OUR ROLE
The Scientific Directorate of the IRCCS of Candiolo—an IRCCS (Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalisation and Healthcare) specialised in oncology — ensures that all research activities meet the highest standards of scientific quality, methodological rigour, and ethics. Through continuous collaboration with the Directorate of Advanced Clinical Research and Innovation, as well as with clinical units and research laboratories, the Directorate ensures that scientific innovation translates into tangible benefits for patients, helping to improve diagnoses, therapies, and the quality of life of people affected by cancer.
The guiding objective of every action is to transform knowledge into care, fostering dialogue between research and clinical practice within a framework of open, interdisciplinary, and future-oriented collaboration.
Scientific Director
Prof. Anna
SAPINO
Anatomical Pathologist
Vision
Contribute to a future in which every cancer patient can receive personalised, effective care grounded in solid scientific evidence.
Mission
Promote research that arises from the real needs of patients and clinical practice, and that returns to the patient’s bedside in the form of new knowledge, diagnostic tools, and increasingly effective therapies. At our Institute, research and care move forward together in a continuous, bidirectional dialogue: clinical challenges observed in patients become the starting point for new research projects, while scientific results are rapidly translated into medical practice.
This approach makes it possible to turn clinical experience into scientific innovation and, at the same time, to ensure that every discovery—such as the identification of new tumour markers or therapeutic targets—is translated into tangible tools to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life of cancer patients.
WHAT WE DO.
The Scientific Directorate coordinates and promotes all research activities of the Institute, in accordance with the guidelines defined by the Ministry of Health for IRCCSs. Scientific Hospitalization and Treatment Institutes represent a unique reality in the Italian healthcare scene: they are hospitals of excellence in which high-specialty clinical care is integrated with advanced scientific research, with the common goal of transforming scientific discoveries into tangible improvements for patients’ health.
The Scientific Directorate of IRCCS Candiolo works to:
Coordinate research programs and ensure their strategic coherence
Promote collaboration between research groups and clinical departments
Ensure compliance with ethical principles and scientific quality
Supporting the training and growth of young researchers
Enhancing the dissemination and impact of scientific results
IL FINANZIAMENTO DELLA RICERCA
The Institute’s research activities are made possible through an integrated funding system that combines public resources and private contributions.
In particular, the Ministry of Health supports and oversees Current Research Funding, ensuring that every project is aligned with the public interest and delivers direct benefits for patient care. Thanks to these funds, the IRCCS of Candiolo develops studies and programmes that make a significant contribution to improving cancer diagnosis, treatment, and care.
This support is complemented by the essential contribution of the Fondazione Piemontese per la Ricerca sul Cancro (FPRC), which funds numerous activities through 5×1000 donations, generously given by citizens from Piedmont and beyond. The FPRC’s contribution is a valuable resource that helps broaden the scope of research and accelerate the translation of scientific results into clinical practice.
Other leading institutions also play an important role, including the Fondazione AIRC, the European Union, banking foundations, and many public and private organisations that believe in the value of the research conducted in Candiolo.
Thanks to their support—and to the daily commitment of researchers, physicians, and healthcare staff—the Institute continues to be a national and international reference point in oncology research.
Support research
THE LINES OF RESEARCH
As part of the Current Research funded by the Ministry of Health, the Candiolo IRCCS develops three main lines of research, articulated in specific projects conducted by multidisciplinary teams of researchers and clinicians.
Development of molecular markers/targets and translational platforms for precision cancer medicine.
The goal is to identify new bio-markers and therapeutic targets for the personalization of cancer treatments and the development of technology platforms useful for precision medicine.
New strategies for diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up in oncology.
The goal is to optimize diagnostic-therapeutic pathways through innovative approaches, advanced methodologies and emerging technologies, improving the overall care of the cancer patient.
Development of integrated models for clinical-care management of the oncology patient.
The goal is to create and validate organizational and management models that foster integrated and coordinated care, from diagnosis to rehabilitation, with a patient-centered vision and quality of life.