University

Emanuele Mocciaro, PhD, is a Tenure-Track Researcher (RTT) in Human Anatomy (BIOS-12/A) at “Link Campus University,” where he conducts research and teaches in the Degree Course in Medicine and Surgery and Physical Therapy.

He earned a dual international Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, USA, and in Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neuroscience from the University of Palermo.

His scientific training focused on neuroscience, human anatomy, and cellular and molecular biology.

His research activity is mainly focused on the molecular mechanisms underlying neuromuscular disorders and on the identification of new therapeutic targets, with a particular focus on facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

Furthermore, he gained experience in the study of neurogenesis and traumatic brain injury. He served as principal investigator and project leader on several competitive research projects, including projects funded by the FSHD Society and a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship under the Horizon 2020 program.

His scientific work has contributed, among other things, to the identification and characterization of epigenetic regulators of DUX4 expression—including WDR5—as potential drug targets in FSHD.

He authored several international scientific publications and has presented his findings at various national and international conferences.

Throughout his career, he has received major awards, including the FSHD Society’s Best Young Investigator Award in 2025, the award for best young researcher oral presentation at the 78th National Congress of the Italian Society of Anatomy and Histology (SIAI), and the “Mentor of the Year” award from UTMB in Galveston, USA. He also mentors and trains young researchers and is a member of national scientific societies.

He is an elected member of the scientific and organizing committee of the Interuniversity Institute of Myology (IIM) since 2020.

Curriculum Vitae