Rocky Strollo | Associate Professor of Endocrinology
Università San Raffaele Roma

After earning his degree in Medicine in 2009 from the Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, he completed an international PhD in type 1 (autoimmune) diabetes at the same university and at Queen Mary, University of London (supervisor Prof. Ahuva Nissim). He subsequently obtained his specialty in Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases from Campus Bio-Medico University, where he served as a University Researcher until May 2023. Since June 2023, he has been Associate Professor of Endocrinology at San Raffaele University of Rome. His primary research focuses on the role of oxidative post-translational modifications of insulin and other beta-cell antigens in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes. His work is based on the hypothesis that one or more modified (oxidized) forms of insulin are key triggers of the autoimmune response in type 1 diabetes. The ultimate goal is to develop novel diagnostic biomarkers and target therapies for the treatment or prevention of type 1 diabetes, based on insulin forms modified by reactive oxidants. For this research, he has received several awards and, since 2014, has been supported by several competitive grants (as PI or Co-PI), including projects funded by the European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Italian Ministry of Health and the Italian Ministry of University. His secondary research interests include:
i) studying the effects of obesity and diabetes on bone metabolism and diet-induced changes;
ii) characterizing markers of severity and immune response in diabetic patients with COVID-19.