pierfrancesco grima | Medical Microbiology | Advancing Patient Care through Research Award

Dr. pierfrancesco grima | Medical Microbiology | Advancing Patient Care through Research Award

Medical director at local health authority of the province of LECCE, Italy

Dr. Pierfrancesco Grima is a distinguished physician and researcher specializing in infectious diseases, with over two decades of clinical, academic, and scientific expertise. His career spans across major hospitals and research institutions in Italy, with a focus on HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, and infectious comorbidities. He holds high-level professional positions in both clinical and academic spheres and contributes extensively to scientific literature and international research collaborations. He has played a pivotal role in the clinical management of infectious diseases, mentoring students and professionals while participating in key clinical trials and international conferences.

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Education

Dr. Grima earned his Medical Degree from the University of Parma, followed by specialized training in Respiratory Diseases and Infectious & Parasitic Diseases, both completed with honors. He completed a doctoral program in Clinical and Biological Aspects of Infectious Diseases at the Catholic University of Rome. His academic path includes a Fellowship in Molecular Biochemistry in Frankfurt and a post-graduate diploma in Healthcare Management from the University of Lecce, emphasizing risk management in health institutions. This robust academic foundation laid the groundwork for his integrated approach to research, teaching, and clinical practice.

Experience

Since 2017, Dr. Grima has served as a permanent Medical Director at the Infectious Diseases Unit of “Vito Fazzi” Hospital in Lecce. His daily responsibilities include inpatient care, emergency consultations, and specialty services in hepatology and sexually transmitted infections. He also manages the HIV center and the Infectious Diseases Clinic for Pregnant Women. Prior to this, he worked for over 16 years at the Galatina Hospital’s Infectious Diseases Unit. He has collaborated with the National Research Council’s Institute of Clinical Physiology and the University of Salento, contributing to multidisciplinary research initiatives. Additionally, Dr. Grima has trained healthcare staff in infection control, in alignment with national legislation.

Research Interest

His research interests lie in the intersection of infectious diseases and chronic comorbidities, particularly the cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurocognitive complications of HIV. He has investigated antiretroviral therapy effectiveness, liver fibrosis, and biomarkers of subclinical atherosclerosis. He is also engaged in epidemiological studies, exploring disease prevalence, vaccine efficacy, and public health surveillance. Dr. Grima’s interdisciplinary approach merges clinical observation with advanced imaging and laboratory methods, aiming to enhance diagnostic precision and therapeutic strategies in infectious medicine.

Awards and Recognition

Dr. Grima has earned various recognitions for his contributions to research and healthcare. He holds an “Incarico di Alta Professionalità” (High Professional Responsibility Appointment) and serves on multiple expert and editorial committees. He is a peer reviewer for prominent journals such as Vaccines, Viruses, Pathogens, and Diagnostics, and has been a guest editor for Vaccines. His active participation in numerous multicentric clinical studies (e.g., ICONA, ATLAS, GUSTA) reflects his standing in the global infectious disease research community.

Publications

Dr. Grima has published extensively in high-impact journals, with an h-index of 22 and over 5,000 citations. Below are seven notable publications:

Grima P. et al. “Increased ophthalmic artery resistance index is associated with cognitive impairment in HIV-infected patients.” J Infect, 2012; cited by 97 articles.

Grima P. et al. “Altered phosphate metabolism in HIV-1-infected patients with metabolic syndrome.” Scand J Infect Dis, 2012; cited by 58 articles.

Fabbiani M, Grima P. et al. “Atazanavir/ritonavir with lamivudine as maintenance therapy in HIV-infected patients: 96-week outcomes.” J Antimicrob Chemother, 2018; cited by 74 articles.

Grima P. et al. “Ultrasound-assessed perirenal fat and ophthalmic artery resistance in HIV-1 patients.” Cardiovasc Ultrasound, 2010; cited by 63 articles.

Guido M, Grima P. et al. “Human metapneumovirus and bocavirus in respiratory infections.” Virology, 2011; cited by 88 articles.

Grima P. et al. “Routine ultrasound-guided vs. echo-assisted biopsy in chronic hepatitis.” Radiol Med, 2008; cited by 35 articles.

Ciccarelli N, Grima P. et al. “Liver fibrosis and cognitive impairment in HIV patients.” Infection, 2019; cited by 66 articles.

Conclusion

Dr. Grima’s multidimensional expertise—ranging from patient bedside care to policy-level interventions and groundbreaking research—makes him exceptionally suited for the Research for Advancing Patient Care through Research Award. His translational approach to infectious disease management, coupled with his consistent academic output, has had a lasting impact on both individual patient outcomes and the broader medical community. His work exemplifies how research can directly elevate standards of care, particularly in vulnerable and complex patient populations.

Fani Pantouli | Infectious Diseases | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Fani Pantouli | Infectious Diseases | Best Researcher Award

Post-Doctoral Fellow at Cleveland Clinic, United States

Dr. Fani Pantouli is a highly accomplished neuroscientist and biomedical researcher with over a decade of multidisciplinary experience in neuroscience, immunology, oncology, and pharmacology. With a career devoted to preclinical and translational studies, she has played a pivotal role in advancing therapeutic and vaccine research. Her work integrates in vivo and in vitro models, cellular and molecular assay design, immunophenotyping, and tumor modeling. Adept in laboratory innovation and scientific collaboration, Dr. Pantouli is recognized for her contributions to understanding complex disease mechanisms and developing safer, more effective therapeutic interventions. Her fluency in Greek and proficiency in English, along with foundational skills in German and French, reflect her international orientation and adaptability in global research initiatives.

profile

scopus

Education

Dr. Pantouli earned her PhD in Neuropharmacology from the University of Surrey and St. George’s University of London between 2014 and 2017. Her doctoral work focused on therapeutic approaches for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with groundbreaking investigations into oxytocin-based interventions. She holds a Master of Science in Molecular Neuroscience from the University of Bristol (2011) and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Biomedical Science from the University of Bedfordshire (2010). Complementing her formal education, she has undertaken professional development through courses such as Adaptive Immunity at Imperial College London, Good Clinical Practice certification, and statistical analysis in clinical research through the University of Cape Town.

Experience

Dr. Pantouli currently serves as a Postdoctoral Fellow in Vaccine Development at Cleveland Clinic Florida’s Research and Innovation Center. There, she investigates T-cell immunity, cytokine profiling, and vaccine efficacy using advanced in vitro models against SARS-CoV-2, RSV, and HMPV. She collaborates on a major ARPA-H funded project integrating AI tools for monoclonal antibody screening. Previously, as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the same institute’s Cancer Research Lab, she developed head and neck squamous cell carcinoma mouse models to study p53-targeted therapies. Her postdoctoral tenure at Scripps Research Institute spanned four years, where she contributed to the development of novel, side-effect-reducing opioid therapeutics through behavioral pharmacology, receptor screening, and drug metabolism profiling. Earlier academic roles include doctoral research at St. George’s University, where she explored molecular and behavioral aspects of ASD, and research technician roles in cardiovascular research at the University of Birmingham and the Academy of Athens.

Research Interest

Dr. Pantouli’s research interests span a spectrum of critical areas in biomedical science. She is passionate about exploring the neuropharmacology of social behavior disorders, with a focus on translational models for ASD and addiction. Her oncology research is centered on molecular mechanisms of tumor suppression, particularly the role of p53 in head and neck cancers. In immunology and virology, she is engaged in advancing personalized vaccine responses by decoding ethnic and cellular variability in immune reactions to viral pathogens. Across all areas, her goal is to identify novel therapeutic targets and improve clinical outcomes through precision medicine.

Award

While specific awards are not listed in her résumé, Dr. Pantouli’s consistent trajectory through prestigious research institutions, coupled with her leadership in high-impact projects funded by agencies like ARPA-H and her inclusion in peer-reviewed journals, demonstrates a sustained record of excellence and recognition by her scientific peers. Her nominations for publication in top-tier journals like Science and Biological Psychiatry further reflect her standing in the global research community.

Publications

Among Dr. Pantouli’s numerous contributions to scientific literature, the following are notable:

Pantouli, F., et al. (2025). COVID-19 Vaccination Enhances the Immunogenicity of Seasonal Influenza Vaccination in the Elderly. Vaccines, 13(5), 531. Cited by 3.

Pantouli, F., et al. (2024). Acute, Chronic and Conditioned Effects of Intranasal Oxytocin in the Mu Opioid Receptor Knockout Mouse Model of Autism. Neuropsychopharmacology. Cited by 9.

Pantouli, F., et al. (2021). Comparison of Morphine, Oxycodone and the Biased MOR Agonist SR-17018 in Mouse Models of Pain. Neuropharmacology, 185. Cited by 17.

Grim, T. W., et al., incl. Pantouli, F. (2020). G Protein-Biased Agonist Reverses Morphine Tolerance. Neuropsychopharmacology, 45. Cited by 26.

Morel, C., et al., incl. Pantouli, F. (2018). Nicotinic Receptors and Dopamine Cell Activity in Stress-Nicotine Interplay. Molecular Psychiatry, 23(7), 1597–1605. Cited by 35.

Acevedo-Canabal, A., Pantouli, F., et al. (2021). Pharmacological Variety in Opioid Analgesics. Reference Module in Biomedical Sciences. Cited by 4.

Pantouli, F., et al. (Submitted). Generation of Antigen-Specific Paired Heavy-Light Chain Antibody Sequences Using LLMs. Science. Under review.

Conclusion

Dr. Fani Pantouli exemplifies scientific excellence with her multidisciplinary research spanning neuroscience, immunology, and oncology. Her ability to deliver translational breakthroughs—whether in vaccine development, cancer modeling, or ASD treatment—makes her a standout candidate for the Best Researcher Award. Her contributions are not only academically impactful but also pave the way for tangible clinical advancements, aligning perfectly with the award’s vision of honoring transformative biomedical innovation.