John Charles Rotondo, PhD, Principal Investigator, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. His research is focused on evaluating the role of non-coding RNA molecules in modulating epithelial cell proliferation, differentiation and adhesion processes and understanding the dysregulated immunological, genetic and epigenetic mechanisms relying on the onset and progression of cancers of different histotypes, including Merkel cell, vulvar and cervical carcinomas. He studied the role of small DNA tumor viruses including human polyoma- and papillomaviruses in human cancers and other diseases. Academic age: 12 years. Total Number of first/corresponding author articles: 41 Total Number of articles: 66 Impact Factor (InCites JCR 2023): 374.6 Active (first/corresponding) impact Factor: 222 Mean active (first/corresponding) impact Factor: 5.4 Scopus h-index: 29. Google scholar h-index: 31. ORCID: 0000-0001-5179-1525. SCOPUS: 55501665600. Editor of: Journal of Medical Virology (IF:12), Immunology (IF: 6) Frontiers in cell and developmental biology (IF:6.1), Frontiers in microbiology (IF:6.6), Vaccines (IF:4.96), Genetic Research (IF:1.37), and Cancers (IF:6.57), The Open Microbiology journal (IF:1.16). Reviewer for international research grants for the UWM Research Foundation/University of Wisconsin and Fondazione Regionale per la Ricerca Biomedica (FRRB). Reviewer of a large number of international journals. I have identified molecular mechanisms underlying the efficacy of antitumor compounds, including hypomethylating agents and retinoids, in Merkel cell carcinoma, acute myeloid leukemia, and lung cancer. I have developed innovative immunoassays for detecting antibodies against the small tumor virus Merkel cell polyomavirus in cancer patients, obtaining national and international patents and the Nicolò Copernico Award - 2018. I am currently the P.I. of a 5-yr grant from the Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC) in this research field. I have identified novel genetic and epigenetic markers in Merkel cell, vulvar and cervical carcinoma. Part of these data were obtained at the WHO/IARC institute (France) supported by the Berlucchi Foundation Young Researchers Mobility Award – 2017. I have developed innovative assays for detecting DNA tumor viruses in clinical samples. Studies on oncogenic viruses allow me to obtain, (i) for 3 years, the Post-Doctoral Fellowships from the Umberto Veronesi cancer research Foundation, (ii) a “Starting Grant” from the Italian Ministry of Health, (iii) the Carlo Erba Foundation Award - 2017.