"As a Venetian, it was a great pleasure for me to participate in this initiative," says Professor Alessandro Doria. "The Veneto region is positioning itself as a leader in biotechnology and healthcare, and I am very happy about this."
"Over the last 15 years, we have seen significant advancements in understanding multifactorial diseases such as diabetes, obesity, asthma, and hypertension," says Doria. "This information can be evaluated on an individual basis, considering both genetic and environmental risk. This can help decide whether and which preventive therapies to implement. Once, we only had access to the medical record, but now we can leverage this new genetic and transcriptomic knowledge. These data are vast, the so-called Big Data, and it is therefore necessary to analyze them appropriately and quickly, which is only possible through the use of artificial intelligence. There is a need for a system that integrates genetic information with other data sources, such as clinical, environmental, or past disease data, to develop a coherent and comprehensive profile of the individual, to see what the risks and benefits are and how to intervene optimally."
"Italy is not lagging behind in research," concludes Doria. "However, it should be noted that much more research is being done in this field in the USA. But the practical implementation of this new program with AI and genetics has not yet been achieved. We are just waiting for this system to fully develop and be implemented worldwide."
Other Speeches of the Day
After the opening with Doria, the third day of the Forum continued with "Explainable, Actionable, and Responsible AI" featuring Carlo Combi (University of Verona), Panagiotis Papapetrou (Stockholm University, Sweden), Pietro Liò (University of Cambridge, UK). After that, "AI for preventive medicine" with Lorenzo Chiari (University of Bologna), Michele Piana (University of Genoa), and Dario Gregori (University of Padua). At 2 pm, the keynote speech "Learning across 16M patients: platforms and applications in acute care" by Sebastien Ourselin (King's College London, UK). Then the session "AI applications" divided into two parts. The first, at 2:35 pm, with Henning Müller (HES-SO Valais Techno-Pôle, Switzerland) and Filippo Lanubile (University of Bari). The second, at 3:40 pm, with Riccardo Bellazzi (University of Pavia), Gino Gerosa (University of Padua), Barbara Di Camillo (University of Padua), Tommaso Banzato (University of Padua), Marco Zorzi (University of Padua), and Alfonso Pozzan (Evotec).
Saturday's Program: Veneto Region
On Saturday, the fourth and final day, the World Health Forum Veneto is divided into three simultaneous sessions at the Padua Congress venues. The program curated by the Veneto Region opens at 9 am with greetings from the authorities and at 10 am tackles the theme "New infrastructures for digital health": after the introduction by Antonio Marcomini, Vice Rector of Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Andrea Zanella (University of Padua), Idelfo Borgo (ICT and Digital Agenda Directorate - Veneto Region), Paolo Villoresi (University of Padua), Marco Nobile (Ca' Foscari University of Venice), and Paolo Ghezzi (Infocamere) intervene. At 10:45 am, Prefect Bruno Frattasi, Director General of the National Cybersecurity Agency, will speak on "Cybersecurity as a strategic lever."
At 11 am, the second session "Health is systemic and global" with Massimo Paolucci (curator Planetary Health Festival), Stefano Vella (Catholic University of the Sacred Heart), Francesca Russo (Directorate for Prevention, Food Safety and Veterinary Medicine - Veneto Region), and Ludovico Baldessin (administrator Edra/Healtival). At 12 pm, the third session "Exploration of space for the evolution of health services" with Cesare Lobascio (Thales, Alenia Space), Gabriele Mascetti (Italian Space Agency), Paola Verde (Italian Air Force), moderated by Anil Kumar Dave (Digital Agenda advisor of Veneto). At 12:40 pm, the speech "Living healthily in space" by Paolo Nespoli, former ESA astronaut.
The fourth and final session at 2 pm, titled "Big Data and Artificial Intelligence for data integration from a Onehealth perspective": Antonia Ricci (Director General of the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie), Stefano Merler (Bruno Kessler Foundation of Trento), Anna Teresa Palamara (Director of the Department of Infectious Diseases of ISS), and Giusi Condorelli (Medical Officer of the Ministry of Health and scientific attache at the Italian Embassy in Washington) will discuss.
Saturday's Program: Motore Sanità
Saturday's program curated by Motore Sanità starts at 9 am with a video message from Viktor Liashko, Minister of Health of Ukraine, who will address the topic "Health and innovation in times of war." This will be followed by the keynote speech by Mariella Enoc (special prosecutor of Valduce Hospital) on the theme "needs, proposals, solutions in healthcare for a new industrial policy of the country Italy." At 9:30 am, the introduction of the scenario "OECD international data on utilization and spending volumes in healthcare" with Claudio Zanon (scientific director Motore Sanità), Manuela Lanzarin (Councilor for Health and Social Affairs, Veneto Region), Yevgeniy Imas (Rector of the University of Medicine and Sport of Kiev), Francesco Saverio Mennini (Head of the Department of Programming, Medical Devices, Drugs, and Policies in favor of the National Health Service of the Ministry of Health), Mariella Mainolfi (public official Ministry of Labor and Social Policies), Carlo Nicora (vice president FIASO and general manager of the IRCCS Foundation) with moderation by Luciano Flor (former general manager of Health Region of Veneto).
At 10 am, the round table "Needs, proposals, solutions of the pharmaceutical industry engaged in healthcare for a new industrial policy of the country Italy" will feature Alessandro Chiesi (president of Chiesi Farmaceutici), Umberto Comberiati (CEO Teva Italia), Domenico Lucatelli (Market Access Director Angelini Italia), Onofrio Mastandrea (Regional Vice President, General Manager Italy, Incyte), Federico Viganò (member of the Presidency Council of Federchimica Assobiotec), moderated by Rossana Boldi (former vice president of the Social Affairs Commission of the Chamber of Deputies) and Enrico Rossi (liaison officer with the Regions Motore Sanità). At 11 am, the round table "Needs, proposals, solutions of the medical devices industry engaged in healthcare for a new industrial policy of the country Italy and of biosimilar and equivalent drugs as a tool for sustainability of innovation" will feature Massimiliano Bindi (CEO Abbott Italia), Alessandra Gelera (Public Affairs, Health Economics & Market Access Country Head at Boston Scientific), Laura Meli (communication manager Convatec Italia), Massimo Pulin (president Confimi Industria Sanità), moderated by Claudio Zanon (scientific direction Motore Sanità) and Luca Giuseppe Dalle Carbonare (University of Verona). At 12 pm, the round table "Information technology and its impact on the future of healthcare in Italy" will include Antonio Amati (CEO Almaviva), Antonio Delli Gatti (commercial director healthcare Italy of Engineering Ingegneria Informatica), Andrea Leonardo (director of healthcare Almaviva), Fausto Manzana (CEO GPI Group), Pietro Pacini (president Assinter Italy), Mario Ronchetti (president Atena Informatica), Matteo Santoro (CEO GPI), Ettore Turra (partner, head of healthcare Jakala Civitas), and Enrico Zanella (CEO IN.VA Valle D’Aosta), moderated by Roberto Soj (scientific direction Motore Sanità) and Fabiola Bologna (former Secretary of the Social Affairs Commission of the Chamber of Deputies). At 1 pm, conclusions and operational proposals by Claudio Zanon (scientific direction Motore Sanità).
Saturday's Program: VIMM
The program curated by VIMM - Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine starts at 9:30 am with the welcome address by Stefano Bellon (Vice President Foundation for Advanced Biomedical Research). At 10 am "Science Hunters: Journey into Scientific Research" with Francesca Pasinelli (General Director Fondazione Telethon). The first session at 10:30 am "Farmastartup: Adventures and Challenges of Pioneers in the Pharmaceutical Industry" with Marcello Allegretti (Chief Scientific Officer - Dompé Farmaceutici), Graziella Pellegrini (Research and Development Director - Holostem), Paolo Fundarò (CEO - Xgen Venture), and Federica Draghi (Business Development Manager - Xgen Venture), moderated by Annamaria Zaccheddu (scientific communicator Fondazione Telethon). At 11:30 am, the second session "Explorers of the Future among organoids, gene editing, and complex diseases" with Cecilia Laterza (University of Padua and VIMM), Emanuela Zuccaro (University of Padua and VIMM), Manuela Allegra (CNR Padua Institute of Neuroscience, University of Padua, and Città della Speranza), Francesco Chemello (University of Bologna), moderated by Annamaria Zaccheddu. At 12:50 pm "Research beyond national borders: Adventures and Secrets" with Mauro Giacca (Head of the School of Medicine and Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences - King’s College London, UK). At 1:15 pm, conclusions by Nicola Elvassore (scientific director VIMM).
Saturday's Program: Teatro Stabile del Veneto
The closing event is dedicated to theater, at 3 pm on Saturday, March 23, in the Giotto Hall of Padua Congress, where the Fondazione del Teatro Stabile del Veneto – Teatro Nazionale presents "Ars medicina. Literature, theater, and faith as the breath of man." A conference-show featuring Pier Luigi Pizzi, Father Antonio Spadaro, and Giampiero Beltotto. Reflections will be accompanied by readings from texts by Sophocles, Molière, Thomas Mann, and Aleksandr Isaevich Solzhenitsyn, performed by Silvia Luise and Cosimo Grilli, actors graduated from the Carlo Goldoni Theater Academy, while tenor Cristian Ricci will interpret the notes of Astor Piazzolla, Giuseppe Verdi, and Giacomo Puccini. The recited texts will be complemented by an intervention by Joshua Possamai from the coordination of university pastoral care of the Diocese of Padua.
