Research Scientist at University of Pisa.

Raffaele Ciampi is a biologist currently working at the University of Pisa, Italy in the research group directed by Prof. Rossella Elisei.

He holds a Ph.D. in Endocrinology and has been involved in the study of the molecular basis of thyroid carcinomas for more than twenty years. From 2002 to 2005 he studied radiation-induced tumors in the lab of Prof. Yuri Nikiforov at the University of Cincinnati, U.S.A., a collaboration that led to the discovery of the first chromosomal rearrangement of the BRAF oncogene in thyroid carcinoma. The same mechanism of BRAF oncogene activation was later confirmed in other tumor types, such as melanoma and some brain tumors.

In 2016 he received the “G. Salvatore International Prize” that the “Accademia dei Lincei” in Rome awards to researchers who have made fundamental contributions to research in the field of thyroid pathophysiology.

His current research focuses on the molecular basis of medullary thyroid carcinoma and the discovery of novel molecular biomarkers for use in personalized medicine. He is also currently investigating the clinical significance of circulating tumour DNA in the management of thyroid cancer.