Francesco De Gaetano is Assistant Professor in Bioengineering at Politecnico di Milano, and Senior Researcher at Humanitas Research Hospital.

He earned his Ph.D. cum Laude in Biomedical Engineering in 2017 at the Politecnico di Milano, where he focused on the design, manufacturing, and in-vitro testing of an innovative biomorphic heart valve (PoliValve) made of a new thermoplastic elastomeric biomaterial. Throughout his career, Francesco has been a visiting researcher at various institutions, including the University of Cambridge (Cambridge, UK), the ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research at the University of Bern (Bern, Switzerland), and the Cardiocentro Ticino (Lugano, Switzerland).

In 2019 he co-founded MGSHELL S.r.l, an innovative start-up aimed to develop a new intraocular drug delivery device. Nowadays he is Chief Technology Officer and board member of the start-up.

Francesco has received funding for his research from entities such as the Italian Ministry of Economic Development, Italian Ministry of University and Research and Italian Ministry of Health. His work has led to numerous awards, including the PoliSocial Award and the National Innovation Award granted by the Italian Association of Clinical Engineers.

At the 3D Innovation Lab, Francesco coordinates the characterization of biological and synthetic soft tissues. He focused on the characterization of the pancreatic tissue to aid in the prevention of the postoperative pancreatic fistula. Francesco’s work is characterized by a strong commitment to innovation and the improvement of patient care through the development of advanced biomedical devices and life support systems.