Roberto Penagini

Professor Roberto Penagini is a specialist consultant in Gastroenterology at the Casa di Cura La Madonnina and a lecturer in Gastroenterology at the University of Milan, with a direct attribution as a retired lecturer by the Interdepartmental Teaching Board. He also collaborates with the UOC of Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy at the Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico in Milan.

After graduating in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Milan in 1980, he specialized in Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy at the same university in 1984.

Following his specialization, from 1985 to 1987, he served as an Honorary Registrar at the Department of Gastroenterology at Central Middlesex Hospital in London (UK), where he deepened his clinical and endoscopic skills in gastroenterology and conducted research on the pathophysiology of esophageal and intestinal diseases.

From 1993 to 1994, he was a visiting scientist at the Gastroenterology Unit of the Royal Adelaide Hospital (AU).

In 1995, he obtained the European Diploma in Gastroenterology awarded by the European Board of Gastroenterology, followed by the Advanced European Diploma in Gastroenterology in 1997 for therapeutic endoscopy, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, manometric, and pH studies.

From 1987 to 2022, Professor Penagini worked steadily at the Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico in Milan, first as a hospital director and from 2002 as a contracted University Professor, where he was responsible for the Digestive Endoscopy Service for 18 years and also served as the reference for esophageal achalasia (RI0010) and eosinophilic esophagitis/gastroenteritis (RI0030).

He has held various prestigious roles in scientific societies:

• Member of the Executive Board and Vice-President of the Italian Society of Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy (SIGE) from 2009 to 2012.
• Member of the Committees of National Scientific Societies and Public Affairs at the European Society of Gastroenterology (UEG) from 2011 to 2015.
• President of the Italian Society of Neurogastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Motility (SINGEM) from 2013 to 2017.

In addition, he has been involved in teaching activities over the years, both within the Master's degree program in Medicine and Surgery and the Specialization Schools at the University of Milan, as well as at the European Society of Gastroenterology (UEG), where he serves as the Director of the Summer School of Gastroenterology until 2024.

Regarding the clinical field, Professor Penagini is particularly interested in:

• Motor diseases of the esophagus, such as achalasia;
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD);
• Esophagitis and eosinophilic gastroenteritis;
• Functional gastrointestinal disorders such as functional dyspepsia, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticular disease, and chronic constipation;

An expert in esophageal functional diagnostics (HR manometry, pH-impedance measurements, telemetric capsule pHmetry), he routinely performs esophagogastroduodenoscopies, esophageal dilations in benign diseases (over 2000 to date), colonoscopies, and polypectomies.

He has also made significant contributions to research with 213 papers published in international peer-reviewed journals, an H index of 38, and 6366 citations (source: Scopus). His scientific interests mainly focus on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of esophageal diseases, endoscopic treatment of biliary complications following liver transplants, and training in digestive endoscopy using simulators. Recently, he has also focused on studying SARS-CoV-2 in the gastroenterological context, both from a clinical perspective and regarding the organizational aspects of digestive endoscopy.