In tribute to Francesco Di Virgilio, a great scientist and a wonderful friend

Abstract

Francesco Di Virgilio, one of the giants of purinergic signalling, died suddenly on September 22, 2024, which is an immense loss to so many friends and colleagues and especially to his beloved wife, Dorianna. Here, 1 year on, we pay tribute to him and his immense contribution to our field. Francesco graduated in medicine from the University of Padova, Italy, in 1979, with what became a lifelong interest in inflammation. He then held post-doctoral positions at University College London, Padova University, and Columbia University, New York, where he became acquainted with P2X7 receptors. He then returned to Padova as an Associate Professor of Molecular Pathology before moving to the University of Ferrara in 1992, where he set up a world-leading lab that studied the roles and underlying cellular mechanisms of the action of P2X7 receptors in inflammatory pathologies. Francesco published over 370 peer-reviewed articles, which have been cited > 35,000 times, giving him an H-index > 100. In addition, he filed several patents related to purinergic signalling. He also collaborated extensively, both within the University of Ferrara and worldwide, including in universities in the UK, Spain, Germany, the USA, and Brazil. Francesco was a man of great passion and intellect, who possessed scientific vision, intuition, and integrity, and he became the go-to world expert on P2X7 receptors and inflammation. We have lost a giant in the field and a dear friend, but he leaves behind an exceptional body of work, an outstanding legacy, and many friends who will miss him.

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