CATANZARO – 30 JUNE 2025. The international workshop "Artificial Intelligence and Liquid Biopsy at the Forefront of Personalized Medicine," hosted by the "Magna Graecia" University of Catanzaro on June 26 and 27, concluded with great participation and satisfaction. Two intense days of discussion between science, institutions, and industry, which brought together experts from all over the world to discuss the frontiers of healthcare innovation.
Organized by the Department of Health Sciences in collaboration with AISDET (Italian Association of Digital Health and Telemedicine), the workshop was scientifically directed by Professor Natalia Malara, oncologist at UMG, and Dr. Giorgia Zunino, healthcare innovation expert and scientific director of Hedu-X. The program offered a packed schedule of keynote lectures, round tables, technical sessions, and institutional moments, with nationally and internationally renowned guests.
Among the main speakers: Professor Alarice Lowe from Stanford University, who gave a keynote lecture on liquid biopsy and personalized medicine; Senator Annamaria Parente emphasized ethics and safety in the use of artificial intelligence; Umberto Malapelle, president-elect of the International Society of Liquid Biopsy, who closed the event with a reflection on the prospects of personalized medicine.
The event was opened by the Rector of the Magna Graecia University, Professor Giovanni Cuda, Director of the Department of Health Sciences, Professor Francesco Luzza, director of the Department of Health Sciences, and Professor Mario Cannataro, president of the PhD in AI applied to medicine.
"Today, everyone is talking about artificial intelligence, but the real goal is to move beyond the phase of enthusiasm to consolidate sustainable strategies and models. After the hype curve, disillusionment often follows: that's when perseverance is needed to turn ideas into a System," explains Dr. Giorgia Zunino, Innovation Manager and co-scientific director of the workshop. "The Master's program we have launched, born in the South and strongly supported by open leadership, demonstrates that virtuous examples can emerge even from less central contexts. In Catanzaro, I found a cohesive, welcoming, and innovative environment, where students, teachers, and managers work together for a common vision. The participation of national and international guests – like Stanford – confirms the value of this project. It shows that Calabria can be a protagonist in the global dialogue between technology and medicine. The goal is to bring together different languages and approaches to build a sustainable healthcare future. AI can revolutionize primary prevention and help keep our healthcare system afloat. But vision, collaboration, and the courage to unite skills that today still move too separately are needed. It's not just about innovation: it's about responsibility and the future. And it's wonderful to be part of it."
Professor Corrado Giustozzi, professor of Cybersecurity at the Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, brought an essential point of view to the debate on Artificial Intelligence: that of security. Although not speaking as a lecturer, he moderated a session of the workshop and is a lecturer in the Master's program. His lecture was dedicated to the risks and vulnerabilities of AI, rather than its benefits. "We often talk about the potential of artificial intelligence, much less about its critical issues," he explained. Giustozzi warned against external manipulations – by criminals or hostile actors – that could compromise AI systems, causing systematic errors, for example in medical diagnoses. The only way to prevent such scenarios, he reiterated, is widespread and transversal awareness, involving developers, policymakers, and users. "For years, cars didn't have seat belts. Only after many accidents did we realize the need. With AI, we need to be faster."
Dr. Alfredo Cesario, innovation manager at the Gemelli Foundation, emphasized the strategic value of events like the workshop, capable of fostering dialogue between biological technologies and artificial intelligence. "We are at a decisive crossroads," he said, "and it is essential that innovation remains patient-centered and does not limit itself to the technical dimension alone." He reiterated the need to broaden the debate to issues such as ethics, privacy, regulation, and economic sustainability, as many innovations risk not reaching the patient if the healthcare system is not ready to receive them. "Today we are in the phase of falling in love with AI," he said, "but we need to move to building a stable and functional relationship." Cesario also pointed out that many technologies now classified as AI – such as machine learning and deep learning – have been known tools for years, only now entering common language. "The challenge is to use them consciously to do good."
Dr. Francesco Riva, CNEL advisor, highlighted the importance of internationally oriented meetings hosted in universities like Catanzaro, capable of showcasing quality and potential. "Today I discovered a modern, dynamic, well-structured, almost Northern European reality," he said. He recalled that CNEL's task is to promote work and protect workers, but to do so it is essential to train a solid leadership class, capable of exporting skills and ideas. "Your University can fully enter a European path," he added, guaranteeing maximum willingness to collaborate. On the artificial intelligence front, he stressed that the real issue is data quality: "Data is only safe if entered correctly. In medicine, this is crucial, because AI is already a reality in radiology and pathological anatomy." Training students to use it competently means improving therapeutic pathways and the healthcare of the future.
Professor Tiziana Montalcini, president of the University Library System of the Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, highlighted the value of training and internationalization for a young university like the Calabrian one. "Events of this kind not only spread the quality of research, but also strengthen international collaborations," she said, emphasizing that research is by nature without borders. The Library System, thanks to recent investments, has become a reference point for teaching and research, with modern and functional spaces such as the multimedia area and the theater that hosted the workshop. "Today we host world-renowned experts in oncology and artificial intelligence, and this is a strong signal of the recognition we are receiving," she added. The commitment, she concluded, is to continue to offer spaces and content up to the challenges of global science and culture.
The workshop also hosted high-profile scientific contributions from experts such as Marco Tagliamento, Franco Fulciniti, Luigina Romani, Angela Torsello, Cesare Furlanello and the president of Anvur, Professor Antonio Felice Urlicchio, who presented advanced cases and applications of liquid biopsy and artificial intelligence in oncology and diagnostics. Also present was Dr. Lizia Ingallina representing the "Jole Santelli" Association, which deals with prevention.
The event concluded with the Master's degree award ceremony on AI and Liquid Biopsy, introduced by Marilù Vigarelli, president of the "Amici di Matteo" Association, and with a guided tour for international guests to discover the cultural and landscape heritage of Calabria.
One of the most intense moments of participation and conviviality was the evening at Villa Contressi with the Maiolo staff, thanks to the delicacies prepared by chef Sorgiovanni.
The event represented not only an opportunity for updating and discussion among specialists, but also a moment for building new networks of scientific and cultural collaboration. As the claim chosen for the initiative says: "Practicing medicine without technology is like sailing without a compass; using technology without humanity is like sailing without a sea".