Founder and Honorary President
from 1981 to 1988
Eng. Enzo Ferrari
Director
Neurological Clinic Institute
from 1980 to 2002
Prof. Gugliemo Scarlato
The Story
The ‘Centro Dino Ferrari" and the Association
Every great story comes to life from an invisible engine, capable of driving dreams forward and transforming pain into action. The engine of the Centro Dino Ferrari is fueled by a profound feeling: the unwavering love of Eng. Enzo Ferrari for his son Dino, who passed away at just 24 years old due to Muscular Dystrophy.
Determined to give lasting meaning to that loss, Eng. Enzo Ferrari embraced the visionary project of Prof. Guglielmo Scarlato: to train a new generation of researchers ready to challenge neuromuscular, neurodegenerative, and cerebrovascular diseases. From this shared vision, in 1981, a strong and forward-looking idea took shape—one that in just a few years would lay the foundations for the establishment of the Centro Dino Ferrari and the Associazione “Centro Dino Ferrari” ETS.
Founder and Honorary President
from 1981 to 1988
Eng. Enzo Ferrari
Director
Neurological Clinic Institute
from 1980 to 2002
Prof. Gugliemo Scarlato
The commitment I have felt for years in the fight against muscular dystrophy will thus remain alive, regardless of my own existence.
On January 19, 1932, Dino Ferrari was born, the firstborn of Eng. Enzo Ferrari. A young talent in engineering and automotive design, Dino immediately showed an extraordinary passion for the world of racing.
Unfortunately, at just 24 years old, his promising career was cut short by Muscular Dystrophy, a disease that took him away far too soon. His father Enzo remembered him this way: “Dino was born into racing and with racing. He was consumed by an exclusive passion for this sport, and he knew how to handle the cars I could give him with effortless skill.”
To honor his memory and turn his grief into a concrete commitment, Eng. Enzo Ferrari chose not only to dedicate a sports car under the Dino brand to him, but also to actively support scientific research against the disease that struck him.
The Origins
In 1980, Prof. Guglielmo Scarlato, director of the Neurological Clinic of the University of Milan – Policlinico Hospital, dreamed of training a new generation of doctors and researchers specialized in neuromuscular, neurodegenerative, and cerebrovascular diseases.
To achieve this goal, resources, tools, and advanced training were needed. At a time when state funding for research was limited, Scarlato found a visionary ally:
Eng. Enzo Ferrari.
The Birth of the Center
Sensitive to the value of medical research and driven by a personal commitment, Ferrari supported the training of young neurologists, funding their specialization at international centers of excellence.
The project gained momentum, and in 1981, the “Centro Dino Ferrari” of the University of Milan was established, dedicated to the diagnosis, therapy, and research of neuromuscular, neurodegenerative, and cerebrovascular diseases. Equipped with cutting-edge technologies, the Center quickly gained recognition in the international scientific community, publishing in prestigious journals such as Lancet, Neurology, Nature, Science, and others.
Throughout its history, the Center’s activities, initially focused exclusively on neuromuscular diseases (such as muscular dystrophies), have gradually expanded. This evolution was made possible thanks to the vision of Eng. Enzo Ferrari and, later, Eng. Piero Ferrari, including:
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Neurodegenerative diseases (such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Multiple Sclerosis, Spinal Muscular Atrophies, Charcot-Marie-Tooth – CMT)
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Cerebrovascular disorders (such as strokes, brain hemorrhages, amyloid angiopathies)
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Other severely disabling neurological diseases, which can affect individuals from early childhood through adulthood.
Currently, the Center is directed by Professor Giacomo Comi.
The Birth of the Association
In 1984, the Associazione “Centro Dino Ferrari” ETS was also founded, and a Board of Directors was established, then chaired by Anna Maria Craxi Moncini and Eng. Enzo Ferrari, who served as Founder and Honorary President until his passing. The foundation was also supported by a small group of members, including Manuela Consensi Dini, who today, as Vice President and Secretary General, continues to steer an organization active for over 45 years.
Together with her, Dr. Marialuisa Trussardi, as President, and Eng. Piero Ferrari, as Honorary President, passionately carry forward the mission of Eng. Enzo Ferrari.
Over the years, the position of President, after Anna Maria Craxi Moncini, has been held by Guglielmo Scarlato, Alberto Rusconi, Angelo Moratti, and since 2004, Marialuisa Gavazzeni Trussardi.
Eng. Piero Ferrari, son of the founder and brother of Dino, has held the role of Honorary President since 1988.
I intend to continue the work begun by my late father, Eng. Enzo Ferrari, who created the “Centro Dino Ferrari” and the Association, so that through the advancement and support of scientific research it may be possible to eradicate these terrible diseases.
