Stefano Pileri is an Italian pathologist and an academic. He is the Director of the Division of Hemolymphopathological Diagnostics at the European Institute of Oncology.
Pileri's work has focused on haematopathology, especially the classification, diagnosis, and biology of lymphoid and hematopoietic malignancies. He is the recipient of the 2013 “Picchio d’Oro” from the Academy of Medicine of Piceno and was also named Honorary Citizen of Jesi in 2025.
Education Pileri completed his degree in Medicine from Bologna University in 1976. Later in 1980, he obtained his postdoctoral degree in Haematopathology from Kiel University.
Career Pileri began his academic career in 1976 as a university assistant at the Institute of Pathologic Anatomy of the University of Bologna. In 1981, he was appointed researcher at the same institution, a position he held until 1986. He then worked as an associate professor from 1986 to 2001, and from 2001 to 2015, he was a full professor of Pathologic Anatomy at the University of Bologna. Additionally, he has held honorary academic appointments throughout his career, including working as the Karl Lennert Lecturer in 2024, the Ferrata Lecturer in 2025, and the Christopher Fletcher Lecturer in 2025.
Pileri has also held administrative appointments throughout his career. He worked as the director of the Complex Unit of Pathological Anatomy from 1995 to 2015. Additionally, he was president of the European Association for Haematopathology between 2006 and 2008. In 2015, he founded the Division of Hemolymphopathological Diagnostics at the European Institute of Oncology and has worked as its Director since its establishment. Moreover, he is also president of the Scientific Board of Diatech Pharmacogenetics.
Research Pileri's work has centered on the pathology and molecular biology of lymphoid malignancies. He has examined topics related to lymphoma diagnosis and classification, with an emphasis on understanding the biological features of both B-cell and T-cell lymphomas. His studies have examined genetic and immunohistochemical characteristics of specific lymphoma types such as peripheral T-cell lymphomas.
Pileri's research has also extended to methodological aspects of diagnostic pathology and the interpretation of complex disease phenotypes. He has also investigated evolving technologies in molecular pathology to help refine disease categorization and identify potential therapeutic targets in heterogeneous lymphoma subgroups.
Additionally, beyond individual studies of disease entities, Pileri's work has also focused on broader conceptual discussions about lymphoma molecular complexity and classification frameworks in haematopathology.
Awards and honors 2011 - Honoris Causa in Medicine, Athens University 2013 – Marchigiano of the Year 2013 – “Picchio d’Oro”, Academy of Medicine of Piceno 2025 – Honorary Citizen of Jesi, The City of Jesi
Selected articles Stein, H., Foss, H. D., Dürkop, H., Marafioti, T., Delsol, G., Pulford, K., ... & Falini, B. (2000). CD30+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma: a review of its histopathologic, genetic, and clinical features. Blood, The Journal of the American Society of Hematology, 96(12), 3681–3695. Swerdlow, S. H., Campo, E., Harris, N. L., Jaffe, E. S., Pileri, S. A., Stein, H., ... & Vardiman, J. W. (2008). World Health Organization classification of tumours of haematopoietic and lymphoid tissues. Campo, E., Swerdlow, S. H., Harris, N. L., Pileri, S., Stein, H., & Jaffe, E. S. (2011). The 2008 WHO classification of lymphoid neoplasms and beyond: evolving concepts and practical applications. Blood, The Journal of the American Society of Hematology, 117(19), 5019–5032. Tiacci, E., Trifonov, V., Schiavoni, G., Holmes, A., Kern, W., Martelli, M. P., ... & Falini, B. (2011). BRAF mutations in hairy-cell leukemia. New England Journal of Medicine, 364(24), 2305–2315. Swerdlow, S. H., Campo, E., Pileri, S. A., Harris, N. L., Stein, H., Siebert, R., ... & Jaffe, E. S. (2016). The 2016 revision of the World Health Organization classification of lymphoid neoplasms. Blood, 127(20), 2375–2390.
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