Education
1979 High school certificate: Liceo Scientifico "Belfiore", Mantova.
1985 Medical Degree: University of Brescia (cum laude) and registration to the Order of Physicians, number of medical license 04443.
1990 Specialization in Internal Medicine, University of Brescia (cum laude).
1994 Specialization in Cardiology, University of Pavia
Previous and present position
1985-1989 Clinica Medica, University of Brescia.
1989 Visiting Researcher, Department of Pharmacology, University of Aarhus, Danmark
1989 Clinical Assistant, Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit, Spedali Civili di Brescia
1990 Clinical Assistant, Clinica Medica, University of Brescia.
1991 Clinical Assistant, Patologia Medica, University of Brescia.
1998 Clinical Assistant, Internal Medicine, University of Brescia.
1999 Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine, University of Brescia.
2001 Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, University of Brescia
Awarding
In 1986 he passed the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination in the Medical Sciences (FMGEMS) with a score of 80/100. In 1987 he was awarded the Roussel Institute Fellowship for a research on cardiovascular changes during ageing. In 1987 he was awarded the Formenti Prize for a research on cardiovascular effects of ketanserin in aged hypertensive patients. In 1989 he was awarded a Fellowship of the Italian Society of Hypertension for a research on cardiovascular effects of adrenaline in normotensive subjects with and without family history of hypertension. In 1995 he was awarded a Fellowship of the Italian Society of Hypertension for a research on the effects of antihypertensive therapy with ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers on structural alterations in small resistance arteries of spontaneously hypertensive rats.
Memberships
Member of the Italian Society of Hypertension; Member of the Italian Society of Cardiology; Member of the American Society of Hypertension; Member of the Italian Federation for Sport Medicine; Member of a Working Group of the National Research Council (CNR) (since 1985); Member of the European Society of Hypertension; Member of the High Blood Pressure Research Council of the American Heart Association; Member of the International Society of Hypertension; Member of the Editorial Board of Hypertension and Journal of Hypertension.
Scientific Interests
The interests of Prof. Rizzoni have focused on the following topics: (1) Neural and hormonal influences on renal sodium excretion in arterial hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases. In particular: renal noradrenergic and dopaminergic systems, natriuretic hormones; (2) Clinical pharmacology and therapy of antihypertensive agents; (3) Non invasive ambulatory blood pressure monitoring; (4) Cardiopulmonary receptors control of heart rate, blood pressure and incretion of several hormones (ANP, ADH, PRA, aldosterone); (5) Cardiovascular vascular structural and functional changes in hypertension, diabetes mellitus, acromegaly, etc; (6) Determinants and clinical significance of structural alterations in the microcirculation. More than 900 publications (abstracts, papers), 152 of them in PubMed/Medline. Impact factor: > 700 (JCR 2007)
Clinical activity
Prof. Damiano Rizzoni works in a University Clinical Department (88 beds of Internal Medicine + 8 beds in a medicine intensive care unit).
Teaching activity
Prof. Damiano Rizzoni teaches Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine and Clinical Therapeutics in the University of Brescia School of Medicine
Clinical Trials
Prof. Damiano Rizzoni participated as principal investigator or co-investigator to many international and national clinical trials (in accordance to GCP) on cardiovascular disease.