Associate Professor of Endocrinology, University of Pisa.
Massimo Tonacchera was born in Camaiore (Lucca) on 30 November 1960.
He graduated in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Pisa in 1987 and obtained his Specialisation Diploma in Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases from the same University in 1992.
He was subsequently a Fellow of the National Research Council. He completed his training at the Institut de Recherche Interdisciplinaire, Faculty of Medicine, Service de Génétique Médicale, Université Libre de Bruxelles, from 1993 to 1996. In 1997 he also obtained his PhD in Endocrine and Metabolic Sciences at the Department of Endocrinology, University of Pisa.
In June 2003 he was appointed Associate Professor of Endocrinology at the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa. He is a member of the Italian Society of Endocrinology (SIE) and of the European Thyroid Association (ETA), was a member of the SIE Education Committee in 2000–2001 and is currently a member of the SIE Scientific Committee.
In experimental work, Massimo Tonacchera has carried out in-depth research in several fields of Endocrinology. In particular:
a) Study of the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid diseases, sporadic and endemic goitre, and thyroid neoplasms.
b) Diagnosis and treatment of thyroid diseases (with particular attention to congenital hypothyroidism).
During his time at the University of Brussels, Massimo Tonacchera took part in identifying and characterising the molecular defect (mutations of the TSH receptor) responsible for some forms of benign thyroid neoplasms. He also contributed to the description of a new clinical entity, familial non-autoimmune genetic hyperthyroidism, by identifying the molecular defect underlying this condition. He also studied the mechanism of activation of glycoprotein hormone receptors, with particular regard to the TSH and LH receptors. Finally, he took part in the description of animal models of thyroiditis.
After his experience abroad, Massimo Tonacchera worked on the molecular genetics of thyroid diseases, with particular regard to the growth mechanisms of functioning and non-functioning nodules, and on the diagnosis of the various forms of congenital and adult hypothyroidism and of hyperthyroidism. He personally built cell lines that stably express the FSH and LH receptors, and a cell line that stably expresses the Iodide Transporter gene.
He is currently working on the development of new protocols for the study of gene expression in benign thyroid diseases using the microarray system.