Francesco Pocchiari (25 June 1924,

Melfi Melfi (Neapolitan language, Lucano: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the Vulture area of the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. Geographically, it is midway between Naples and Bari. In 2015 it had a population of 17,7 ...

- 2 January 1989, Rome) was an Italian chemist and pharmacologist, researcher in microbiology and biological chemistry. He was the director of the

Istituto Superiore di Sanità The ''Istituto Superiore di Sanità'' (Italian National Institute of Health, literally 'Higher Health Institute'), also ISS, is an Italian public institution that, as the leading technical-scientific body of the Italian National Health Service (' ...

between 1972 and 1989. In honor of his memory, the Francesco Pocchiari Fellowship was established in 1991 with funds provided by the Italian Government.

Biography

Pocchiari was born on 25 June 1924 in

, in the province of

Potenza Potenza (, also , ; , Potentino dialect: ''Putenz'') is a ''comune'' in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata (former Lucania). Capital of the Province of Potenza and the Basilicata region, the city is the highest regional capital and one ...

. He graduated chemistry in 1948 from the

Sapienza University of Rome The Sapienza University of Rome ( it, Sapienza – Università di Roma), also called simply Sapienza or the University of Rome, and formally the Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza", is a Public university, public research university l ...

. He started as a researcher in 1949 at the Laboratory of Chemical Microbiology of the

together with

Ernst Boris Chain Sir Ernst Boris Chain (19 June 1906 – 12 August 1979) was a German-born British biochemist best known for being a co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on penicillin. Life and career Chain was born in Ber ...

. In 1969, he was appointed director of the biological chemistry laboratory of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità and, in 1971, he became a director of the institute, a position he would hold until his death. During his more than sixteen tenure, Pocchiari faced delicate and serious issues including the 1973 cholera epidemic in Naples. There also he collaborated with

Rita Levi Montalcini Rita Levi-Montalcini (, ; 22 April 1909 – 30 December 2012) was an Italian Nobel laureate, honored for her work in neurobiology. She was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with colleague Stanley Cohen for the ...

who, together with Pocchiari, carried out fundamental research to guarantee her the

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or medicine. The Nobel Prize is not a single prize, but five separate prizes that, accord ...

in 1986. In 1954, he also graduated in pharmacy; two years later, he became a professor of applied biochemistry at the Sapienza University of Rome and also taught at the universities of

Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...

and

Bari Bari ( , ; nap, label= Barese, Bare ; lat, Barium) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, southern Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy a ...

. He also writes articles for medical journals such as

Brain Research ''Brain Research'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal focusing on several aspects of neuroscience. It publishes research reports and " minireviews". The editor-in-chief is Matthew J. LaVoie (University of Florida). Until 2011, full reviews were ...

Biochemical Journal The ''Biochemical Journal'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal which covers all aspects of biochemistry, as well as cell and molecular biology. It is published by Portland Press and was established in 1906. History The journal was established i ...

, Lancet,

Nature Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physics, physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomenon, phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. ...

and is a member of Italian and international scientific committees such as the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...

(WHO) Executive Committee in Geneva, and the European Council for Medical Research in Strasbourg. Pocchiari's achievements in the field of public health research are documented in the book "Accidental exposure to

dioxins Dioxin may refer to: * 1,2-Dioxin or 1,4-Dioxin, two unsaturated heterocyclic 6-membered rings where two carbon atoms have been replaced by oxygen atoms, giving the molecular formula C4H4O2 *Dibenzo-1,4-dioxin, the parent compound also known as ...

: human health aspects," which he co-edited with Frederick Coulston. After his death, the Aula Magna of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità was dedicated to him. In honor of his memory, the Francesco Pocchiari Fellowship was established in 1991 with funds provided by the Italian Government. This fellowship is administered by the WHO and is awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to public health research. The fellowship was initially endowed with US$104,960 from the Italian Government. Pocchiari was married with three children. He died on 2 January 1989 in Rome.

References

{{Authority control 1924 births 1989 deaths Italian chemists Italian pharmacists Sapienza University of Rome alumni Academic staff of the Sapienza University of Rome Academic staff of the University of Bari Academic staff of the University of Bologna