The Embassy of Italy in Canberra, in collaboration with the Consulate General of Italy in Sydney and the Italian Cultural Institute, presents an engaging and informative evening featuring Professor Cristina Basso, Professor of Pathological Anatomy at the Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health at the University of Padua, in conversation with Professor Franco Impellizzeri, Professor of Sport and Exercise Science and Medicine at the Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney (UTS).
The discussion will focus on the complex relationship between cardiac health and physical activity. While the benefits of regular exercise for overall health are well documented — including reduced mortality from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and metabolic conditions — the paradox of sudden cardiac death in seemingly healthy individuals, including athletes, persists.
Professor Basso will present the latest findings from her research and share insights drawn from the extensive clinical and scientific experience of the University of Padua and the North-East region of Italy.
Adding a personal perspective as an athlete, Andrea Melisi, professional padel and tennis player, will share his journey as a young athlete in Italy and his current role as a professional tennis coach in Australia.
The event will be moderated by Marco Lazzarino, Scientific Attaché at the Embassy of Italy in Canberra.
Professor Cristina Basso graduated in Medicine in 1990 and is currently Full Professor of Pathological Anatomy and Vice-Rector for International Relations at the University of Padua. A cardiologist, pathologist, and PhD in Cardiological Sciences, she is Director of the Cardiovascular Pathology Unit at the University-Hospital of Padua and of the Cardio-Cerebro-Vascular Pathology Registry of the Veneto Region.
Since 2013, she has been Director of the Advanced Master in Cardiovascular Pathology at the University of Padua and tutor for medical students and for PhD students in the Translational Special Medicine program “G.B. Morgagni”.
She collaborates in international research networks and coordinates activities among the Units of Pathological Anatomy, Interventional Cardiology, Cardiac Surgery, and Forensic Medicine in the Veneto Region, with a special focus on endomyocardial biopsies and cases of sudden juvenile death.
Franco Impellizzeri has been Professor of Sport and Exercise Science and Medicine at the Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney (UTS) since 2018, where he teaches research methodology. He began his career at a private corporate sports research center (MAPEI, Italy), providing training and performance testing support to elite and professional athletes across various disciplines. He later worked for ten years in a clinical setting as head of the Lower Limb Clinical Outcome Unit at the Research and Development Department of the Schulthess Klinik in Zurich, Switzerland. During this time, his research focused on clinical outcomes and clinimetrics (patient-reported outcome measures).
The conference will be held in English.
To reserve your place, click HERE.
