Lorenzo
Giacani
PhD
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bio
Dr. Lorenzo Giacani earned his BS in Molecular Biology magna cum laude at the University of Bologna (Italy) in 1998. His interest in STIs and syphilis began after being drafted into the Italian Army, where he was tasked with testing recruits for syphilis and other STIs. Following his service, Dr. Giacani enrolled in a Ph.D. program in Medical Biotechnology also at the University of Bologna, graduating in 2005. As a graduate student, Dr. Giacani focused primarily on the study of the virulence factors of the syphilis agent. In 2005, he officially moved to the University of Washington as a post-doctoral fellow, He is currently an Associate Professor in the Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and adjunct in the Department of Global Health. Dr. Giacani is also inter-governmental personnel at the CDC, working with the syphilis team. He is the first investigator ever to have developed a technique to genetically engineer the syphilis agent.
Research Interests
- Syphilis pathogenesis
- Evaluating new therapies
- Vaccine candidates for syphilis
Clinical Interests
- Collection of specimens from syphilis patients to study syphilis immunology.
- Pathogen genomics/proteomics
education & training
1998 - University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy, B.S. in Molecular Biology
1999 - Italian Army, Pesaro, Italy, Physician Assistant diploma
2005 - University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy, Ph.D. in Medical Biotechnology
2005-2010 - University of Washington, Seattle WA, USA Postdoctoral fellow
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