Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS

Healthcare provider: Established in 1958, the Istituto Auxologico Italiano (a non-profit private foundation) is a Clinical Research Institute coordinated by the Italian Ministry of Health, and has research and teaching agreements with the Universities of Milano, Milano-Bicocca, Turin, and Pavia. In 1972 the Italian government granted its legal status as an “Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico” (IRCCS), or high level research hospital. Its official recognition as such has been confirmed and extended in subsequent years. It includes several clinical hospitals (more than 500 beds) and out-patient clinics. Experimental and clinical research is conducted at 21 laboratories whose activities are integrated with the patient care units. The fields of excellence are Cardiovascular disease (Sudden Cardiac Arrest; Genetics of Cardiac Arrhythmias; Neural Control of Circulation; Management and genetics of Hypertension; Heart Failure), Stroke prevention and treatment; Obesity and metabolic diseases; Neurodegenerative diseases.

Centre for rare and complex heart diseases: The Centre for Cardiac Arrhythmias of Genetic Origin focuses on the clinical management and study of inherited channelopathies and cardiomyopathies. Patients, coming primarily from Italy but also from many European and overseas countries, are usually visited by cardiologists with >10 year experience in these conditions in the out-patient clinic, where all non-invasive procedures are performed. In addition, a team of psychologists with specific training in genetic diseases is available upon request. Whenever necessary, patients undergo complex procedures (ICD implants, EP studies, other) in the main hospital of the HCP, under the guidance of the same team. The genetic tests are routinely performed in the Laboratory of Cardiovascular Genetics of the HCP, which is fully equipped to carry out next generation sequencing (NGS). The molecular biologists and the clinical cardiologists discuss together the implications of the genetic screening before reporting to the patients.

Prof. Dr. Peter Schwartz is a cardiologist and the representative member of the Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS in ERN GUARD-HEART. 

Dr. Lia Crotti is a cardiologist at the  Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS with specific expertise in genetic cardiac diseases and associate professor of cardiology at the University of Milano-Bicocca.