Giuseppe Caruso

From July 2025 he is an Associate Professor of Pharmacology (BIOS-11/A, formerly BIO/14) at UniCamillus – Saint Camillus International University of Health and Medical Sciences, Rome, Italy. Prof. Caruso also has an appointment as an Adjunct Associate Professor at the School of  Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas,  USA, and is the Head of Research Unit of Biology and Preclinical Research at IRCCS San Camillo Hospital in Venice.

After high school graduation, he enrolled in biological (BSc) and chemical (MSc) sciences at  University of Catania (UniCT), earning both of them with a maximum grade of 110/110 with  honors.

During his PhD in Neurobiology (UniCT), he investigated the activity of amyloidogenic peptides  involved in protein conformational disorders. He also had the opportunity, supported by an  International Internship Programme Scholarship, to work in Prof. Susan Lunte’s group at the  University of Kansas (KU) (USA) as a visiting international graduate student (1 year).

In November 2014, he returned to KU as a postdoctoral associate in Prof. Sunil David’s group,  where he focused on mechanisms of innate immune responses, publishing two patents.

In July 2015, he joined Prof. Lunte’s group as a postdoctoral associate, focusing on the  development of microfluidic-based methods for reactive species detection. His efforts have granted him a prestigious and competitive American Heart Association Fellowship. This fellowship allowed  him to continue pursuing his major interest in investigating the protective effects of carnosine  against the oxidative stress involved in cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.

In August 2017, he moved back to Italy as Senior researcher at the Oasi Research Institute (Troina,  Enna) (3 years) and then as a Senior Researcher Associate at Department of Drug and Health  Sciences (DSFS, UniCT) (2 years) focusing on a research activity that covers multidisciplinary  aspects of molecular and clinical pharmacology as well as of toxicology, with particular attention  on the neurobiological link between Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and depression to identify new  pharmacological targets and novel neuroprotection strategies.

From January 2022 to September 2024, he held the position of Assistant Professor (RTDa, BIO/14  – Pharmacology) at the DSFS (UniCT) with a main project focused on the identification and  validation of new pharmacological targets in AD through the use of microfluidics.

From October 2024 to June 2025, he held the position of Assistant Professor (RTDb, BIO/14 – Pharmacology) at UniCamillus, Rome, Italy, continuing to pursue his research projects.

Prof. Caruso research activity mainly focuses on the development and application of innovative  microfluidic-based technologies for drug discovery in AD (identification and validation of new  pharmacological target in in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo AD models) as well as for early diagnosis of  cognitive disorders in AD (detection and quantification of plasma biomarkers). As a part of national  and international collaborations, Prof. Caruso is also investigating the link between  microglia/macrophages activity and oxidative stress in the context of AD and depression, the  molecular mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective effects of naturally occurring chemical  compounds such as polyphenols and their implications for cognitive functions as well as the  therapeutic potential of carnosine as a new pharmacological strategy leading to neuroprotection.

More information about Prof. Caruso research and teaching activities can be found on his website (https://carusogiuseppe.net/).