancies and STIs.
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Relationship between language-literacy skills and mental health
In an innovative move towards enhancing mental health services, Associate Professor Amanda Neil and team, supported by the RHH Research Foundation, are undertaking a crucial study on language-literacy skills of patients within mental health care settings. This year-long project, which commenced in April 2024, seeks to unravel to what extent, where and for whom language-literacy skills are being considered in Tasmanian mental health service provision.
