Convegno Annuale LIRH 2026

Raffaella Cesaroni
Raffaella Cesaroni is a journalist and news presenter at Sky TG24, where she has covered news and press reviews since 2003. Specializing in science and healthcare, she has produced and hosted HEALTH, a weekly program dedicated to health and healthcare, since December 2022. Throughout her career, she has conducted numerous investigations and in-depth reports on key topics such as vaccines, sepsis, autism, immunology, medical misinformation, and global health, interviewing prominent figures in Italy and internationally. She has received several awards for her commitment to science communication, including the National "Comunicare il Cancro" Award, the AIOM "Giovanni Maria Pace" Journalism Award, and the Assobiotec Media Award.

Annarita Ciociola
Annarita Ciociola is a nurse with a degree in Administrative Sciences from the University of Trieste. Since 2024, she has been President of LIRH FVG, an association established following an encounter with the LIRH Foundation and a shared desire to spread knowledge, information, and hope about Huntington's disease at the local level. She firmly believes in the importance of the LIRH network in reaching as many families as possible, sharing a challenging journey, raising awareness among institutions, and working together to find solutions to the many needs of people affected by the disease and their caregivers.

Barbara D'Alessio
President and CEO of the LIRH Foundation, Barbara D'Alessio holds a law degree from Sapienza University of Rome, as well as a Master's in Marketing Management and a Master's in Patient Advocacy Management. She has more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, including management, planning, communication, and international relations. She has been active in the Huntington's disease community since 2012.

Ilaria Giunzoni
Ilaria Giunzoni earned a degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology and a PhD in Pharmacological Sciences from the University of Milan. After a period of postdoctoral research in the United States, she joined the pharmaceutical industry in 2016. She has worked at Novartis since 2021, where she currently serves as Senior Director of Medical Safety for the votoplam program in Huntington's disease.

Rosario Incognito
Rosario Incognito, from Palermo, is President of Associazione LIRH Sicilia, founded in April 2026 to establish a support network for families affected by Huntington's disease in Sicily. His commitment stems from his personal experience as a caregiver for his wife, which brought him face to face with the care-related and family challenges associated with the disease. Through conversations with other families, he recognized the importance of building a community in which experiences and needs can be shared. Today, he promotes awareness of the disease, improvements in local care services, and collaboration with the LIRH Foundation to encourage informed care pathways that respect the dignity of individuals and their families.

Maurizio Inghilleri
Professor Maurizio Inghilleri is an experienced neurologist and a leading figure in research and treatment of motor neuron diseases and rare neuromuscular disorders, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He is currently Director of the ALS and Rare Neuromuscular Diseases Center at Policlinico Umberto I and Associate Professor of Neurology at Sapienza University of Rome. Specializing in neurophysiology and neuromodulation, Professor Inghilleri is recognized for his work on electromyography, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and advanced therapies for managing neuromuscular disorders. He has coordinated numerous clinical trials and collaborated with international institutions to develop innovative treatments. He has authored more than 227 scientific publications in international journals and received numerous awards for his contributions to neurological research.

Negar Karimian
Negar Karimian is a physician-scientist with MD, MSc, and PhD degrees and more than a decade of experience spanning academic research and pharmaceutical clinical development. She currently serves as Executive Medical Director at uniQure, supporting the AMT-130 gene therapy program for Huntington's disease. Previously, she held Medical Director positions at Ipsen and Galapagos, leading global pivotal clinical trials in rare and ultra-rare diseases. Most recently, she served as Clinical Development Lead for fidrisertib, a treatment for fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP).

Sandra Petraglia
Sandra Petraglia is Director of the Pre-Authorization Department at the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA), where she coordinates activities relating to early access to medicines, clinical trials, and AIFA funding calls for independent research. Since 2015, she has served as Italy's delegate to European clinical trial network groups involving National Competent Authorities, the European Commission, and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), actively contributing to the implementation of national and European clinical trial regulations. She also represents AIFA in the European ACT EU initiative (Accelerating Clinical Trials in the EU). She joined AIFA in 2004 and, until 2015, coordinated European authorization procedures, including clinical assessments of medicines submitted for authorization. Previously, she served as Secretary of the Medicines Advertising Commission at the Italian Ministry of Health. A physician specializing in Dermatology, she holds a PhD in Dermatological Immunology. Before joining AIFA, she worked in clinical and academic settings in oncology and dermatological immunotherapy.

Luciano Quaglia
Luciano Quaglia, 62, is President of LIRH Piemonte, based in Cavour (Turin). A self-employed craftsman, he is a husband, father of two, and caregiver. His personal and family experiences inform his commitment to the association.

Giuseppe Scandale
Giuseppe Scandale, 77, is retired and serves as President of LIRH Toscana, an association made up of family members living with the impact of Huntington's disease. He was a caregiver for his wife and other relatives for more than 20 years. He has devoted much of his life to volunteer associations, serving in several leadership roles, including as president. He is currently committed to supporting families affected by Huntington's disease and raising awareness through outreach and educational initiatives.

Marta Scocchia
Marta Scocchia holds a Master's degree in Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychological Rehabilitation from Sapienza University of Rome. She is currently attending a postgraduate specialization program in Integrated Cognitive-Neuropsychological Psychotherapy. She is licensed to practice as a psychologist.

Maria Salvina Signorelli
Maria Salvina Signorelli is a psychiatrist and psychotherapist, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Catania, and Director of the university's School of Specialization in Psychiatry. Her research interests include mood disorders, consultation-liaison psychiatry, and adolescent psychopathology.

Ferdinando Squitieri
Ferdinando Squitieri is a neurologist with a PhD in Neurobiology. He has conducted therapeutic trials and coordinated research programs on Huntington's disease for more than 30 years. He directs the Huntington's and Rare Diseases Unit at the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza Research Hospital in San Giovanni Rotondo and is Co-Founder and Scientific Director of the Italian Huntington Research League (LIRH) Foundation and its Center for Rare Neurological Diseases in Rome.

Alessia Zurru
Alessia Zurru holds a degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Cagliari and a Master's in Science Journalism and Communication from the University of Ferrara. Since 2022, she has been President of LIRH Sardegna ETS, an association founded through the collaboration of the LIRH Foundation and a group of Sardinian families united by the desire to overcome isolation and take an active role at the regional level. Nearly five years after the association was founded, she remains firmly convinced that they are on the right path and that every step forward taken together, however small, can make the journey less difficult for those who would otherwise have to face it alone.