Scientific Director

Alberto Auricchio

Starting from April 2024, Alberto Auricchio is the Scientific Director of the Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM) in Naples, Italy. He is also Professor of Medical Genetics at the Department of Advanced Biomedicine, University in Naples “Federico II”.
His research is focused on gene therapy of retinal and metabolic diseases using adeno-associated viral vectors. His group has contributed to the phase I/II clinical trial of Luxturna, the first approved gene therapy drug for an ocular disease, and to the development of gene therapy for mucopolysaccharidosis VI in an ongoing phase I/II trial.
Prof. Auricchio is co-author of more than 150 peer-reviewed publications in international scientific journals and inventor of several international patents on the use of viral vectors for gene therapy. Prof. Auricchio is founder, shareholder and consultant of InnovaVector and AAVantgarde Bio spin-offs. He is a member on the editorial boards of various journals and of the Executive Board of the European Society of Cell and Gene Therapy. Prof. Auricchio has received the Outstanding New Investigator Award of the American Society of Gene Therapy and the International Prize for Scientific Research “Arrigo Recordati”. Prof. Auricchio is a multi-grantee of the European Research Council.

The overall scientific management of the Institute is the primary responsibility of the Director. Prof. Auricchio oversees all the activities of the Institute and is responsible for improving and maintaining the scientific quality of TIGEM’s personnel and of the science being pursued.