Colonel Marco LASTILLA is a Permanent Service Military Medical Officer in the Aeronautical Health Corps. A specialist in Infectious and Tropical Diseases as well as in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, he also serves in academia as an Adjunct Professor of Clinical Microbiology at La Sapienza University of Rome.

He currently holds the position of Head of the Office of the Chief of the Aeronautical Health Corps and Head of the Technical Coordination Office of the Health Service. Previously, he directed the Specialized Aeromedical Center of the Aerospace Medical Institute and served as Director of the Defense Epidemiological Observatory. He has also been certified as an Aeromedical Examiner (AME).

He has obtained three Master’s degrees: in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Meyer Children’s Hospital in Florence (1999), in Healthcare Services Organization at La Sapienza University of Rome (2002), and in Global Strategy and Security Studies at the University of Turin (2022). He also graduated with honors from the 72nd IASD course (Institute of Advanced Defense Studies) in the Academic Year 2020/2021.

He is a member of the Scientific and Technical Committee of the Human Biosafety Health Foundation (formerly HBH Association), the Scientific Committee of the Aeronautical Military Studies Center (CESMA), and the Board of Directors of the Italian Association of Aerospace Medicine (AIMAS).

For his professional and scientific commitment, he has received several awards, including the Certificate of Merit in Public Health and the Silver Medal of Merit of the Italian Red Cross. He is the author of more than 60 scientific publications in the medical and aerospace fields and is an international expert in the transport of patients under high-level biocontainment.

Dr. Ulrico Angeloni is a Medical Executive specializing in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine at the Italian Ministry of Health, where he serves as Director of Office 3 – Health Emergencies within the Department of Prevention, Research, and Health Emergencies.

From 2011 to 2019, he was National Medical Director of the Italian Red Cross, where he coordinated public health programs, biocontainment operations, and responses to national and international health emergencies, including migration crises, the Horn of Africa emergency, the Emilia earthquake, and the management of the national antidote stockpile. Previously, he held various senior positions in hospitals and healthcare institutions, gaining extensive experience in healthcare management, hygiene, and preventive medicine. His responsibilities included the management of the national strategic stockpile of COVID-19 vaccines, the organization of training programs and NBC (with a biological focus) exercises—particularly in border areas—and the design of an Operational Health Emergency Center model for managing potential health alerts in coordination with other directorate offices and relevant institutions.

He graduated in Medicine and Surgery at La Sapienza University of Rome and specialized in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine at Tor Vergata University of Rome, with top marks and honors. Alongside his institutional duties, he has carried out extensive teaching and training activities in both academic and professional contexts, holding teaching assignments at La Sapienza University of Rome, Tor Vergata University, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, and the Luiss Business School, in addition to numerous training courses organized by the Ministry of Health and the Italian Red Cross.

An expert in biocontainment and highly transmissible infectious diseases, he has participated as a member of the ministerial team in international missions, including the Wuhan mission for the biocontainment repatriation of Italian citizens. Author of numerous training and educational initiatives, Dr. Angeloni is recognized for his contribution to the management of health emergencies and the development of prevention strategies at both national and international levels.

Dr. Antonello Furia
Graduated in Medicine and Surgery at the University of Turin, he specialized in Aerospace Medicine at the University “La Sapienza” of Rome. Since 2010, he has been a member of the Medical Expert Group and MEST Auditor of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and since 2016 he has served as Secretary General of the European Society of Aerospace Medicine (ESAM). He is also the Italian Focal Point for ICAO–CAPSCA and a member of the Medical Appeal Commission of the Italian Ministry of Health, where he served as Vice President from 2014 to 2018.
At the international level, he has taken part in ICAO’s main working groups, including the ICAO Mental Health Working Group and the Health Issues Outbreaks in Aviation Task Force, contributing to the development of global guidelines on aviation health. Previously, he was a member of the European Aviation Medical Assessors Council and participated in several JAA and ICAO technical groups on Dangerous Goods and operational regulations (JAR-OPS1).
Author of numerous scientific publications in aerospace medicine, he has participated as a lecturer, moderator, and speaker in international congresses and training courses, with contributions across Europe, the United States, the Middle East, and Asia. His professional activity focuses on the intersection between medicine, flight safety, and public health, with particular attention to risk prevention and the management of public health emergencies in civil aviation.

Prof. Antonio Cascio is Full Professor of Infectious and Tropical Diseases at the University of Palermo and Director of the Unit of Infectious Diseases (UOC) at the University Hospital “P. Giaccone”, where he also coordinates the Antimicrobial Stewardship Team. He holds a degree in Medicine and Surgery, with specializations in Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases, and earned a PhD in Infectious Diseases at La Sapienza University of Rome.

His academic career began at the University of Messina, where he served as Associate and later Full Professor, before moving to the University of Palermo. There, he directs the Postgraduate School of Specialization in Infectious Diseases and teaches in the degree programs of Medicine and Surgery, MEDIT, and Nursing.

Prof. Cascio’s scientific activity includes over 500 publications, of which 437 are indexed in Scopus, with more than 9,400 citations and an H-index of 51. His research has focused primarily on zoonotic infectious and parasitic diseases, such as leishmaniasis, brucellosis, and rickettsiosis, with contributions published in leading international journals, including Lancet Infectious Diseases, Clinical Infectious Diseases, and Clinical Microbiology and Infection.

He serves as Principal Investigator in numerous clinical and scientific studies and is an active member of the Italian Society of Infectious Diseases and the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID).

Lieutenant Colonel Paolo Fazio

Medical Doctor, Specialist in Internal Medicine
Holds a Master’s in Healthcare Management and a Managerial Training Certificate for General Directors of Healthcare Institutions and other National Health Service Bodies from the LUISS Business School.

He is a Permanent Service Officer of the Italian Air Force.
• 2004–2015: Head of the Regimental Infirmary of the 17th Wing, Italian Air Force
• 2015–2025: Head of the Health Operations Planning Section within the Technical Coordination Office of the Italian Air Force Health Service

He is responsible for logistical and operational planning activities related to high-level biocontainment capacity, actively engaged in training, education, and teaching, as well as in managing external relations at both international and interagency levels, with a focus on the management of assets, assessment of operational versatility, and enhancement of capability utilization.

Dr. Chiara Iaria
Director of the Complex Operative Unit of Infectious and Tropical Diseases at ARNAS Civico Hospital in Palermo, Dr. Chiara Iaria is a medical doctor, specialist in Infectious and Tropical Diseases, and holds a PhD in Infectious Diseases and Immunological Therapies from La Sapienza University of Rome. She also obtained a Second-Level Master’s Degree in Antibiotic Stewardship from Policlinico Gemelli in Rome and received the National Scientific Qualification as Associate Professor in Infectious Diseases.

From 2013 to 2021, she served as a member of the National Board of Directors of SIMIT (Italian Society of Infectious and Tropical Diseases), and she actively participates in several national study groups on antimicrobial resistance, HIV/AIDS, and emerging infections. Since 2017, she has been Associate Editor of the scientific journal Le Infezioni in Medicina.

Clinically, she directs a ward with beds dedicated to both COVID and non-COVID patients, and oversees specialist outpatient clinics for HIV and PrEP, hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases, and opportunistic infections. She serves as Regional Coordinator for the prescription of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapies against HCV and chairs the Regional Technical Working Group for the National Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (PNCAR).

Author of numerous scientific publications in indexed international journals, and a frequent speaker and moderator at national and European congresses, Dr. Iaria has developed a professional path that integrates clinical expertise, scientific research, and managerial skills, with a particular focus on infection prevention and control, care of immunocompromised patients, and the promotion of innovative antimicrobial stewardship models.

Major (CSArn) Simone Teodonio

In 1996, he earned a Classical High School Diploma.

He graduated in Medicine and Surgery at La Sapienza University of Rome on March 4, 2004, with full marks (110/110 cum laude), and obtained his professional license in July of the same year.

In 2004, he was admitted to the Specialization School in Urology at La Sapienza University of Rome, a five-year program, and in November 2008 he completed his specialization in Urology with highest honors (70/70 cum laude).

Professional Experience

Winner of the 4th AUFP competition, he served as a Fixed-Term Officer from August 7, 2012, to November 6, 2014, as Head of the Regimental Infirmary at the School of Marshals/Airport Command of Viterbo.

Appointed Lieutenant in Permanent Service within the Aeronautical Health Corps, he was initially assigned to the Multinational Medical Joint Training Center at the Military Health and Veterinary School, and later to the Italian Air Force Health Service.

Since 2018, he has been Head of the Men’s Health Project, aimed at the prevention and treatment of urological diseases among Defense personnel. In this role, he carries out clinical, ultrasound, endoscopic, and surgical activities.

From 2015 to 2018, he served as Lecturer in Urology (1 ECTS) at the Military Health and Veterinary School, affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery – Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing at Tor Vergata University of Rome.

In addition to his specialist duties, since joining the Air Force he has been involved in the technical and training aspects of high-level biocontainment medical transport, contributing to the organization of conferences and training courses for healthcare personnel of the Air Force and other Armed Forces.

Dr. Marco Palmeri graduated in Medicine and Surgery and specialized in Anesthesiology, Resuscitation, and Intensive Care at the University of Palermo. He currently serves as Consultant Anesthesiologist-Intensivist at ARNAS Civico Di Cristina Benfratelli Hospital in Palermo, assigned to the SUES 118 Operations Center for the Palermo–Trapani district.

With over twenty years of experience in emergency and urgent care, he has developed specific expertise in Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS), operating from the bases of Palermo, Pantelleria, and Lampedusa. He has served as Head of 118 Fleet Management and of the Centralized Coordination of the Helicopter Emergency Service of the Sicilian Region, as well as Ministry of Health Liaison Officer for the SNAR19 (National Regional Antidote Stockpile). He has also undertaken assignments in the NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) field, with particular focus on biocontainment and health security.

Alongside his clinical work, he has held numerous roles as lecturer and instructor in training programs for physicians, emergency medical personnel, and healthcare staff, collaborating with CEFPAS, the University of Palermo, and the Italian Ministry of Health. He has authored publications and presented at national and international conferences on emergency medicine, aeromedical evacuation, and biological risk management.

His professional career integrates clinical practice, education, and applied research in emergency medicine, with a continuous commitment to strengthening best practices in aeromedical transport and in the management of non-conventional emergencies.