Rocky Strollo

After graduating in Medicine and Surgery in 2009 from theUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, carried out an international PhD on type 1 (autoimmune) diabetes at the same university and at Queen Mary, University of London. He then obtained a specialization in Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases at the Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, where he currently holds the role of University Researcher. In 2018, he obtained the national scientific qualification as Associate Professor of Endocrinology. His primary research activity focuses on the role of post-translational oxidative modifications of insulin and other beta-cell antigens in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes. This research activity is based on the hypothesis that one or more modified (oxidized) forms of insulin are at the origin of the autoimmune response in type 1 diabetes. The final objective is to develop new diagnostic biomarkers and target therapies for the treatment or prevention of type 1 diabetes, based on forms of insulin modified by oxygen radicals. For these research activities he has received over 15 national and international awards and, from 2013 to today, he has been supported by various competitive grants (PI or Co-PI), including projects financed by the European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Ministry of Health. Secondary research activities are aimed at: i) studying the effect of obesity and diabetes on bone metabolism and diet-induced changes, ii) characterizing markers of severity and the immune response in diabetic patients with COVID-19.

Academic assignments

• 09/2021 – present: Fixed-term researcher type A, SSD MED/13. Department of Human and Environmental Sciences and Technologies. Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma.

• 10/2016 – 09/2021: Research Fellow B/II, MED/13, Department of Medicine, Endocrinology and Diabetology Unit, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome.

• 11/2018 – present: Visiting Researcher, Cardiff University

• 09/2013 – present: Research fellow, William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London

Assistance assignments

• 07/2016 – 09/2022: Endocrinologist and Diabetologist, freelance collaboration contract, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome

Educational Tracks

• 21/09/2018: National Scientific Qualification: Associate Professor.

Competition sector 06/D2

• 13/07/2016: Diploma of Specialist Doctor in Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases

Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome. Grade 50/50 with Honors

• 04/09/2014: PhD; International PhD Doctorate in Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Italy & Queen Mary University of London

Field of Study: Autoimmunity, Immunology, Biochemistry, Diabetes, Endocrinology, Clinical Research

Supervisors: Prof. Ahuva Nissim and Prof. Paolo Pozzilli

Rating: Excellent

• 23/07/2008: Specialist Degree in Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma; Grade 110/110 with Honors

• 17/03/2009: Registration in the Provincial Register of Surgeons of SALERNO (Order of the Province of SALERNO) n. 0000009771

Awards and Recognitions (selected)

• 2019: Young Investigator Award Salerno Medical School

• 2018: EFSD Mentorship programme, EFSD

• 2018: SID: EASD Travel grant

• 2018: Young Investigator Award Salerno Medical Association

• 2017: Parma Diabete Award, SID

• 2017: Young Investigator American Diabetes Association

• 2017: Navalesi Award, SID

• 2016: Best PhD thesis Baschieri award

• 2015: Travel grant 51 EASD congress, EFSD

• 2013: Umberto Di Mario Award, Best paper, SID/FoDiRi

• 2013: Albert Renold Travel Fellowship EFSD

• 2012: SIMI Award Italian Society for Internal Medicine

• 2012: Umberto Di Mario Award, SID

Funding track record (PI or Co-PI)

• 10/2019 – 10/2020: Order of Physicians of Salerno. PI

• 02/2020 – 12/2023: Ministry of Health – Finalized Research for Young Researchers. PI

• 10/2018 – 10/2023: EFSD Future Leaders Mentorship Program for Clinical Diabetologists. European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes. PI

• 09/2017 – 09/2019: JDRF-SRA grant on neoepitopes. Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) USA. Co-PI

• 03/2016 – 03/2018: SIOMMMS Grant for giovanni researchers. PI

• 01/2016 – 01/2017: EFSD/JDRF/Lilly European Research Program in Type 1 Diabetes Research. PI

• 07/2015 – 07/2016: JDRF-Innovative Grant on novel antigen-based therapies for type 1 diabetes. Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) USA. Co-PI

Patent: EP3268745A1; JP6738345B2; WO2016146979A1; Antibodies against modified insulin for use in treatment of and assays for diabetes. Inventors: Nissim A, Pozzilli P, Strollo R. https://www.google.com/patents/WO2016146979A1?cl=en

Publications (selection as first, last or corresponding, relating to the last five years)

• Alhamar G, Briganti S, et al. Strollo R. Pre-vaccination glucose time in range correlates with antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in type 1 diabetes. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2023 Jan 6:dgad001.

• Strollo R, Vinci C, et al. Autoantibody and T cell responses to oxidative post-translationally modified insulin neoantigenic peptides in type 1 diabetes. Diabetology. 2023 Jan;66(1):132-146.

• Tramontana F, Battisti S, Napoli N, Strollo R. Immuno-Endocrinology of COVID-19: The Key Role of Sex Hormones. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2021 Dec 2;12:726696. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2021.726696. eCollection 2021.PMID: 34925228

• Battisti S, Napoli N, et al. Strollo R. Vertebral fractures and mortality risk in hospitalized patients during the COVID-19 pandemic emergency. Endocrine. 2021 Sep 16:1-9.

• Strollo R, Maddaloni E, et al. Use of DPP4 inhibitors in Italy does not correlate with diabetes prevalence among COVID-19 deaths. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2020 Sep 16;171:108444.

• Piccoli A, Cannata F, Strollo R, et al. Sclerostin Regulation, Microarchitecture, and Advanced Glycation End-Products in the Bone of Elderly Women With Type 2 Diabetes. J Bone Miner Res. 2020 Aug 10.

• Battisti S, Pedone C, et al. Strollo R. Computed Tomography Highlights Increased Visceral Adiposity Associated With Critical Illness in COVID-19. Diabetes Care. 2020 Oct;43(10):e129-e130.

• Alhamar GE, Strollo R, Pozzilli P. Comment on So et al. Autoantibody Reversion: Changing Risk Categories in Multiple-Autoantibody-Positive Individuals. Diabetes Care 2020;43:913-917. Diabetes Care. 2020 Aug;43(8):e102.

• Tramontana F, Napoli N, El-Hajj Fuleihan G, Strollo R. The D-side of COVID-19: musculoskeletal benefits of vitamin D and beyond. Endocrine. 2020 Aug;69(2):237-240.

• Diana G, Strollo R, et al. Cardiac safety and potential efficacy: two reasons for considering minocycline in place of azithromycin in COVID-19 management. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Pharmacother. 2020 May 7

• Strollo R, Pozzilli P. DPP4 inhibition: Preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection and/or progression of COVID-19? Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2020 Nov;36(8):e3330.

• Strollo R, Vinci C, et al. Antibodies to oxidized insulin improve prediction of type 1 diabetes in children with positive standard islet autoantibodies. Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2019 May;35(4):e3132

• *Napoli N, *Strollo R et al. Serum sclerostin and bone turnover in latent autoimmune diabetes in adults. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2018

• Strollo R, Vinci C, Napoli N, Pozzilli P, Ludvigsson J, Nissim A. Antibodies to post-translationally modified insulin as a novel biomarker for prediction of type 1 diabetes in children. Diabetology. 2017 May 20.