University

Arianna Di Stadio, MD, PhD, MSc
Associate Professor of Otolaryngology, Link University of Rome
Clinical Research Fellow, UCL Queen Square Neurology, London

Arianna Di Stadio is an Associate Professor of Otolaryngology at Link University of Rome and a Clinical Research Fellow at UCL Queen Square Neurology in London. She completed her residency in Otolaryngology and later earned a PhD in Advanced Audiology Technology at La Sapienza University of Rome. She subsequently undertook advanced surgical training in France, completing fellowships in microsurgery at Paris 13 University and in facial plastic surgery at the University of Bordeaux. In 2024, she obtained an MSc in Clinical Neurology from UCL Queen Square Neurology.

Dr. Di Stadio served as a Senior Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School from 2015 to 2017. Upon returning to Italy, she held clinical and academic appointments at IRCCS San Camillo (Venice–Lido), the University of Padua, the University of Perugia, the University of Catania, and the University of Naples. Since 2019, she has been an Honorary Researcher at UCL Queen Square Neurology.

Her research focuses on neuro-otolaryngology, neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration, with a particular emphasis on the inner ear and olfactory system as early diagnostic windows for neurological diseases. Her work integrates sensory neuroscience, immunology, and clinical neurology, and she collaborates with international research groups across the United Kingdom, the United States, and Europe.

Dr. Di Stadio has authored more than 200 scientific publications, led or co-led over 25 clinical and translational studies, and secured more than €1.3 million in competitive research funding. Her research encompasses multiple sclerosis, post-viral neuroinflammation, cochlear and olfactory biomarkers, microglial activation, and sensory aging. She has been consistently included in Stanford University’s Top 2% Scientists Worldwide ranking, and her work has received over 3,100 citations with an h-index of 30.

She serves as Associate Editor for several international journals, including Frontiers in Neurology (Neuro-Otology), Frontiers in Audiology & Otology, and Sensory Neuroscience. Her recent book, Young Brain (2023), translates advances in neuroscience and inflammation research into strategies for protecting long-term brain health.

Dr. Di Stadio’s overarching mission is to advance understanding of how sensory systems reflect brain health and to translate this knowledge into earlier and more effective diagnostics and treatments for neurological disease.

Research Interests

• Neuroinflammation and microglial activation in sensory pathways
• Peripheral–central sensory crosstalk, particularly ear–brain and olfactory–brain communication
• Early sensory biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases and neuroinflammatory disorders
• Cochlear and olfactory physiology, with electrophysiological, behavioral, and imaging approaches
• Sensory aging and inflammation-driven changes in hearing, balance, and smell
• Post-viral sensory dysfunction, with a focus on olfactory disorders and long COVID
• Translational neuro-otology, integrating clinical findings with laboratory neuroscience
• Innovative diagnostic paradigms, including microglia-targeted approaches and sensory-based early detection tools

Curriculum Vitae