Sergio Castorina

Dept. Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies - Unict

Was born in Catania (Italy) on July 10, 1964. He graduated in Medicine and Surgery at the University of Catania, with a score of 110/110 cum laude, and an experimental thesis on the “Structural and ultra-structural modifications of the gastric mucosa and hepatic parenchyma after termino-lateral anastomosis in the rat: experimental research”. In 1993 he achieved the Diploma in General Surgery at the same University, with a score of 50/50 cum laude and a final dissertation entitled “The hepatic peduncle: anatomy applied to laparoscopic surgery”.

From 1983 to 1989 he had been Student Fellow at the Institute of Human Anatomy of University of Catania. In 1986 he had been Visiting Fellow at the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology of the Royal Free Hospital at City University, in London, directed by Prof. N. Mc Intyre. In 1991 he was awarded a scholarship from the Ministry for Universities and Scientific and Technological Research, for specialization abroad. In 1994 he was appointed University Researcher of Human Anatomy at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Catania. From 1995 to 2000 he had been Visiting Fellow at the Institut des Maladies of the Appareil Digestif of the University of Montpellier, directed by Prof. Jacques Domergue, and participated on a program in the field of clinical anatomy research applied to video surgery. In 1997 he had been Visiting Fellow at the Experimental Surgery Laboratory of the Faculté de Médecine Paris Sud-Université Paris XI, where he has performed video-assisted dissections on animal models. In 1997 he obtained from the University of Paris Sud the "Diplome inter-universitaire of digestive surgery par voie coelioscopique", with a final thesis on “Laparoscopic anatomy of the right hepatic artery and its branches”. In this period he received also a grant from the National Research Council for the research on “Laparoscopic anatomy of the hepatic peduncle”.

In 1999, he moved from the Faculty of Pharmacy to the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Catania, where he was appointed Confirmed Researcher for the Scientific Disciplinary Sector of Human Anatomy. In 2000 he had been Visiting Professor at the Laboratory of Experimental Anatomy Faculty of Medicine Montpellier-Nîmes, University Montpellier, directed by Prof G. Godlewski, and at the Laboratory of Experimental Surgery directed by Prof. P. Rouanet, where, until 2004, he teaches Clinical Anatomy at the Euro Mediterranean School of Endoscopic Surgery in Montpellier.

In 2001 he was appointed Associate Professor at the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Catania for the Scientific Disciplinary Sector of Human Anatomy. From 2001 to 2002 he served also as Professor of Human Anatomy and Tutor in Dissection at the University DiplomaCourse "Laparoscopic dissection and anatomy" - Laboratoire d'Anatomie de Nimes-Université de Montpellier - Faculté de Médecine. In 2005 he was appointed Associate Professor of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Catania for the Human Anatomy sector. From 2001 to 2010 he has held the teaching of Laparoscopic Anatomy at the Master in Mini Invasive Surgery and Modern Technological Applications at the Higher Institute of Catania for the Training of Excellence. From 2010 to 2014 he had been member of the teaching board of the Research Doctorate in Translational Biomedicine XVI Cycle at University of Catania. From 2011 he was also Teaching Tutor for post-graduate students at the School of Specialization in General Surgery. From 2014 he is member of the Teaching Board of the Research Doctorate in Translational Biomedicine XXX Cycle at University of Catania, where he was appointed Tutor of a PhD student in the PhD in Translational Biomedicine XXX Cycle, with the Project “Post-bariatric endocrine anatomy: translational aspects”. From 2018 he is Full Professor of Human Anatomy at the Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies "GF Ingrassia" of University of Catania, where he teaches Human Anatomy in the Degree courses of Medicine and Surgery, Dietetics, Nursing Sciences, Psychiatric Rehabilitation Sciences. He is also Lecturer in numerous medical schools.

Prof. Sergio Castorina is Reviewer of many international journals and conferences, Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and Honorary Foreign Member of the French Academy of Surgery. He was involved with several national funded research projects. His research is mainly focused on clinical and surgical anatomy, microscopic anatomy, immunohistochemistry, and molecular anatomy applied to the oncology. He published more than 116 scientific publications in the field, his h-index is 20 and total citations are 1432 (according to Scopus). He is President of “G.B. Morgagni” Clinical Center and Scientific Director of the Molecular Anatomy Laboratory of “GB Morgagni Mediterranean Foundation”. Since 1994, Prof. Sergio Castorina operates as surgeon at C.C.D. “GB Morgagni” in Catania. Its surgical activity includes general, digestive, oncological and bariatric surgery with particular specialization in minimally invasive procedures with laparoscopic approach.