Raffaele De Francesco is a molecular virologist and antiviral expert with over 40 years of experience in academia and industry. He is internationally recognized for pioneering work on the molecular virology of hepatitis C virus (HCV). His work on HCV contributed to the discovery and development of direct-acting antivirals that can cure chronic hepatitis C. He holds a doctoral degree in Biology from the University of Milan and completed postdoctoral training at Emory University and EMBL Heidelberg. From 1991 to 2008, he led drug discovery teams in virology at IRBM/Merck Research Laboratories, contributing to the discovery of several approved drugs. Since 2008, he has directed the Virology Laboratory at INGM, Milan, and was appointed Full Professor of Microbiology at the University of Milan in 2019. He has published over 170 peer-reviewed papers (H-index 72) and is inventor on multiple international patents. His current research focuses on novel antivirals against hepatitis B virus.Raffaele De Francesco is a molecular virologist and antiviral expert with over 40 years of experience in academia and industry. He is internationally recognized for pioneering work on the molecular virology of hepatitis C virus (HCV). His work on HCV contributed to the discovery and development of direct-acting antivirals that can cure chronic hepatitis C. He holds a doctoral degree in Biology from the University of Milan and completed postdoctoral training at Emory University and EMBL Heidelberg. From 1991 to 2008, he led drug discovery teams in virology at IRBM/Merck Research Laboratories, contributing to the discovery of several approved drugs. Since 2008, he has directed the Virology Laboratory at INGM, Milan, and was appointed Full Professor of Microbiology at the University of Milan in 2019. He has published over 170 peer-reviewed papers (H-index 72) and is inventor on multiple international patents. His current research focuses on novel antivirals against hepatitis B virus.
