The Microbiome-Immunity Axis in Human Diseases
This guest lecture by Amedeo Amedei, Professor of Immunology at the University of Florence, will explore the role of the microbiome in human health, with a particular focus on the interplay between the microbiome and the immune system.
Professor Amedei will also discuss his research into the microbiome–immune axis and its implications for a range of conditions, including autoimmune diseases, cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, as well as the potential of microbiome modulation as a therapeutic approach.
PROGRAMME
Professor Amedeo Amedei
Amedeo Amedei graduated with honours in Biology from the University of Florence in 1996. He began his scientific career by investigating the role of Th1/Th2 lymphocytes in graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), atopic dermatitis and kidney transplant rejection. He subsequently explored the role of Helicobacter pylori-specific immune responses in gastric diseases.
In 2003, he began his doctoral studies in Clinical and Experimental Medicine. In 2005, he was appointed Researcher at the Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine at the University of Florence, where he became Associate Professor in 2015. He is currently Full Professor of Immunology and President of the Master’s Degree Programme in Nursing and Midwifery Sciences.
Professor Amedei’s research focuses on cancer immunology and the microbiota–immunity axis in inflammation-associated diseases, particularly autoimmune diseases, cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. More recently, he has expanded his research to investigate the effects of microplastics and nanoplastics on human health.
His international research profile is reflected in an extensive scientific output comprising 346 peer-reviewed articles, an h-index of 62, more than 16,000 citations, 13 book chapters and one patent (Scopus author profile). Of his 346 publications, 310 focus on the microbiome–immunity axis, including 160 publications on immunity and 150 on the microbiome. Professor Amedei serves on the editorial boards of 13 international journals, acts as a reviewer for 43 journals and is Co-Editor-in-Chief of one journal. He also reviews international research proposals submitted to public and private funding bodies. Since 2016, he has been a member of the Scientific Council of Toscana Life Sciences (TLS).
Throughout his career, Professor Amedei has secured more than €10 million in research funding through proposals supported by various funding agencies and organisations, including the European Commission, the Italian Ministry of Health, the Tuscany Region, NASA, and local and international foundations. In 2025, he was named among the world’s top 2% of scientists in the Stanford University-associated global ranking of researchers.