LOCATION: Giustinianeo Hospital, II Floor, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padua

DIRECTOR: Prof Angelo Moretto

Secretary Rossella Zorzan; Telephone :049 8212572; E-mail: rossella.zorzan@unipd.it

The Occupational Medicine Unit deals with the prevention and diagnosis of occupational diseases. It is characterized by the activities of analysis and assessment of chemical, physical, biological and ergonomic risks, both in the workplace and life environments, in order to implement the most suitable primary and secondary prevention strategies, the latter in particular through the health surveillance of subjects exposed to specific risks. The most important areas of research include the study of occupational exposure assessment to chemicals, toxicology of xenobiotics, occupational and environmental carcinogenesis, genome- environment interaction in the development of chronic degenerative diseases, biological aging, health effects of urban pollution, occupational respiratory diseases, health promotion, prevention of allergic / immunological pathologies and infectious diseases. The main pathologies considered are: occupational pathologies; allergic/immunological pathologies; environmental communicable and non-communicable diseases.

The main methodologies available are chemical analyses (HPLC-Fluorescence, HPLC-UV, HPLC-MS, GC, GC-MS, GC-MS-MS), metal analyses (ICP-MS, Fluorimeter, Spectrophotometer UV-Vis) and molecular analyses (PCR, Real-Time PCR, Epigenetics), aerobiological pollen monitoring.

Certifications

Since 2016 UNI EN ISO 9001: 2015 Certified Quality Management System

The following outpatient specialist services are provided:

Allergy ambulatory, the only center in the Veneto region dedicated to the diagnosis of all types of occupational allergy diseases (skin, respiratory, systemic reactions), including the analysis of precipitating antibodies for the diagnosis of hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and diagnosis of severe systemic allergy diseases including diagnosis and therapy of hymenoptera venom.

Occupational Medicine ambulatory, specialized mainly in the clinical, etiological and medico-legal diagnosis of work-related diseases and, for these activities, is INAIL consultant. It is also consultant for the hospital departments in cases of suspected occupational disease and in the assessment of post-hospital work capacity.

Respiratory Pathophysiology of Occupational Medicine, the only center in Northeast Italy that performs: 1) specific provocation tests for the etiological diagnosis of occupational asthma, including that of low molecular weight chemical compounds; 2) induced sputum examination in order to characterize the inflammation of the airways in a non-invasive way (for the diagnosis of asthma, eosinophilic bronchitis; for the prediction of the efficacy of corticosteroid treatment); 3) to confirm objectively, but not invasively, exposure to asbestos by searching for asbestos corpuscles.

Environmental and genome mutagenesis laboratory, expert in biological monitoring of carcinogens, specifically polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, epigenetic of environmental exposures, biological age determination, and analysis of individual susceptibility on a genetic basis.

Industrial Hygiene Service, specialized in environmental and biological monitoring for the assessment of exposure to chemicals in the work and living environment; measurement of physical risk agents in the workplace.

Industrial Toxicology Service, specialized in biological monitoring for the assessment of exposure to  metals including the assessment of the transfer of metals in the body from prostheses; reference center for the study of Porphyrias.

Ergonomics service is the reference center for risk assessment of biomechanical risks in the workplace, studing and diagnosis of work-related musculosketal disorders.

Preventive Medicine Service for Hospital Workers performs health prevention and promotion activities for  risks in the hospital environment and health surveillance of the Padova University Hospital employees (including workers exposed to ionizing radiation); collaborates in risk assessment and information and training activities for workers.

Preventive Medicine Service for University Workers performs health control, prevention and health protection for risks in the university workplace and health surveillance of university employees.

Medical radiation protection service of University: performs health surveillance of the university workers occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation.

Preventive Medicine Service for Workers performs health control, prevention and health protection for risks and health surveillance of employees of affiliated companies.

Main national and international collaborations:

1. Department of Clinical and Community Sciences, University of Milan
2. Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, Occupational Medicine, University of Verona
3. Department of Public Medicine Sciences, University of Trieste
4. National Institute of Occupational Health, Copenhagen, Denmark
5. University of Padua Department of Cardio-Thoraco-Vascular Sciences and Public Health (UOC of Pneumology, Cardiac Surgery, Cardiology, Thoracic Surgery); Department of Surgical, Oncological and Gastroenterological Sciences; Department of Biomedical Sciences (UOC Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Surgery)
6. Interdisciplinary Geriatric Research Foundation, FORGEI, Treviso
7. Veneto Region Center for the study and treatment of Brain Aging (CRIC)
8. National reference center for gender medicine of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS)
9. Prevention, Hygiene and Safety Service in the workplace (SPISAL), ULSS6, Padua
10. INAIL, Department of Occupational Medicine, Epidemiology and Occupational and Environmental Hygiene Monte Porzio Catone, Rome
11. Unstitute for occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA)

12. Porphyrias Italian Group (GrIP), Modena
13. Swiss Centre for Applied Human Toxicology, Basel University, Svizzera
14. Centro Internazionale per gli Antiparassitari e la Prevenzione Sanitaria (ICPS), ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco, Milano e Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Cliniche, Università degli Studi di Milano
15. Imperial College, London, UK

TEACHING ACTIVITY

• Postgraduate School of Occupational Medicine
• Doctoral Program in Pharmacological Sciences
• Presidency of the Master's Degree Course in Prevention Health Professions Sciences, University of Padua
• Degree course in Techniques of Prevention in the Environment and in the Workplace
• Degree course in Industrial Chemistry
• Master's degree program Sciences of the Healthcare Professions of Prevention
• Master's degree course Rehabilitation Sciences of Health Professionals
• Master's degree program Sanitary Biology

TEACHING SPACES

• 2 classrooms at the Giustinianeo Hospital, II Floor, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padua

RESEARCH

LINES OF RESEARCH: Endotypic study and phenotypic follow-up of occupational asthma 1

UNIVERSITY STAFF: Paola Mason (Rtd A since 2018), Anna Bordin (TECHINICAL STAFF).

Interdisciplinary research: YES

MACROAREA: MED / 44; MED / 10

LINES OF RESEARCH: Environmental and idiopathic pulmonary diseases

UNIVERSITY STAFF: Sofia Pavanello (AP), Paola Mason (Researcher, Rtd A from 2018), Filippo Livero (Researcher, Rtd A from 2021), Manuela Campisi (DSCTV  Fellow), Anna Bordin (TECHINICAL STAFF).

NON-UNIVERSITY STAFF: No

Interdisciplinary research:  yes

MACROAREA: MED / 44; MED / 10; MED / 50; MED /46; BIO / 11; BIO / 18.

LINES OF RESEARCH: Epi-genome-environment interactions in environment and occupational pathologies, including cancer.

UNIVERSITY STAFF: Sofia Pavanello (AP), Manuela Campisi (DSCTV  Fellow)

INTERDISCIPLINARITY OF THE RESEARCH LINE: Yes

MACROAREA: MED / 44; MED / 10; MED / 24; MED /46; BIO / 11; BIO / 18.

LINES OF RESEARCH: Aging and rejuvenating effect of environmental and occupational exposures.

UNIVERSITY STAFF: Sofia Pavanello (AP), Manuela Campisi (DSCTV  Fellow)

INTERDISCIPLINARITY OF THE RESEARCH LINE: Yes

MACROAREA: MED / 44; MED / 10; MED / 24; MED / 34 MED /46; BIO / 11; BIO / 18.

LINES OF RESEARCH: Biological age in organ transplantation

UNIVERSITY STAFF: Sofia Pavanello (AP), Manuela Campisi (DSCTV  Fellow)

INTERDISCIPLINARITY OF THE RESEARCH LINE: Yes

MACROAREA: MED / 44; MED / 21; MED / 23; MED /46; BIO / 11; BIO / 18.

LINES OF RESEARCH: Organ rejuvenation

UNIVERSITY STAFF: Sofia Pavanello (AP), Manuela Campisi (DSCTV  Fellow)

INTERDISCIPLINARITY OF THE RESEARCH LINE: Yes

MACROAREA: MED / 44; MED / 21; MED / 23; MED /46; BIO / 11; BIO / 18.

LINES OF RESEARCH: Arthroprosthetic cobaltosis and cobalt toxicity

UNIVERSITY STAFF: Nicolli Annamaria (TECHINICAL STAFF), Gambalunga Alberto (TECHINICAL STAFF); Pasqualato Fabiola (TECHINICAL STAFF)

EXTRAUNIVERSITY STAFF: Isabella Bortoletti

INTERDISCIPLINARITY OF THE RESEARCH LINE: Yes

MACROAREA: MED / 44;

LINES OF RESEARCH: Studies on Porphyrias and therapy

UNIVERSITY STAFF: Nicolli Annamaria (TECHINICAL STAFF), Gambalunga Alberto (TECHINICAL STAFF); Pasqualato Fabiola (TECHINICAL STAFF)

EXTRAUNIVERSITY STAFF: Isabella Bortoletti

INTERDISCIPLINARITY OF THE RESEARCH LINE: Yes

MACROAREA: MED / 44;

LINES OF RESEARCH: Chemical markers for the assessment of exposure to wood dust.

UNIVERSITY STAFF: Carrieri Mariella (AP), Salamon Fabiola (TECHINICAL STAFF), Martinelli Andrea (Co.Co.Co.).

INTERDISCIPLINARITY OF THE RESEARCH LINE: Yes

MACROAREA: MED / 44;

LINES OF RESEARCH: Studies to assess exposure to carcinogens in the workplace (silica, metals, wood dust, formaldehyde)

UNIVERSITY STAFF: Carrieri Mariella (AP), Salamon Fabiola (TECHINICAL STAFF), Alessandro Nalesso (TECHINICAL STAFF), Martinelli Andrea (Co.Co.Co.).

INTERDISCIPLINARITY OF THE RESEARCH LINE: yes

MACROAREA: MED / 44;

LINES OF RESEARCH: Studies to assess the exposure to benzene in living and the work environments

UNIVERSITY STAFF: Carrieri Mariella (AP), Salamon Fabiola (TECHINICAL STAFF), Alessandro Nalesso (TECHINICAL STAFF), Martinelli Andrea (Co.Co.Co.).

INTERDISCIPLINARITY OF THE RESEARCH LINE: yes

MACROAREA: MED / 44;

LINES OF RESEARCH: Health promotion studies in healthcare and other work environments

UNIVERSITY STAFF: Scapellato Maria Luisa (AP), Filippo Liviero (Researcher, Rtd A from 2021)

EXTRAUNIVERSITY STAFF: Volpin Anna MD, Maccà Isabella MD

INTERDISCIPLINARITY OF THE RESEARCH LINE: Yes

MACROAREA: MED / 44;

LINES OF RESEARCH: Development of models for the study of gender differences in occupational medicine

UNIVERSITY STAFF: Scapellato Maria Luisa (AP)

EXTRAUNIVERSITY STAFF: Volpin Anna MD

INTERDISCIPLINARITY OF THE RESEARCH LINE: Yes

MACROAREA: MED / 44;

LINES OF RESEARCH: Prevention of infectious diseases in the healthcare environment

UNIVERSITY STAFF: Scapellato Maria Luisa (AP), Moretto Angelo (Full professor), Pavanello Sofia (AP), Paola Mason (Researcher, Rtd A from 2018), Filippo Liviero (Researcher, Rtd A from 2021)

EXTRAUNIVERSITY STAFF: Volpin Anna MD

INTERDISCIPLINARITY OF THE RESEARCH LINE: Yes

MACROAREA: MED / 44;

LINES OF RESEARCH: Prevention of allergic disease in the veterinary sector: environmental and clinical aspects.

UNIVERSITY STAFF: Scapellato Maria Luisa (AP), Moretto Angelo (Full professor), Mariella Carrieri (AP), Paola Mason (Researcher, Rtd A from 2018), Filippo Liviero (Researcher, Rtd A from 2021), Nalesso Alessandro (TECHINICAL STAFF), Salamon Fabiola (TECHINICAL STAFF), Martinelli Andrea (Co.Co.Co.).

EXTRAUNIVERSITY STAFF: Mariangiola Crivellaro MD

INTERDISCIPLINARITY OF THE RESEARCH LINE: Yes

MACROAREA: MED / 44;

LINES OF RESEARCH: Prevention of diseases resulting from exposure to flour dust in the bakery sector and other bakery products.

UNIVERSITY STAFF: Mariella Carrieri (AP), Scapellato Maria Luisa (AP), Moretto Angelo (Full professor), Paola Mason (Researcher, Rtd A from 2018), Filippo Liviero (Researcher, Rtd A from 2021), , Salamon Fabiola (TECHINICAL STAFF), Martinelli Andrea (Co.Co.Co.).

EXTRAUNIVERSITY STAFF: Mariangiola Crivellaro MD

INTERDISCIPLINARITY OF THE RESEARCH LINE: Yes

MACROAREA: MED / 44;

LINES OF RESEARCH: Aging and SARS-CoV-2 infection

UNIVERSITY STAFF: Pavanello Sofia (AP), Scapellato Maria Luisa (AP), Moretto Angelo (Full professor), Paola Mason (Researcher, Rtd A from 2018), Filippo Liviero (Researcher, Rtd A from 2021), Manuela Campisi (DSCTV  Fellow), Anna Bordin (TECHINICAL STAFF).

EXTRAUNIVERSITY STAFF: Mariangiola Crivellaro MD

INTERDISCIPLINARITY OF THE RESEARCH LINE: Yes

MACROAREA: MED / 44, MED / 10, MED / 50, MED /46, BIO / 11, BIO / 18;

LINES OF RESEARCH: Study of the immune response to vaccinations

UNIVERSITY STAFF: Scapellato Maria Luisa (AP), Moretto Angelo (Full professor), Paola Mason (Researcher, Rtd A from 2018), Filippo Liviero (Researcher, Rtd A from 2021)

EXTRAUNIVERSITY STAFF: Mariangiola Crivellaro MD, Volpin Anna MD

INTERDISCIPLINARITY OF THE RESEARCH LINE: Yes

MACROAREA: MED / 44.

LINES OF RESEARCH: Risk assessment of biomechanical overload of the spine and upper limbs and work related muscoloskeletal disorders in different manufactures

EXTRAUNIVERSITY STAFF: Stefano Maso MD

INTERDISCIPLINARITY OF THE RESEARCH LINE: Yes

MACROAREA: MED / 44;