Prof P.G. Messa
Nephrology and Dialysis Unit
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Prof P.G. Messa |
Prof Zoccali: The Unit of Nephrology and Transplantation of the Ospedale Maggiore in Milan is one of those with the best tradition in clinical research on renal diseases in Europe. You took over the directorship of the Unit 2 years ago. Could you tell us the structure of your activities and research interests? May you give us complementary information on the organization of your Unit (i.e. information beyond that included in the web site)?
Prof Messa: Over the last two years, I have spent much of my time planning new developmental lines, both structural and functional.
My main activities are linked to the most prominent clinical fields of our special interest: namely clinical nephrology, transplant and dialysis. However, my preferred fields of interest mainly involve clinical and pathophysiological research in renal transplanted patients, and the mineral metabolism and metabolic aspects in kidney patients.
Of course, the most relevant and historical research fields of this Institution have been conserved and implemented (e.g. primary and secondary glomerular diseases, immunosuppressive therapy).
Prof Zoccali: Which are the strengths and the weaknesses of your Unit?
Prof Messa: As stated above, our Unit is traditionally a reference centre for many glomerular diseases and our Transplant Centre was the first to start a transplant program in Italy. Consequently, we have access to large patient cohorts.
We will be working very hard in the coming years to up-date our computer systems, increasing the online control of informative fluxes. This is, at the present time the weakest point of our structure.
Prof Zoccali: You have a variety of research projects. Are these performed by a dedicated staff or by the clinical staff?
Prof Messa: Most projects are carried out directly by clinical staff. However, in our laboratory, technical staff and biologists are specifically dedicated to some of our current projects.
Prof Zoccali: You have a major scientific interest in bone disease and a solid clinical experience on renal transplantation. Are you redefining your research interests and objectives?
Prof Messa: As I mentioned previously, we are renewing our laboratory, implementing new histological techniques, new ELISA methods and starting to get to grips with molecular medicine methods. Through these new methodologies we hope to widen the informative value of our research on the above mentioned fields and to begin new research streams in new areas (specifically in the metabolic and immunologic fields of renal transplantation).
Prof Zoccali: Is your research exclusively clinically oriented or do you also perform laboratory research?
Prof Messa: As previously stated, we are going to implement basic research too.
Prof Zoccali: May you provide financial support to young investigators from abroad for well-focused research projects?
Prof Messa: Our Institution (Ospedale Maggiore,Policlinico, Mangiagalli, RE- Fondazione IRCCS) is very much interested in promoting collaborative research and studies with other centres, both in Italy and abroad. So, it should be possible for some well-focused projects, mainly concerning translational research, to be accepted and financed.
Prof Zoccali: Do you accept fellows with limited educational goals, e.g. gaining skills in a clinical or laboratory methodology?
Prof Messa: In the coming years, one of our main goals will be to give trainees who are interested in any of our clinical and /or research fields the possibility to join us, independently of the type of field concerned.
Prof Zoccali: Which “in house” educational activities do you have? (Journal Club..Invited speakers….Clinical meetings…)
Prof Messa: We conduct a weekly meeting with internal and invited speakers on many topics covering, over the course of each year, the main fields of our special area. We also organize CME meetings, mainly on kidney transplantation.
Prof Zoccali: Do you provide well formalised “hands on” clinical training also in the outpatient clinics or just on the medical (nephrology) ward?
Prof Messa: At the present time our training activities are carried out exclusively in our in-hospital unit.
Prof Zoccali: Milan is a splendid city. What would you recommend as a "must" to a young fellow visiting your Unit?
Prof Messa: Milan is indeed a splendid city, but also a very expensive one. I think that any young trainee visiting our Unit (such as any other site in the world) should have mainly the following prerogatives: firmness when facing any obstacle, the willingness to challenge his or her own ideas and an absence of certainties.
