Research at the Centre

We were founded in 1981 at the initiative of Engineer Enzo Ferrari and Professor Guglielmo Scarlato, then Director of the Institute of Neurological Clinics at the University of Milan – Fondazione I.R.C.C.S. Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico of Milan. Over the years, the “Centro Dino Ferrari” has expanded to include two additional branches: the Istituto Auxologico of Milan and the Istituto Medea of Bosisio Parini. Today, the Center is directed by Professor Giacomo Comi, Head of the Neurology Unit. From the very first day, passion has guided us—a passion and a commitment that have never stopped and never will.

We work tirelessly with leading specialists in the diagnosis and treatment of neuromuscular, neurodegenerative, and cerebrovascular diseases. We are driven by a close-knit and determined team. Today, we are 150 professionals—physicians, biologists, and non-medical staff—working together with passion and unafraid of challenges and hard work. All to offer answers and hope to those living with these conditions and to their families.

From our very first steps, we have established ourselves as a center of excellence in neurology at both national and international levels. The energy of young researchers constantly transforms their mentors’ ideas into tangible results. We advance research and patient care through the continuous adoption of cutting-edge technologies, which have enabled us to achieve significant milestones, including contributing to the development of new gene therapies in humans. Yet the true key lies in the energy generated every day within our laboratories—human energy that continually fuels and renews research.

The training of young researchers is a cornerstone of our determination to continually improve. We support educational and research pathways at the world’s most prestigious scientific institutions, including Columbia University and New York University; Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio; Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Northwestern University in Chicago; Pitié-Salpêtrière in Paris; and the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology in London, among many others—amounting to a total of 190 national and international collaborations. This vibrant international cultural and scientific environment, together with fruitful partnerships with leading research centers, enables us to achieve ambitious goals and sustain an intense scientific output that is competitive on a global scale. From 2019 to today, we have produced approximately 500 international publications. Because the results of our work should have no physical or intellectual boundaries.

The mission of the “Centro Dino Ferrari” is to support researchers who are able to turn the needs of people with neurological diseases into projects aimed at finding a cure. Our physicians have created research teams focused on the needs of the people they care for every day, with love and passion. Such a close bond between clinical and scientific activity has enormous potential and can lead to tangible results with an immediate impact on treatment and care.

Without the necessary resources, our work would come to a halt. This is a fact we never forget. Part of the funding for research comes from Scientific Projects submitted to competitive national and international selection processes. Other resources are provided by private institutions, benefactors, and foundations that have believed—and continue to believe—in this meaningful investment in the cultural and social maturity of a nation.

The Associazione “Centro Dino Ferrari” ETS whose Honorary President is Engineer Piero Ferrari, who continues the work begun by his father Enzo, plays a fundamental role through its constant support and helps to carry our work forward.

From the very first day, we have looked ahead, with the youthful and curious spirit of those who know they have embarked on a long and important journey. Over the past 25 years, this path has led us to investigate therapeutic approaches that have changed the natural history of several neurological diseases. Neurology and neuroscience represent the field with the highest density of innovation in precision medicine. We dedicate a central role and dedicated space to young physicians and researchers, supporting them—together with the “Centro Dino Ferrari”—in completing their international training pathways. This training is closely linked to national and international competition, fostered through conferences and transnational exchanges. For these reasons, we have become a true hub of attraction, actively collaborating with centers from all over the world. This environment sparks interest, fuels the enthusiasm of promising young professionals from every country, and brings together the energy needed to achieve new results in the near future