Claudio Bandi

Claudio Bandi is full professor of Microbiology at the Department of Biosciences of the University of Milan. His research topics include: symbiotic association and the microbiota of parasites and arthropod vectors; the study of the immune response in parasitic infections; the development of diagnostic methodologies; the study of pathogen genomics and the use of genomics and bioinformatics in evolutionary studies and epidemiological reconstruction. Prof. Bandi’s major achievements include: the discovery of Wolbachia as a symbiont of filarial nematodes (important parasites of humans and animals) and the development of the anti-symbiotic chemotherapy for the cure of filarial diseases; the description of the first intra-mitochondrial symbiont (Midichloria mitochondrii); the establishment of two research groups devoted to the genomics of pathogens (and the related platforms), at the Universities of Milan and Pavia. During his career CB has trained at least three generations of researchers, now active in various universities and research centres in Italy and abroad. In 2022 he has been appointed as a member of the Scientific Technical Committee of the National Anti-Pandemic Centre. Author of over 240 papers in peered-reviewed journals (H-index 60 with > 12.000 quotations in Scopus).